Ireland
By Shruthi Venkatachari
History
Ireland joined the European Union in 1973, and was not a founding country. Ireland was a part of the U.K. until 1921, however Northern Ireland is still part of the U.K.
Geography
Ireland is in Western Europe next to the United Kingdom. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Ireland is mostly flat, with plains, hills, low mountains, and sea cliffs on the west coast.
The Flag
The flag of Ireland consists of three vertical stripes- green, white, and orange. Green represents Irish nationalists, orange represents minority supporters of William of Orange, and white represents peace between the two.
Government
Ireland has a republic, and a parliamentary democracy. Ireland uses the Euro, but they use to use the pound.
Places in Ireland
The capital of Ireland is Dublin, and some other major cities are Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford. People come to Ireland due to the preserved history and scenery, such as Rock of Cashel (St. Patrick's Rock). Some tourist areas are Brú na Bóinne and people can visit and tour castles, such as the Blarney Castle.
Interesting Facts
1) The capital Dublin used to be called Dubh Linn which means Black Pool.
2) In 1961, Ireland was at its lowest population, 2.6 million.
3) Maewyn Succat is said to be St. Patrick's real name. He really did exist.
Citations
Middleton, Jackie. "10 Magical Reasons to Visit Ireland." Readers Digest Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.
"Ireland." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.
Kelly, John. "The Irish Pound." Irish Central Bank. N.p., Spring 2003. Web. 5 Dec.
Grayson. "50 Insane Facts About Ireland." Daily Infographic. N.p., 16 Sept. 2013
Pictures-
gaelcoin.org
galway.net
dublinsecret.eu
bonvoyage.ie
joeoreilly.ie