Introduction Ireland is the second largest Island of the British Isles. The Republic of Ireland Act made in 1948 states the official name of the country as “The Republic of Ireland”, but other English speaking nations commonly refer to the country just as Ireland. The word Ireland comes from the combining of the original Gaelic name Éire and the German word Land. “Ireland is 485 km (302 miles) at it greatest length and is 304 km (189 miles) at its widest point”, (Britannica) with the republic covering a total land mass of 70,282 sq km. With high precipitation, the weather is consistently humid, with moderate winters and cool summers. The country is slightly mountainous with the highest peak, Carrantuohill in County Kerry, rising to 3,415 ft. The Irish Sea to the east separates Ireland from its neighbor Britain. Since Ireland has no bridges or other structures connecting it to Europe the sea is vital to the Irish economy, fishing, and transportation. The total population of Ireland is 4,680,000. (2012 Britannica est.) Society Ireland’s population is very homogenous when compared to other nations around the world. The island is divided into a total of 32 counties, 26 of which are a part of the Republic of Ireland and the other 6 making up Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland remains separate from the Republic and is ruled by the United Kingdom. While a large majority of the population consider themselves ethnically to be Irish, some citizens, particularly those in Northern Ireland, view themselves as Irish of British descent, a group sometimes referred to as the "Anglo-Irish".(everyculture.com) This division in culture seems largely dependent on a variety of factors such as nationalism, religion, and the rule of two different governments on the island. In the sixteenth century, the English attempted to regain control over Ireland by trying to de-establish the Catholic Church. This began an association between Irish Catholicism and Irish nationalism. Usually Roman Catholic practitioners choose to be recognized as Irish and Protestants choose to identify themselves as northern Irish or British. Economy Up until the 1950’s agriculture fueled a large portion of Ireland’s economy, with the population living largely in rural areas. Since th