高中二年级英语(人教版)上册 Unit 5 Integrating Skills 2

　　IRELAND: THE ISLAND IN THE WEST

　　The island of Ireland lies west of Britain and is the westernmost island of the British Isles. Although a small country, it has an amazing history of over 5,000 years. Few places on the planet are as packed with history as Ireland. Everywhere you look there are castles and historical places. In Ireland the past is part of the present, part of the people and part of its culture.

　　For much of its history, Ireland lay hidden behind its bigger neighbour, Great Britain. In fact, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for many centuries until the 1920s. In 1921, the southern part of Ireland became independent and the Republic of Ireland was founded. It is a state that covers more than 70,000 square kilometres, or five-sixths of the island of Ireland. It has four provinces, which altogether consist of 26 counties and 6 urban areas. Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union, and uses the euro (欧元).

060s.com