Ireland

Ireland (53°30′N 7°38′W; Irish: Éire) is the third-largest island in Europe. more...

It lies in the Atlantic Ocean and it is composed of the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), a state which covers five sixths of the island (south, east, west and north-west), and Northern Ireland; part of the United Kingdom, which covers the northeastern sixth of the island.

The population of the island is approximately 5.8 million people (2001); 4.1 million in the Republic of Ireland (1.6 million in Greater Dublin) and 1.7 million, in Northern Ireland (0.8 million in Greater Belfast).

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Northern Ireland and Politics of the Republic of Ireland

Politically, Ireland is divided into:

• The Republic of Ireland, with its capital Dublin. This state is often simply referred to internally and internationally as "Ireland" in English or "Éire" in Irish. Technically Ireland and Éire are the official names of the state while the "Republic of Ireland" is its official description.
• Northern Ireland is unofficially known as 'the North', and 'Ulster' (the province of Ulster also includes Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan which are in the Republic). Northern Ireland remains a region of the United Kingdom.

Prior to the Government of Ireland Act 1920 the island had been a unified political entity within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1801 until 1922. From 1541 the Kingdom of Ireland was established by the King of England, though this realm did not cover the whole island till the early 17th century. Up to then, Ireland had been politically divided into a number of different Irish kingdoms (Leinster, Munster, Connacht, Mide, Ulster, and others).

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