Ireland located in north-western Europe, is an island situated the North Atlantic Ocean. To the east, it is separated from Great Britain by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George’s Channel. Of the British Isles, Ireland is the second-largest , in Europe, the third-largest , and on Earth, the twentieth-largest.

Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland which was officially called Ireland, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and covers about five-sixths of the island. The population of Ireland in 2011 was about 6.6 million, making it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. Republic of Ireland had about 4.8 million in 2016, and 1.8 million in Northern Ireland.