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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. It comprises one fifth of the island of Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
, and consists of six of the counties of Ireland
Counties of Ireland

In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
. According to certain sources the six pointed star of the former Government of Northern Ireland
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland

The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920....
 flag is there to represent the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.

ough all the counties in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 are in Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
, the two are not the same. Ulster also includes three counties in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
: Donegal
County Donegal

County Donegal is a county located in the west of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. It is one of three counties in the Province of Ulster that do not form part of Northern Ireland....
, Cavan
County Cavan

File:Loughter.JPGCounty Cavan is a county in Republic of Ireland....
 and Monaghan
County Monaghan

County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is one of three counties situated in the Province of Ulster which are in the Republic of Ireland. The name comes from the Irish, derived from Muine Cheain meaning the Land of the little hills....
, which are not part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
.



ounty Antrim is located on the north east corner of Northern Ireland.






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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. It comprises one fifth of the island of Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
, and consists of six of the counties of Ireland
Counties of Ireland

In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
. According to certain sources the six pointed star of the former Government of Northern Ireland
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland

The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920....
 flag is there to represent the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.

Counties

Although all the counties in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 are in Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
, the two are not the same. Ulster also includes three counties in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
: Donegal
County Donegal

County Donegal is a county located in the west of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. It is one of three counties in the Province of Ulster that do not form part of Northern Ireland....
, Cavan
County Cavan

File:Loughter.JPGCounty Cavan is a county in Republic of Ireland....
 and Monaghan
County Monaghan

County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is one of three counties situated in the Province of Ulster which are in the Republic of Ireland. The name comes from the Irish, derived from Muine Cheain meaning the Land of the little hills....
, which are not part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
.

CountyIrish
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
County town
County town

A county town is the 'capital' of a county in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county....
County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
 		 Contae Aontroma Ballymena
Ballymena

Ballymena is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
County Armagh
County Armagh

County Armagh is a counties of Ireland in Ulster in the north east of Ireland. It is the smallest, in area, of the six counties that form Northern Ireland and second smallest in Ulster....
 		 Contae Ard Mhacha Armagh
Armagh

The city of Armagh is an ancient religious site of worship of both Celtic paganism and Christianity, the oldest of the five City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh....
County Down
County Down

County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of ....
 		 Contae An Dúin Downpatrick
Downpatrick

Downpatrick is a town in County Down in Northern Ireland, about 33 km south of Belfast. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick....
County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh

County Fermanagh , is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland, and is part of the Province of Ulster. Fermanagh is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District, together with neighbouring County Cavan....
 		 Contae Fhear Manach Enniskillen
Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne....
County Londonderry
County Londonderry

County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
 		 Contae Dhoire Coleraine
Coleraine

Coleraine is a large town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland near to the mouth of the River Bann. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Londonderry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections....
County Tyrone
County Tyrone

County Tyrone is the second largest of the nine Irish county of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres ....
 		 Contae Thír Eoghain Omagh
Omagh

Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers River Drumragh and Rive Camowen meet to form the River Strule....


County Antrim

Northernirelandantrim
: County Antrim is located on the north east corner of Northern Ireland. It is one of two counties that does not border the Republic
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
. Its county town was Ballymena
Ballymena

Ballymena is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
. It has an estimated population of 566,000 people, and a great attraction of the county is the Glens of Antrim
Glens of Antrim

The Glens of Antrim or, simply, the Glens, or Antrim Mountains is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, comprising nine glens, or valleys, that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast....
. Half of the Greater Belfast
Greater Belfast

Greater Belfast is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern Ireland.It generally is taken to include North Down, Lisburn, Castlereagh and parts of South Antrim including Newtownabbey and Whiteabbey....
 area is in this county. It is one of only two historic counties of Northern Ireland to presently have a majority of the population from a Protestant
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 community background.

County Armagh

County Armagh is located on the south of Northern Ireland. It is the smallest of the six counties, and is known by some as the Orchard County because the land is so fertile for apple-growing. Its county town is Armagh
Armagh

The city of Armagh is an ancient religious site of worship of both Celtic paganism and Christianity, the oldest of the five City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh....
, and the county has an estimated population of 141,000. South Armagh was the most militarised region in Western Europe due to the history of the Troubles.

County Down

Northernirelanddown
: County Down is located on the south east of Northern Ireland. The county town is Downpatrick
Downpatrick

Downpatrick is a town in County Down in Northern Ireland, about 33 km south of Belfast. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick....
, and the largest town is Bangor
Bangor, County Down

Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland, with a population of 76,403 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001, making it the most populous town in Northern Ireland and the third most populous settlement in Northern Ireland....
, although half of the Greater Belfast area is located in Down. County Down houses a mountain range, the Mourne Mountains, which are in talks about becoming Northern Ireland's first National Park
National park

A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution....
. They are regarded as one of the greatest place for walkers in the land of Ireland. County Down has an estimated population of 454,000 people. It is one of only two historic counties of Northern Ireland to presently have a majority of the population from a Protestant
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 community background.

