NORTHERN IRELAND
From 1953 until 1973 the official flag of Northern Irelandwas the Ulster Banner. In common with other British flags, any civic status of the flag was not defined in law. The Ulster Banner is taken from the former coat of arms of Northern Ireland and consists in a red cross on a white field, upon which there is a six-pointed star with a red hand in the centre. The six-pointed star represent the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.
The coat of arms was designed by Neville Rodwell Wilkinson, Ulster King of Arms in 1923. It is composed by a red lion rampant, to represent the Ulster Scots and an Irish Elk to represent a native symbol. The lion bears a flag with the Irish harp and the Irish elk bears a yellow flag with a red cross.
GEOGRAPHY OF NORTHERN IRELAND
Nothern Ireland is situated in the north-east of island of Ireland and borders with the Republic of Ireland on the West and South of the country. In the North and East is wet by irish sea. The extensive presence of drumilins shows that the region was covered by an ice sheet for most of the last ice age.
Northern Ireland is characterized by the presence of Mourne mountains rich in gold, granite and basalt. In the country there is also the largest frashwater lake of the british isles: Lougn Neagh (391 km2). The river Lagan valley and the area around Belfast are the main industrial areas and about a third of the population lives here. The whole of Northern Ireland has a temperate maritime climate, wetter in the west rather than the east.
In the country there are many spectacular tourist spots as Giant's Causeway (in the North), that is a World Heritage Site.
ECONOMY OF NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland has traditionally had an industrial economy, in particoular shipbuilding, rope manufacture and textiles. Nevertheless, recently, most heavy industry has been replaced by services, primarily the public sector; infact, today seventy percent of the economy's revenue comes from the service sector.
Another important service sector is tourism; tourism attractions include the historic cities of Belfast and Derry, and the many castles in Northern Ireland.
BELFAST
Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, the second largest on the island of Ireland. The city is situated at the western end of Belfast Lough and at the mouth of the River Lagan.
Belfast during the early 20th century was a centre of the Irish linen, tobacco processing, rope-making and shipbuilding industries: Harland and Wolff, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world's biggest and most productive shipyard. Today, Belfast remains a centre for industry, as well as the arts, higher education, business, and law, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland.