Total area: 70,280 sq km (27,135 sq mi)
Population: 4,203,200
Capital and largest city: Dublin, 1,018,500
Other large cities: Cork, 193,400; Limerick, 84,900; Galway, 67,200
Currency: Euro
Languages: English, Irish (Gaelic) (both official)
Religions: Roman Catholic 88%
Time zone: GMT; Daylight Saving Time: GMT+1, observed from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Electricity: AC 230 V, the "British" plug is in use
Ireland is the third-largest island in Europe and it lies to the north-west of continental Europe. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. Politically, the sovereign state of Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) covering the remainder in the north-east.
