Ireland

Ireland is an island on the westernmost edge of Europe, and it is the continent's second largest one (after Great Britain).

The territory is more varied than one might think, it is dominated by the famous green Irish meadows, but it is also characterised by hilly and low mountainous areas, the coasts themselves are gentle in some places, much harsher and sheer to the sea in others; the economy has had a late development, but now it can be considered at the top of the global market in some sectors such as the computer industry.

Centuries ago Ireland came under the control of England. At the start of the twentieth century there was a sustained campaign to break the link with Britain. In 1922, the southern 26 counties of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom. This did not end the conflict. There was sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, between Nationalists, largely Catholics, who wanted Northern Ireland to unite with the Irish Republic, and the Unionists, mostly Protestants, who were loyal to Great Britain. This unrest exploded violently in the late 1960s, a time called the Troubles, which ended in 1998 with a peace agreement.