Overview
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Ireland occupies about five-sixths (70 283 km2) of the island of the same name in north-western Europe. The remaining one-sixth (14 148 km2) of the island is Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It lies between latitude 55° 27´ and 51° 27´ north and longitude 5° 25´ and 10° 30´ west.
The central lowlands are mostly gently rolling farms and pastures, with many lakes and peat bogs. Bordering the lowlands near the coast are a number of low mountain ranges, including the Donegal Mountains in the north-west, the Mountains of Mayo and the Mountains of Connemara in the west, the Mountains of Kerry in the south-west, and the Wicklow Mountains in the east. Carrauntoohill, the highest point in the country at 1 041 m, is in the Mountains of Kerry.
Bays and inlets, many with steep cliffs falling into the ocean, indent the west coast. Hundreds of small islands lie off the west coast including Achill Island, the Aran Islands, and Valentia Island. The south and east coasts are much less rugged.
The principal rivers include the Shannon, Liffey, Barrow, Nore, Suir, Boyne and the Moy. Lakes include Lough Allen, Lough Ree, and Lough Derg along the River Shannon and the Lakes of Killarney in the south-west.
Ireland has a mild, wet climate due to the moderating influence of the prevailing warm, moist winds blowing off the North Atlantic Current. It is much warmer in the winter than most places at its latitude, yet cool in the summer. Temperatures range from 4.4° to 7.2° C in the winter and from 15° to 16.7° C in the summer. Rainfall is plentiful, averaging about 1 500 mm a year in the mountains and approximately 900 mm in the lowlands.
The above information has been obtained from FAOForestry whom we acknowledge with gratitude.
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