IrelandStore

Zazzle gifts related to the country of Ireland. Ireland is an island in the Atlantic off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth. To its east is the island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea and North Channel. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, which covers the remaining area and is located in the north-east of the island. The population of Ireland is approximately 6.4 million. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. The island's geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of its mild but changeable oceanic climate, which avoids extremes in temperature. Thick woodlands covered the island until medieval times. As of 2013, the amount of land that is forested in Ireland is about 11% of the total land area, compared with European average of 35%. There are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland.