The most north-westerly country in the European Union, the island of Ireland has a surface of 70.273 km2. It is battered from the west by the Atlantic Ocean and lapped from the east by the choppy Irish Sea.
The highest mountain in Ireland, Carrantuohill in the MacGillicuddy's Reeks range, stands at 1,041 metres (3,419 ft) and is located in the south-western county of Kerry.
Among the many wonders of the Irish landscape is the Burren, Co Clare, in the mid-west of the country. The Burren, meaning 'great rock', is described by geologists as 'Karst', after a similar Slovenian formation. It is a strange lunar-like region of bare carboniferous limestone, occupying 250 square kilometres north-west of Lisdoonvarna. The Burren is known for its rare alpine flowers and spectacular caves, streams, potholes and 'turloughs' (seasonal lakes).
Ireland's climate is influenced by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and is in the path of the prevailing southwesterly winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean. This makes for equitable conditions over the whole country and means Ireland is never exposed to extremes of weather.
