Where is Ireland in the World?

The GPS coordinates of Ireland are a latitude of 53.1424° N, and longitude of 7.6921° W. Ireland is located in the northern and western hemispheres, made known by the cardinal direction attached to each of the two GPS coordinates. Ireland is also found to the north of the equator.

Points of Extremity in Ireland

In the north, Ireland has two different points of extremity. In the mainland alone, Ireland's northernmost point is in Malin Head, a headland on the peninsula of Inishowen. The latitude of this point is 55°23' N. When islands are taken into consideration, Ireland's northernmost point is in Donegal County. With a latitude of 55°26' N, this point is on the island of Inishtrahull.

Ireland's southernmost point is similar to the country's northernmost point in that there are two viable locations. On Ireland's mainland, Brow Head is the most southern point of the country. Located in Mallavogue of Cork County, this point has a latitude of 51°26' N. Off the shore of Ireland, there is an Irish islet called Fastnet Rock. It is considered the most southern point of Ireland beyond the country's mainland. The GPS coordinate of Fastnet Rock is 51°23' N.

The easternmost point of Ireland is positioned at a longitude of 5°59' W. In the county of Wicklow, the most extreme point of Ireland in the east is known as Wicklow Head.

To the west, Ireland has two extremities as well. On Ireland's mainland, the extreme western point of the country has a longitude of 10°28' W. This point is in Dunmore Head on the peninsula of Dingle. Beyond the mainland, Ireland's furthest western point is situated on Tearaght Island in the county of Kerry. The longitude of this point is 10°40' W.

Total Area and Population Density of Ireland

Ireland ranks as the largest country in the world with a total area of 27,132 square miles. Ireland is made up of 26,596 square miles, which is approximately 98% of the country’s total square mileage. The remaining 2% of Ireland’s area is made up of water, which equates to 537 square miles.

The population of Ireland is approximately 4,823,009 people, ranking Ireland as having the 123rd largest population. With these two numerical traits in mind, the population density of Ireland is about 178 people per square mile.

The Republic of Ireland, located on the southern island of Ireland, is a sovereign country. Comparatively, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland is home to 26 of the 32 counties in Ireland. The country developed a new constitution in 1937, and a new country was formed under the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 in 1948. The Republic of Ireland is a member of the United Nations, European Communities, and the European Union.

Northern Ireland Vs. Republic of Ireland

Although they share an island, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are two separate political entities. Much of the political changes occurred at the beginning part of the 20th century. The potential civil war in Ireland caused Britain to partition the island in two. The two entities decided to part ways with a Protestant northeast and Catholic south. In 1922 the Irish Free State was formed, causing Northern Ireland to withdraw and accept governance with the aid of the United Kingdom. Dublin was named the capital of the new Irish Free State.

Ireland Demographics

The largest city in Ireland is Dublin, located on the country's eastern side. Nearly 40% of people live in the Greater Dublin Area. The total population of the country is around 5 million people. Although Irish is described as the official language and English the "second official language," most people speak English daily and can speak Irish if asked. Religion plays a large role in this country's development, but Catholic residents are dropping significantly. In 2011 84.2% of the population identified as Catholic, while in 2016, only 78.3% of the population identified as Catholic.