Ireland (island)
Ireland is an island lying off the northwest coast of Europe, covering an area of 81,638 km²[1]. It is divided into two states: one, also called Ireland (and which uses the description Republic of Ireland) occupies approximately five-sixths of the island; the other, Northern Ireland, occupies the remaining sixth, in the northeast of the island. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
Subdivisions
Traditionally, the island of Ireland has been subdivided into four provinces and thirty-two counties. The provinces are: Leinster in the east, Munster in the south, Connacht in the west, and Ulster in the north. Of the 32 traditional counties, six (of nine Ulster counties) are within Northern Ireland, while the remaining 26 counties are in the Republic of Ireland. However, the traditional counties of Northern Ireland now only have ceremonial status, being replaced in 1974 by District Councils. Similarly, reform of local government in the Republic of Ireland has seen two counties further subdivided - Tipperary has been split into North and South Tipperary; and County Dublin has been split into the three new counties of Fingal, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin. As five cities (Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford) have independent council status, making them the equivalent of counties for local government purposes, this means that the Republic of Ireland now has 34 administrative areas.
However, despite these changes, the traditional 32 counties on the island still form an important part of heritage and local identity, and are still used in sporting and cultural contexts.