Northern Ireland...

So far, I have posted nothing about Northern Ireland, so here are a few facts about the smallest of the "Home Nations".

Lying in the northeast of the island, Northern Ireland covers an area of 5,459 square miles.  The capital is Belfast.  The nation is divided into six counties : County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, and County Tyrone.  However, the counties are no longer used for government purposes, and Northern Ireland is now divided into twenty-six administrative areas.

The population of the country is an estimated 1.82 million, and as of 2011,  40.8% of the population is Catholic, with Protestants and other Christians making up 42.3%.

It was in 1920 when the Irish government split the country into two separate political entities, with a Catholic south, and a Protestant north.  In 1949, the south claimed independence from the U.K.   As a result, the official flag of Northern Ireland is the Union Flag of Great Britain.  The strange thing is that many sports are organised on an "All-Ireland" basis, with football being the notable exception.

Some famous Northern Ireland natives are :

George Best - footballer
Kenneth Branagh - Actor and Director
James Galway - Flautist
Alex Higgins - Snooker Player
C.S. Lewis - Writer
Rory McIlroy - Golfer
Van Morrison - Singer
Liam Neeson - Actor
Sam Neill - Actor