...ined strength hen Irish became an official language in 1922. At that time the island as divided politically into the Irish Free State, hich became Ireland in 1949, and Northern Ireland. Today riters in Irish and English continue to find themes in the Irish landscape and in Irish history.Irish literature reflects the bravado of Celtic heroes as ell as the suffering and hardships the Irish people have experienced over the course of their history. Despite these hardships, it and humor-often in the form of satire or irony-have characterized much of Irish literature. Another defining feature has been an exploration of the riches of language and an enjoyment of ordplay. A love of language is evident in Irish literature, from the early sagas to the 20th-century experiments of James Joyce.Northern Ireland, administrative division of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, situated in the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. The remaining portion of the island is part of the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland constitutes about 17 percent of the land area of Ireland and has 31 percent of the islands population. The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. Northern Irelands population is deeply divided along religious and political lines. The schism beteen the Protestant majority and the Catholic minority extends deep into Northern Irelands past and has strongly influenced the regions culture, settlement patterns, and politics. By the 17th century, Protestant British settlers had subjugated the regions Catholic, Gaelic inhabitants. The hole of Ireland as part of the United Kingdom until 1920, hen the island as divided. Of the original 32 counties of Ireland, the 6 northeasterly counties became a British province officially knon as Northern Ireland. The remaining 26 counties became independent in 1922 as the Irish Free State later Eire, and subsequently the Republic of Ireland. Since then, most of the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland has identified ith independent Ireland, and most of the Protestant majority ith Britain. Catholics seeking integration ith Ireland are often referred to as republicans or nationalists, hile Protestants ho ant Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom are often called unionists or loyalists. From 1921 to 1972 Northern Ireland had its on regional parliament that exercised considerable authority over local affairs. The Protestant, unionist majority dominated the parliament, hich made the government unpopular ith the Catholic, nationalist minority. Northern Ireland experienced a nearly continuous period of violent conflict beteen these to groups from the late 1960s through the mid-1990s. The violence extended beyond Ireland, as republican paramilitary groups-in particular the Irish Republican Army IRA-also struck targets in London and elsehere in England. The clashes, bombings, and assassinations in this period ere often referred to as the troubles. In 1972 the British government shut don Northern Irelands regional parliament and governed the region directly from London. A 1998 accord knon as the Good Friday Agreement restored some poers to a ne provincial government. The Protestant community often refers to Northern Ireland as Ulster. Catholics seldom use this name. For most Catholics the term Ulster is used only to refer to the historic Irish province of Ulster, hich consisted of the current six counties and three other counties that are no in the Republic of Ireland. Catholics tend to refer to the territory as the north of Ireland, and those of strongly nationalist vies also use the term the six counties.II. Land and ResourcesThe total area of Northern Ireland is 14,160 sq km 5,467 sq mi, of hich 628 sq km 242 sq mi is inland ater.The maximum distance from north to south is 137 km 85 mi from east to est 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 est by Ireland. The border ith Ireland is 360 km 220 mi long. The regions coastline consists of ide, sandy beaches, broken by steep cliffs in the north, northeast, and southeast. Near the northernmost point of Northern Ireland is Giants Causeay, an unusual formation of basalt columns created by the cooling of an ancient lava flo. Rathlin Island and several smaller islands lie off the northern coast. The different regions of Northern Ireland are frequently referred to by the names of the provinces six traditional Irish counties, even though they are no longer the units of local government. These are-clockise from the northeast-Antrim, Don, Armagh, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Londonderry Derry.The regions topography is often described as saucer-shaped A lo-lying central area is surrounded by the Antrim Mountains and Glens of Antrim to the north and northeast, the Mourne Mountains to the southeast, the uplands of south Armagh to the south, and the Sperrin Mountains to the northest. A number of broad river valleys run from the central region to the sea. The highest mountain is Slieve Donard 852 m2,795 ft, located at the eastern end of the Mourne Mountains in County Don.A. Rivers and Lakes Lough Neagh, in the center of Northern Ireland, is the largest freshater lake in the British Isles, ith an area of 396 sq km 153 sq mi. All the regions counties border it except Fermanagh. Upper and Loer Lough Erne, in County Fermanagh, are the only other major freshater lakes. Belfast Lough, Carlingford Lough, Strangford Lough, and Lough Foyle are the largest sea inlets. The major river of Northern Ireland is the Bann, hich rises in the Mourne Mountains and flos northard through Lough Neagh to become a ide and navigable ateray to the sea. The Foyle flos north to the sea at the port city of Londonderry Derry, forming the border ith Ireland for part of its length. The Lagan flos northeast to the sea at Belfast.B. Plant and Animal Life ild plant and animal life is similar to that found in the northern and estern parts of Britain. Sedges, rushes, ferns, and grasses are the principal plants, and rhododendrons flourish in many areas. inters are mild and there are no regular sharp frosts, so it is also possible to gro decorative shrubs such as fuchsia and exotic imports such as those of the genus Escallonia. ild mammals are limited to small rodents of the oods and fields, such as rabbits and stoats. There are many species of small birds. Salmon and trout thrive in Northern Irelands rivers and lakes, and the province is also knon for a distinctive type of hitefish called the pollan, found in Lough Neagh and Upper and Loer Lough Erne. C. Natural Resources Ireland is not rich in minerals. Small-scale coal mining has been pursued sporadically at Coalisland, in central Northern Ireland, and at Ballycastle in the north. Farmers and other rural people harvest peat for fuel, but very fe deposits are broad or deep enough to justify commercial exploitation. Limestone and gravel are extensively...
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