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The Republic of Ireland has a population of about three and a half million people. The official language is Irish but people usually speak English. People call Ireland the ‘EMERALD ISLE’ because it is a very green island. It often rains in Ireland. The countryside is beautiful and Irish people are very friendly. By the way, Ireland is the third largest island in Europe and the twentieth largest island on the Earth.

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Have a great time in Dublin! There are wonderful shops, restaurants, music and night life. Walk around the busy streets, visit the museums or relax in one of the parks. Go to Trinity College library. In the library you can see the amazing Book of Kells from the 8th century.

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Some of the best writers in the English language are from Ireland, for example, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and James Joyce. You can see their portraits and letters in Dublin’s Writers Museum.

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Go to Blarney Castle and see the famous Blarney Stone. People say this stone has got magic powers and you will become a brilliant speaker when you kiss it!

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Explore Ireland: drive, walk or cycle around the beautiful coast and the green countryside. Stop in wonderful old towns and villages and visit historic castles and churches.

Horse riding, fishing, cycling and walking are popular activities on the island. There are fantastic beaches, too. Try surfing or scuba diving — or just have a swim! [2]

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Flamenco is very popular in southern Spain. It begins with guitar music and clapping, and dancers join the performance. Sometimes a woman dances alone and sometimes she dances with a man. The woman usually wears a long, colourful dress. She moves her arms and hands slowly but her feet move fast, complicated steps. The man often wears black. Both dancers click their shoes on the floor when they dance around each other.

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Cossack dances are from Ukraine. They are very energetic — some are more like gymnastics than dancing! Dancers have to be very fit because they jump very high and kick their legs up and down. They often jump over swords. The movements are similar to traditional Cossack activities, for example, sword fighting and getting on and off horses.

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Limbo dancing is originally from West Africa but today it is an important part of celebrations in the Caribbean. Young people have to dance under a horizontal pole. The pole is often on fire and the dancers mustn’t touch it! After a successful ‘limbo’, they put the pole lower and do it again. Some dancers can dance under a pole just twenty centimetres off the ground!

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Mask dances are important for the Dogon people in Mali. Each village makes different masks. They are often huge and colourful. There are masks of people, monsters or local animals like crocodiles, hyenas and monkeys. Mask dancers are always men and they dance to the sound of drums for hours after the death of a person in the village. Nowadays, Dogon villagers also perform the dances for tourists.