County Fermanagh

Northernirelandfermanagh
: County Fermanagh is located on the south west of Northern Ireland. It is one of the four counties that border the Republic
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
. Its county town
County town

A county town is the 'capital' of a county in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county....
 is Enniskillen
Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne....
. The county has an estimated population of 55,000 people, and a large tourist attraction is the Marble Arch Caves
Marble Arch Caves

The Marble Arch Caves are a series of natural limestone caves located near the village of Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. They run under Cuilcagh mountain....
.

County Londonderry

County Londonderry (also known as County Derry) is located on the north west of Northern Ireland. It has an estimated population of 213,000 residents. The county has Northern Ireland's second largest city, also called Londonderry/Derry, 'Stroke City' or the City of Derry.

County Tyrone

Northernirelandtyrone
: County Tyrone is located on the west of Northern Ireland. During The Troubles
The Troubles

The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland and Continental Europe....
 it saw the worst attack
Omagh bombing

The Omagh bombing was a paramilitary car bomb attack allegedly carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army , a splinter group of former Provisional Irish Republican Army members opposed to the Belfast Agreement, on Saturday 15 August 1998, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland....
 on its county town, Omagh
Omagh

Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers River Drumragh and Rive Camowen meet to form the River Strule....
. It is the largest county in Northern Ireland by area, with an estimated population of 166,516 people.

Government

Unlike the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
, the counties are no longer used for local government purposes. A major re-organisation of local government in 1973 replaced the six administrative counties and two county borough
County borough

County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control....
s (Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and Londonderry
Derry

Derry or Londonderry , often called the Maiden City, is a City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland....
) by twenty-six "single-tier" districts
Districts of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. The councils do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom, e.g....
 for local government purposes, and these cross the traditional county boundaries. The six administrative counties and two county-boroughs remain in use for some purposes, including car number plates
British car number plates

Vehicle registration plates of the United Kingdom are the mandatory number plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle in the United Kingdom, and have existed since 1904....
. The counties formed the former postal counties
Postal counties of the United Kingdom

The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996....
 for Northern Ireland.

As of 2006, major local government reform is expected to reduce the number of districts from twenty-six to fewer than ten.

Lieutenancy areas

A Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant

The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history....
 is appointed for each of the counties of Antrim
Lord Lieutenant of Antrim

This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Charles O'Neill, 1st Earl O'Neill 17 October 1831 ? 25 March 1841...
, Armagh
Lord Lieutenant of Armagh

This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Armagh. The office was created on 23 August 1831....
, Down
Lord Lieutenant of Down

This is a list of Lord Lieutenants of County Down. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Arthur Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire 7 October 1831 ? 12 April 1845...
, Fermanagh
Lord Lieutenant of Fermanagh

This is a list of those who have held the position of Lord Lieutenant of Fermanagh. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*John Willoughby Cole, 2nd Earl of Enniskillen 17 October 1831 ? 31 March 1840...
, Londonderry
Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry

This is a list of people to have been Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry. The office was created on 23 August 1831....
 and Tyrone
Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone

This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of County Tyrone. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Du Pre Alexander, 2nd Earl of Caledon 17 October 1831 ? 8 April 1839...
 and for the cities of Belfast
Lord Lieutenant of Belfast

This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast.*Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry 20 February 1900 ? 1904...
 and Londonderry
Lord Lieutenant of the City of Londonderry

This is a list of people to have served as Lord Lieutenant of the city of Derry...
.

Former counties

Former counties which formed the six modern counties of Northern Ireland:
  • Coleraine
    County Coleraine

    The County of Coleraine, also known as County Coleraine, was a counties of Ireland. It was the only one of the original counties of Ireland to be abolished before the twentieth century ....
     formed the basis of modern County Londonderry
    County Londonderry

    County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
    .
  • Tyrone
    County Tyrone

    County Tyrone is the second largest of the nine Irish county of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres ....
     was formerly divided into Nether Tyrone and Upper Tyrone.
  • Carrickfergus was formerly a county of itself
    County corporate

    A county corporate or corporate county was a form of local government in England, Ireland and Wales.Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing county....
    , it extended further than the modern borough of Carrickfergus
    Carrickfergus Borough Council

    Carrickfergus Borough Council is a district council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The council headquarters are in Carrickfergus and the council administers the town, on the north shore of Belfast Lough, and surrounding area, which extends from Greenisland in the south-west to Whitehead, Northern Ireland in the east....
    . It was merged into County Antrim
    County Antrim

    County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
     in 1777.


See also

  • Counties of the United Kingdom
    Counties of the United Kingdom

    The county of the United Kingdom are a type of subnational division of historical origin; by the Middle Ages they had become established as a unit of local government....
  • Counties of Ireland
    Counties of Ireland

    In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
  • List of Irish counties by population
    List of Irish counties by population

    This is a list of counties of Ireland ordered by population. Counties in the Republic of Ireland are shown in normal type, while those in Northern Ireland are listed in italic type....
  • List of Irish counties by area
    List of Irish counties by area

    This is a list of counties of Ireland ordered by area. Counties in the Republic of Ireland are shown in normal type, while those in Northern Ireland and listed in italic type....
  • Provinces of Ireland
    Provinces of Ireland

    Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces, although the Irish-language word for this territorial division, c?ige , indicates that there were once five ? Kingdom of Mide being the fifth....