Name: Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is the official name of the region created by the Government of Ireland Act (1920). Northern Ireland is often referred to as the 'Six Counties' by Nationalists, a term to which many Unionists take exception. The counties of Northern Ireland were (and remain) part of the historical province of Ulster which consisted of nine counties (the former three being Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan). Most Unionists refer to Northern Ireland as 'Ulster' or the 'Province', two terms to which many Nationalists take exception.
Land: The region consists of six counties (Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh, and Tyrone), which occupy 14,160 sq km (5,467 sq mi) of the northwestern section of the Isle of Ireland. The maximum distance from north to south is 137 km (85 mi); from east to west it is 177 km (110 mi). Northern Ireland is bounded on the north and northeast by the North Channel, on the southeast by the Irish Sea, and on the south and west by Ireland. The border with Ireland is 360 km (220 mi) long.
Government: Northern Ireland was supposed to have its own representative governmental bodies and leader, according to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA), but the implementaion of the Agreemend was halted in the Fall of 2002. Therefore, the province is still subject to the direct rule of the Westminster (London) government and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Capital: London is the official capital of the U.K. Belfast is the capital and largest city of the province of Northern Ireland.
Citizens gathered in Derry City to protest the British/US invasion of Iraq.
Population: 1,696,641 (2002 est.), almost entirely Irish, English and Scottish with very small minorities of other ethnicity.
Religion: Protestant majority, but with a large Catholic minority. Catholics outnumber Protestants in some areas, such as Derry city, County Fermanagh, County Armagh and parts of Belfast, while making up less than 10% of the population in other areas, such as Larne and the County Antrim coast, Bangor and North Down, east Belfast. Protestants are overwhelmingly Presbyterian and have religious, cultural and familial links with Scotland. The Unionist community is almost exclusively Protestant, while the Nationalist community is mostly Roman Catholic.
Language: English is the official language. Gaelic is spoken by about 5% of the population.
Education: Participation in further and higher education is high - 79% of youngsters continue their schooling past the age of 16 - and examination attainment levels are good. Around 30% of Northern Ireland's pupils who stayed on at school after the age of 16 gained two or more A levels, the highest level in the UK. Education historically tends to have been split on a sectarian basis but there are increasing attempts to integrate schools.
Economy: Due to Ulster's historic problems, investment levels have been poor. This has led to the highest levels of unemployment in the UK and the lowest figures for gross domestic product figure in the UK (81.6 compared with a UK average of 100). Northern Ireland has a very different class distribution to the UK, with a larger number in unskilled and skilled manual occupations. Since the beginning of 1997 however, millions of pounds have been invested in Northern Ireland's economy by companies convinced the peace process will work. Outside Belfast and Londonderry, Ulster is predominantly rural and has a strong agricultural economy with dairy products and beef both important.
Sources: BBC Factsheet
Encarta Encyclopedia
