Ireland, Earth's Place and Function

Ireland is an island Northwest of Europe, located between latitudes 51º and 56ºN, and longitudes 11º and 5º W. The entire island is roughly 52,457 miles (84,421 km). Together with Ireland’s neighboring small islands and Great Britain it is a part of the British Isles. The highest point in Ireland is at the Peak of Carrauntoohil Mountain sitting at an elevation of 3,406 ft. Carrauntoohil is part of a set of coastal mountains in the middle of Ireland. Four of Ireland's six peaks above 3,000 feet are found in the MacGillycuddy Reeks in Kerry. The longest river, the River Shannon starts in the Northwest region of the country and extends 240 miles in land to Limerick City located in the Midwest.  The islands northern, southern, and western shores are located in the Atlantic Ocean. Between Ireland's eastern shore and Great Britain lies the Irish Sea. The eastern coastline has beaches backed by sand dunes and typically feature very rocky headlands. The southern areas of Ireland have more mountainous regions while the northern areas have small, tightly packed hills with bog land in between.