Cork, county, 2,881 sq mi (7,462 sq
km), SW Republic of Ireland. Cork is the county seat. Largest of the
Irish counties, it has a rocky and much-indented coastline (Bantry,
Dunmanus, Roaringwater, Courtmarsherry, Clonakilty, and Youghal bays, and
Kinsale and Cork harbors). The interior has wild rugged mountains rising as
high as 2,239 ft (682 m) and fertile valleys (notably of the Bride, the
Blackwater, the Lee, and the Bandon). The main occupations are farming
(dairying, raising livestock, and growing grains and sugar beets) and
fishing. There is a growing manufacturing sector, centered around the city
of Cork, which includes products as diverse as tweed cloth and electronic
components. There is a large oil refinery at Whitegate. Cóbh is an important transatlantic
harbor. Tourism is important, and notable attractions include prehistoric
remains (dolmens and stone circles), the ruins of medieval abbeys and
churches, and Blarney Castle.
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