Episode 2873
Geography of Ireland
Mon, 2025-Mar-17 00:36 UTC
Length - 3:30
Direct Link
Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.
The featured article for Monday, 17 March 2025 is Geography of Ireland.
Ireland is an island in Northern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island, of up to around 480 km (300 mi) north-south, and 275 km (171 mi) east-west, lies near the western edge of the European continental shelf, part of the Eurasian Plate. Its main geographical features include low central plains surrounded by coastal mountains. The highest peak is Carrauntoohil (Irish: Corrán Tuathail), which is 1,039 metres (3,409 ft) above sea level. The western coastline is rugged, with many islands, peninsulas, headlands and bays, while the southern and northern coasts feature a smaller number of substantial sea inlets, such as Lough Foyle and Cork Harbour; no part of the land is more than around 110 km (68 mi) from the sea. It was administratively divided into 32 counties, gathered in 4 provinces, though current arrangements, especially in Northern Ireland, differ from this model. The island is almost bisected by the River Shannon, which at 360.5 km (224 mi) with a 102.1 km (63 mi) estuary is the longest river in Ireland and flows south from County Cavan in the province of Ulster to form the boundary between Connacht and Leinster, and later Munster, and meet the Atlantic just south and west of Limerick. There are a number of sizeable lakes along Ireland's rivers, of which Lough Neagh is the largest.
Politically, the island consists of the Republic of Ireland, with jurisdiction over about five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, with jurisdiction over the remaining sixth. Located west of the island of Great Britain, Ireland lies at approximately 53°N 8°W. It has a total area of 84,421 km2 (32,595 sq mi) and is separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea, bounded to the north and south respectively by the North Channel and St George's Channel, and from mainland Europe by the Celtic Sea. Ireland forms the second largest landmass in the British Isles, together with Great Britain and the Isle of Man.
The island has a temperate oceanic climate, mild and humid, and is warmer than other landmasses at the same latitude due to its position vis-a-vis the winds on the Atlantic Ocean, and ocean currents and circulations. The island is one of the least forested areas in Europe, though afforestation is growing, but has a strong agricultural sector. It has a limited range of mineral resources, and has only had two major gas finds, and none in the oil sector. Hydroelectric energy is actively used, and wind farms are extending; neither solar nor tidal energy is as yet much exploited.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:36 UTC on Monday, 17 March 2025.
For the full current version of the article, see Geography of Ireland on Wikipedia.
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Until next time, I'm neural Emma.
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