Ireland comprises five-sixths of the island of Ireland. The north-eastern part of the island is Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom.
Ireland has a long coastline. To the west is the northern Atlantic Ocean and to the south the Celtic Sea. To the east Ireland is separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea.
Capital: Dublin
Geographical size: 69 797 km2
Population: 4 604 029 (2014)
Population as % of total EU population: 0.9 % (2014)
GDP: € 185.412 billion (2014)
Official EU language(s): Irish, English
Political system: parliamentary republic
EU member country since 1 January 1973
Seats in the European Parliament: 11
Currency: Euro. Member of the eurozone since 1 January 1999
Schengen area member? No, Ireland is not a member of the Schengen Area.
Presidency of the Council: Ireland has held the revolving presidency of the Council of the EU 7 times between 1975 and 2013.