Did You Know?

Northern Ireland is a separate country from Ireland. Though many are relatively familiar with the conflicts in Northern Ireland, the notion of Northern Ireland as a separate country from the Republic of Ireland might not be common knowledge. However, Northern Ireland had its own devolved government for more than 50 years, though its troubles have continued into the 21st century. Those troubles stem from the widely publicized and often brutal conflicts between Irish nationalists, who are largely Roman Catholic, and the unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Nationalists prefer Northern Ireland be united with the rest of Ireland, while unionists hope Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom. While the disagreements continue, much of the violence largely subsided after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (or the Belfast Agreement). What's more, the 2001 census showed that a substantial portion of those living in Northern Ireland do not associate themselves with either Nationalists or Unionists. In that census, 36 percent of the population defined themselves as Unionist and 24 percent as Nationalist. While those are each substantial figures, they're less so when considering 40 percent of the present-day population defined themselves as neither Nationalist or Unionist.