Ireland is a relatively small island on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the same ocean that lines the east coast of America. Air flowing off the Atlantic makes the climate in Ireland pretty mild all year round. Unlike New York, Ireland never gets too cold in the winter, and it never gets to hot in the summer. Ireland's geographical position also makes the country extremely rainy. With between about 151 and 225 rainy days every year (depending on the part of the country), Ireland's soil is very wet and fertile, or good for growing crops. Recently, a study found that thousands of years ago, around 2,345 BC, Ireland had a period of 20 years of constant rain. No wonder visitors to Ireland are warned to bring an umbrella!
As a result of all the rain, Ireland's landscape is green and beautiful. Generally, Ireland is filled with rivers, lakes and low green hills. Ireland has many great places to hike and explore, drawing many tourists into the countryside. Interestingly, the Irish name many locations after their physical features. These names are called "toponyms." For example, many place names include the words "druim" (ridge), "cnoc" (hill), "glean" (glen), or "inis" (island). A couple of the places I've been to are called Knocknarea and Innisfree. Can you guess what land formations these places have?
Because Ireland's land is so fertile, agriculture (or farming) is one of the most important industries in the country. According to archaeological evidence, people have been farming in Ireland for around 6,000 years. In the medieval period, Irish people raised cows, sheep, pigs and poultry.
