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:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
70,273 sq km
country comparison to the world: 120
land:
68,883 sq km
water:
1,390 sq km
slightly larger than West Virginia
total:
443 km
border countries:
UK 443 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
1,448 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
arable land:
15.11%
permanent crops:
0.01%
other:
84.87% (2011)
11 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
52 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
0.79 cu km/yr (94%/6%/0%)
per capita:
226.9 cu m/yr (2007)
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
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
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin