Ireland is a country in north-western Europe. It is a modern sovereign state that occupies five-sixths of the island of Ireland that was partitioned in 1921.

Ireland is a country in north-western Europe. It is a modern sovereign state that occupies five-sixths of the island of Ireland that was partitioned in 1921. It was bordered by Northern Ireland to the north, by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and by the Irish Sea to the east. Ireland is among the richest, most developed and peaceful countries. It has the fifth highest Human Development Index and GDP rank. It has the highest quality of life in the world and it ranks first in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Quality-of-life index. It is also ranked fourth on the Global Peace Index besides high ratings for its political freedom and civil rights, education system, press freedom and economic freedom. It is because of this that it was ranked fourth from the bottom on the Failed States Index, being one of the few "sustainable" states in the world.

Ireland came into being when 26 of the counties of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK) in 1922. Six counties remained within the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland. After this Partition of Ireland, there were four attempts, 1886, 1893, 1914 and 1920. After this the Home Rule was introduced and Ireland emerged out of these complex constitutional developments in the early twentieth century.

The island of Ireland is bound to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the northeast by the North Channel. To the east is found the Irish Sea and this connects to the ocean via the southwest with St George's Channel and the Celtic Sea. The west-coast of Ireland consists of cliffs, hills and low mountains. The interiors are flat land that is traversed by rivers such as the River Shannon and several large lakes or loughs. The centre of the country is part of the River Shannon watershed. The summer temperatures reach 29 °C (84 °F) during summers, and freezes occur only occasionally in winter, with temperatures as low as -6 °C (21 °F).

This beautiful land has a developed, modern, knowledge economy, with a great deal of focus on services and high-tech industries. The state is a member of the EU, the OECD and the UN. Ireland's population is the fastest growing among all the other countries in Europe, with an annual growth rate of 2.5%. Economic growth in Ireland averaged an exceptional 10% from 1995–2000, and 7% from 2001–2004.

Irish people are mainly of Gaelic ancestry and with Anglo-Norman, Norse, English, Scottish, French and Welsh ancestry as well.

The official languages are Irish and English.

Authentic online information on Ireland is offered only at travel.mapsofworld.