of the UK. In 1949, Ireland withdrew
from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in
1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of
Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A
peace settlement for Northern Ireland is being implemented with some
difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed
and began to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the
Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998.

Geography
Ireland

Location:

Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Geographic coordinates:

53 00 N, 8 00 W

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 70,280 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:

total: 360 km
border countries: UK 360 km

Coastline:

1,448 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the
time

Terrain:

mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills
and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m

Natural resources:

natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum,
limestone, dolomite

Land use:

arable land: 16.82%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 83.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Total renewable water resources:

46.8 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.18 cu km/yr (23%/77%/0%)
per capita: 284 cu m/yr (1994)

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

strategic