Northern Ireland covers about one sixth of the total land mass of the island of Ireland, and has a population of about 3.5-million. Northern Ireland is only 5,500 square miles in area - about the size of England’s county of Yorkshire, or America’s state of Connecticut.

The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland with six northern Irish counties remaining part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland. The current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927.

The capital of Northern Ireland, with a population of 30000, is the city of Belfast. It is on Belfast Lough, an inlet of the North Channel of the Irish Sea at the mouth of the Lagan River, and the harbour, at over 8½ -miles (13.7 km) long, is navigable to the largest ships. The great shipyards of Belfast have built some of the world's largest ocean liners, including the ill fated “Titanic”. The city is also the centre of the Irish linen industry; other industries include tobacco and food processing, packaging, and the manufacture of rayon, aircraft, tools and machinery, clothing, carpets, and rope.

The Parliament House of Northern Ireland is at Stormont, Located six miles east of Belfast. Stormont is a large edifice built of Portland stone on a plinth of Mourne granite. It was designed in the Official Classical style by Sir Arnold Thornley and opened by the Prince of Wales in 1932, and the parliament and the government of Northern Ireland sat here until they were suspended by Westminster in March 1972. Belfast was founded in 1177 when a castle in defence of a ford over the Lagan was built, but the present city is a product of the Industrial Revolution.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Republic of Ireland (or Southern Ireland as some call it) is the official description of the sovereign state that covers approximately five-sixths of the island of Ireland, 27,135 square miles. The state's official name is Ireland (Irish: Éire), and this is how international organisations and citizens refer to the country. It is now a member of the European Union, has a developed economy and a population of slightly more than 4.5-million of which 1.2-million live in the greater Dublin area. Approximately ½ - million live in the centre of the city.

The capital of the republic, Dublin, is enjoying new prosperity with its phenomenal architecture and cultural opportunities. In Southwest Ireland the main city is Cork, close by is Killarney, the scenic Ring of Kerry and the spectacular Dingle Peninsula. Northwest Ireland is home to Connemara, Donegal and the city of Galway. In Central Ireland the cities of Kilkenny and Waterford and the coastline of County Wexford are all of great interest.

The country recently embraced the European Community entirely, and now uses the “Euro” as its currency. The country has prospered for numerous reasons, and while some claim that this is due to joining the Euro, recent studies have found this to be misleading. The EEC (European Economic Community) gave the Irish Republic many incentives, such as support with housing and road building, before they joined the Euro, but the disadvantages of the association now they have fully joined are proving many. The cost of living and prices generally have increased dramatically since introduction of the Euro.

Ireland is small enough to be visited in its entirety within a couple of weeks or so, but of course, in such a short time you will not be able to see everything in detail. You will however, gather an impression of something new, strange and beautiful in the make-up of land and wonderful people.