Ireland is an island.
Ireland . Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles , the third-largest in Europe , and the twentieth-largest on Earth . In 2011 , the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million , ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain . The island has lush vegetation , a product of its mild but changeable climate which avoids extremes in temperature . Northern Ireland ( Tuaisceart Éireann [ ˈt̪ˠuəʃcəɾˠt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ ] ; Ulster-Scots : Norlin Airlann ) is a country of the United Kingdom located in the north-east of the island of Ireland .