Cultural Landscape

There are many understated distinctions in Irish cultural landscape. Elements like the unique road signs, patterns of roads and housing estates, street layouts along with the innumerable beautiful churches display the way the people live and natural marvels that are still preserved today say something about the culture as well. Around every corner there is a beautiful sight to behold. And there is always a monasery or castle to explore. 

Devenish Island Monastic Site 

Nendrum Monastery 

Dunlance Castle

Killyleagh Castle

The economy of Northern Ireland is has been traditionally and is mostly industrial, with a heavy emphasis in shipbuilding (the Titanic was built here), rope manufacture and textiles, but most heavy industry has since been replaced by services, from which the majority of the population is employed. 

Belfast contains the main concentration of industry. The main industries are machinery and equipment manufacturing, food processing, textile and electronics manufacturing are the leading industries. Other include paper-making, furniture manufacture, aerospace and shipbuilding are also important, concentrated mostly in the eastern parts of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is known for its fine linens, which is considered as one of the most well-known around Europe. 

Though the economy has rebounded there is still some repercussions of The Troubles felt today and the unemployment rate is at about 7.5%.

In 2000, agriculture accounted for 2.4% of economic output in Northern Ireland, compared to 1% in the United Kingdom as a whole and livestock and dairy account for the majority of agricultural output. The main crops are potatoes, barley, and wheat.

Northern Ireland's macroeconomy is also characterized by considerably longer actual working hours and lower gender income disparity than in the United Kingdom.

According to the 2001 Census about 85.8 percent of Northern Ireland is Christian with 40.2 percent being Roman Catholic. There was a period time known as “The Troubles” when there was an ethno-political conflict going on in Northern Ireland that spread into the Republic of Ireland as well as Great Britain. It lasted from 1968 to 1998 when it ended with the Belfast Agreement. The prominent issue in debate was the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and the relationship between the Catholics and Protestants.

The dominant language of Northern Ireland is English though there are many who claim to be able to speak Irish Gaelic though it is the primary or first language for only a small percentage of the population.

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom which has a constitutional monarchy, but there are two major political groups: the unionists who wish to stay part of the UK and hold the majority, and the nationalists who want to see a united Ireland.

The economy in Northern Ireland is heavily industrial though it does have a small percent of agriculture. Though the economy was damaged during the troubles in recent years unemployment has decreased and the economy is on the rise.