Ireland
Europe ยท Capital: Dublin
How it is run: Ireland is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Ireland is home to 5.5 million people in Northern Europe, where people speak English, Irish.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
5.5 million people
That is about 677 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
70,273 kmยฒ
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
๐๏ธ How crowded
About 78 people per square kilometre โ a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
๐ Size in its region
25th most people in Europe
22nd largest by land in Europe.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
English, Irish
More than one language is used for official business.
๐ฐ Money
Euro (โฌ)
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
83 years on average
One of the healthier countries โ good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$131,592
A high-income country: most families can afford cars, travel and new technology.
๐ข Living in cities
64.6% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
18.1% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+353
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.ie
๐ง People here are called
Irish
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
Ireland ยท รire
Also written: รire, Republic of Ireland, Poblacht na hรireann.
๐ Coast or inland
Has a coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
Ireland touches 1 neighbour by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Irlanda
French
Irlande
Arabic
ุฃูุฑููุฏุง
Chinese
็ฑๅฐๅ ฐ
Japanese
ใขใคใซใฉใณใ
Russian
ะัะปะฐะฝะดะธั
Portuguese
Irlanda
German
Irland
Put it in perspective ๐
- Russia โ the most populated country in Europe โ has about 26.2ร as many people as Ireland.
- Ireland covers roughly 669 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Ireland lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 2,742 km.
Flags through time ๐
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Ireland change.
Under British rule
Ireland was governed from London and flew the Union flag.
The tricolour
Green for one tradition, orange for the other, white for peace between them.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: The capital of Ireland is Dublin โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Republic of Ireland
๐๏ธ Capital
Dublin
๐ Region
Europe ยท Northern Europe
๐ค Country code
IE
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about Ireland ๐
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs drop 214 m straight into the Atlantic. Thousands of puffins nest in the ledges each spring.
See it in Street View๐งญ Where on the map
53.0ยฐ N, 8.0ยฐ W
๐ Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC-1 โ when it is noon in London it is about 11:00 in Dublin.
- Ireland is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- Ireland shares its part of the world with Estonia. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- The capital of Ireland is Dublin โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- ๐ฎ๐ช is the flag of Ireland. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is IE.
- Ireland is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly โ the same as every other member, big or small.
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- Ireland has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Ireland can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Ireland spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Ireland?
Dublin
Which money do people spend in Ireland?
Euro (โฌ)
How many countries share a land border with Ireland?
1 โ United Kingdom.
Roughly how many people live in Ireland?
5.5 million people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.