Leinster

Location in the Republic of Ireland

Leinster Ireland

Flag of the Province of Leinster

Leinster [ ˈlɛnstə ] ( Irish Cúige Laighean , / ˌkuːg´ə ˈlai ^ə n /, "fifth (of the tribe) of the Laigin") is one of the four historic provinces of Ireland and is located in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the Republic of Ireland . In the north-east, Leinster borders the Northern Irish counties Armagh and Down , which belong to Ulster , in the east on the Irish Sea , in the south and south-west on Munster and in the west on Connacht .

The Irish cúige literally means “fifth”, which suggests that there were once five provinces. Today's Leinster includes, besides the original Leinster, most of the former Kingdom of Meath . It covers twelve of the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland on an area of 19,775 km².

The counties are:

geography

Much of Leinster is in the central lowlands of Ireland. The main highland areas are in the east and south, where the Leinster Chain extends from Dublin through the Wicklow Mountains to the Blackstair Mountains .

economy

Leinster is a productive agricultural region. Barley , oats , potatoes , sugar beets , white beets and wheat are grown, and beef and dairy cattle are kept. Dublin serves as the market place for horticulture. The province is a center of the peat industry , the raw material of which is cut in the peat bogs of the interior. One of the most important lead and zinc mines in the world is located in Navan , County Meath. Dublin is the county's main industrial center, followed by Dundalk and Drogheda . The main employer, however, is the service sector, which also includes tourism.

population

With a total of 2,501,208 inhabitants (as of 2011), around 55% of the Irish population (excluding Northern Ireland ) live in the province of Leinster. Around half of the population lives in the greater Dublin area. Another important city is Dun Laoghaire .

administration

The regional administration builds on the twelve counties. County Dublin is divided into four regional administrative areas: City of Dublin with county rights, South Dublin , Fingal and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown . County Dublin elects 47 MPs to the Dáil Éireann (Lower House of Parliament), the other counties form 10 constituencies that elect 41 MPs.

Web links

Wiktionary: Leinster - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations