Ireland
Factfile
Ireland is separated into two parts. The north is still part of the UK, while the Republic of Ireland, in the south, has been an independent state since 1921.The Republic has three and a half million inhabitants and two official languages, English and Gaelic.
The capital of the Republic is Dublin with a population of half a million; the second city is Cork, situated in the southwest. The most important river is the River Shannon.
Ireland is famous for its beautiful scenery, especially its coastline and green rolling hills. It is often known as the "Emerald Isle."
Ireland is also famous for its traditional music, its many great writers (Oscar Wide, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, to name just a few) and finally for its traditional drink, Guinness, a thick black beer.
