Belfast Background  Geography and History  Northern Ireland
occupies the northeastern corner of the island of Ireland. It
takes up about one-sixth of the island and is made up of six
counties. This area was known as Ulster in 1920, when it was
separated from the rest of Ireland. Along with England, Scotland
and Wales, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. It is
slightly larger than the state of Connecticut, comprising 5,462
square miles. It is 85 miles long and 111 miles wide. Belfast is
the capital city of Northern Ireland and is a world center for
shipbuilding and linen manufacturing.  Most of the people in
Northern Ireland are of English or Scottish descent. Sixty
percent are Protestant; their practicing religion in the Church
of Ireland (C.O.I.) and Presbyterianism. Forty percent of the
population are Roman Catholics. The disputes between the
religions are not due to theological differences, but to
political differences. It is likely that some of the Catholic
children may be very "pro-Irish" and