Belfast is the capital and largest city of
Northern Ireland. Most of Belfast is in
County Antrim, but parts of
East and
South Belfast are in
County Down. It is on the flood plain of the
River Lagan. By population, it is the fourteenth largest city in the
United Kingdom and second largest on the island of
Ireland. It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative
Northern Ireland Assembly. The city of Belfast has a population of
286,
000 and lies at the heart of the Belfast urban area, which has a population of 579,276. The
Larger Urban Zone, as defined by the
European Union, has a total population 641,638. Belfast was granted city status in
1888. Historically, Belfast has been a centre for the
Irish linen industry (earning the nickname "Linenopolis"), tobacco production, rope-making and shipbuilding: the city's main shipbuilders,
Harland and Wolff, which built the well-known
RMS Titanic, propelled Belfast on to the global stage in the early
20th century as the biggest and most productive shipyard in the world. Belfast played a key role in the
Industrial Revolution, establishing its place as a global industrial centre until the latter half of the 20th century. Industrialisation and the inward migration it brought made Belfast, if briefly, the biggest city in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century and the city's industrial and economic success was cited by
Ulster unionist opponents of
Home Rule as a reason why Ireland should shun devolution and later why
Ulster in particular would fight to resist it.
Today, Belfast remains a centre for industry, as well as the arts, higher education and business, a legal centre, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland. The city suffered greatly during the period of conflict called the
Troubles, but latterly has undergone a sustained period of calm, free from the intense political violence of former years, and substantial economic and commercial growth.
Belfast city centre has undergone considerable expansion and regeneration in recent years, notably around
Victoria Square. Belfast is served by two airports:
George Best Belfast City Airport in the city, and
Belfast International Airport 15 miles (24 km) west of the city. Belfast is also a major port, with commercial and industrial docks dominating the
Belfast Lough shoreline, including the famous Harland and Wolff shipyard. Belfast is a constituent city of the
Dublin-Belfast corridor, which has a population of three million, or half the total population of the island of Ireland. Belfast has been the capital of Northern Ireland since its establishment in
1921 following the
Government of Ireland Act 1920. It had been the scene of various episodes of sectarian conflict between its
Catholic and
Protestant populations. These opposing groups in this conflict are now often termed republican and loyalist respectively, although they are also referred to as 'nationalist' and 'unionist'. The most recent example of this conflict was known as the Troubles a civil conflict that raged from around
1969 to
1998. Belfast saw some of the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly in the
1970s, with rival paramilitary groups formed on both sides. Bombing, assassination and street violence formed a backdrop to life throughout the Troubles. The
Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs within the confines of Belfast city centre in
1972, on what is known as "
Bloody Friday", killing nine people.
Loyalist paramilitaries including the
Ulster Volunteer Force (
UVF) and the
Ulster Defence Association (
UDA) claimed that the killings they carried out were in retaliation for the
IRA campaign. Most of their victims were
Catholics with no links to the Provisional IRA. A particularly notorious group, based on the
Shankill Road in the mid-1970s, became known as the
Shankill Butchers. In all, over 1,600 people were killed in political violence in the city between 1969 and
2001. Belfast was granted borough status by
James VI and I in 1613 and official city status by
Queen Victoria in 1888. Since
1973 it has been a local government district under local administration by
Belfast City Council. Belfast is represented in both the
British House of Commons and in the Northern Ireland Assembly. For elections to the
European Parliament, Belfast is within the Northern Ireland constituency.
- published: 20 Aug 2013
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