Understand
County Cork had a population of 480,000 in the 2006 census, but it's increasing quickly at the moment so it's likely to have over half a million by now. Up to 400,000 are considered to be in the Greater Cork area - within about 20 miles 30 km of the centre. The more distant parts of the county are sparsely populated. The harbour has a long maritime history and the area is part residential, part industrial. The farmland of the county is very productive and is a mixture of dairy towards the North, arable towards the East and sheep towards the West, with considerable overlap. Fishing is important all along the coast. Manufacturing tends to be centred in and around the city, while Artists and Artisans and small businesses can be found throughout the city and county.
