Geographical overview

 

The island of Ireland is 84,421 square kilometres. The Republic of Ireland is about 70,273 square kilometres.  14,236 square kilometres is Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is on the same island of the republic of Ireland but it is under British jurisdiction. The shape of Ireland is often portrayed as a silhouette of a cute green bear. Ireland’s landscape is hilly terrain and wilderness which is full of forests and lakes.

 

The main cities in Ireland are Dublin, the capital of the East coast, Cork in the southwest, Limerick and Galway on the West Bank, and Waterford on the southeast coast.

The Cliffs of Moher is located on the west coast of Ireland. The cliffs are one of the tallest cliffs in Europe. The cliff stretches for 8 km along the west coast of Ireland. The cliffs are Ireland’s most important seabird habitat and arborterum. The cliffs are a famous location for movies such as Harry potter and the half blooded prince.

 

Climate

 

Ireland is a temperate maritime climate. The climate is influenced by the North Atlantic warm current drift. Ireland is warm in summer and cool in the winter. In Ireland it rains often, with some areas having 275 precipitation days a year. The Atlantic currents influence the Irish climate.  The warm oceans on the west coast of the island are a result of the Gulf Stream.

 

Due to the temperate maritime climate, the temperature is rarely below -5 °C in the winter and above 29 °C in summer.

Rainfall is more common throughout the island in winter. The southeast area of Ireland receives the longest hours of sunshine each year. The northern and western coasts have the largest wind farms in Europe. These wind farms contribute to Ireland’s wind power energy production.