Located in the north-western part of Europe, the Republic of Ireland belongs geographically to the so-called British Isles. With an area of 70,000 square kilometres, it shares the island’s territory with Northern Ireland, which belongs to the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic has a population of over 4.5 million people with a low density of 65.2 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population is quite homogenous and does not entail the presence of any major ethnic group.