Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom on the north-east of the island of Ireland. It borders the Republic of Ireland and has coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean, the North Channel and the Irish Sea. Belfast is its capital and largest city.
Northern Ireland's public life is shaped by British and Irish identities, unionism, nationalism, devolution, the legacy of the Troubles and the institutions created after the 1998 Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement.
Geography
Northern Ireland includes six historic counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. Its landscapes include the Antrim coast, Lough Neagh, the Sperrin Mountains, the Mourne Mountains and the Fermanagh lakelands.
The Giant's Causeway on the north coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-known natural landmarks.
History
Northern Ireland was created in 1921 after the partition of Ireland. Most of the island became what is now the Republic of Ireland, while Northern Ireland remained within the United Kingdom.
The late twentieth century was marked by the Troubles, a period of violence involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries, security forces and political conflict over Northern Ireland's constitutional future.
Good Friday Agreement
The Belfast Agreement, commonly called the Good Friday Agreement, was reached on 10 April 1998. The Northern Ireland Assembly's education material describes it as an agreement between the British and Irish governments and most political parties in Northern Ireland on how Northern Ireland should be governed.
The agreement created institutions based on power sharing, consent and cross-border cooperation. It did not remove disagreement over Northern Ireland's future, but it changed the political framework for handling that disagreement.
Government
Northern Ireland has devolved government when its institutions are operating. The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature and the Northern Ireland Executive is the devolved government.
The power-sharing system is designed to include unionist and nationalist representation. Some powers remain reserved to the UK Parliament and UK Government.
Economy and Society
Northern Ireland's economy includes public services, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, technology, education, retail and financial services. Belfast is the main urban and economic centre.
Social and political life still reflects the legacy of division, but Northern Ireland also has shared cultural, sporting, artistic and business communities that do not fit neatly into one identity.
Culture
Northern Ireland has Irish, British, Ulster-Scots and local cultural traditions. Music, literature, sport, parades, festivals and language politics all form part of its public culture.
Football, rugby, Gaelic games, golf and motorsport are important parts of sporting life. Cultural identity can be sensitive because symbols, flags, parades and historical memory often carry political meaning.
See Also
References
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