Flashcards on An Overview of Ireland
An Overview of Ireland: Your Essential Study Guide & Facts
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Ireland (country and culture)
25 cards
Card 1
Question: What two political entities share the island of Ireland?
Answer: The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (part of the UK).
Card 2
Question: What proportion of the island does the Republic of Ireland cover and approximately how many people live there?
Answer: About 80% of the island; approximately 4.4 million people live there.
Card 3
Question: What is the government type of the Republic of Ireland and who are its head of state and head of government?
Answer: It is a republic with a bicameral parliament. The head of state is the president and the head of government is the prime minister (Taoiseach).
Card 4
Question: What are the two official languages of the Republic of Ireland and which is more widely spoken?
Answer: English and Irish Gaelic; English is the most widely spoken. Gaelic is a compulsory subject at schools.
Card 5
Question: When did the first settlement in Ireland begin and what major religious change occurred in the 5th century AD?
Answer: First settlement traced back to around 8000 BC. In the 5th century AD Christian missionaries (including St. Patrick) brought Christianity, replacing t
Card 6
Question: Name three major foreign influences or invasions Ireland experienced in the Middle Ages and later periods.
Answer: Viking invasions, Norman invasions, and later attempts by the English to take control.
Card 7
Question: What did the Act of Union (1801) do to Ireland's political status?
Answer: It made Ireland part of the United Kingdom.
Card 8
Question: What was the Irish Potato Famine and what were its main consequences in the 19th century?
Answer: A disease destroyed potato crops, causing about a million deaths and extensive emigration.
Card 9
Question: When did most of Ireland gain independence and what was the result for the island's political division?
Answer: In 1922, 26 counties formed an independent state (the Republic of Ireland); 6 counties in the north (Northern Ireland) remained part of the UK.
Card 10
Question: Describe Ireland’s climate and typical landscape.
Answer: Temperate, wet climate with warm/pleasant summers and mild winters; land is fairly flat with fields and grass, lots of rain, large bogs (peat extracti