Read the following proper nouns correctly. Ulster – Ольстер (северная часть Ирландии)

Ireland is divided into Northern Ireland or Ulster and the Irish Free State or Eire. Ulster is Protestant and Eire is Catholic. Eire (independent since 1922, capital – Dublin) settled boundary with Northern Ireland in 1925.

Ireland has been the object of British expansion from the early Middle Ages. In 1171 English invaders landed in Ireland, and since that time the everyday struggle of the Irish people against the colonizers has actually never stopped. Repeatedly Irishmen have risen in arms; ruthlessly each rising has been suppressed. As a result of the hard struggle of the Irish people for independence the largest part of Ireland gained the status of a British dominion in 1921. Later, in 1949 it was officially proclaimed an independent state. But the industrial northeast (Northern Ireland with its 6 counties) was retained by Great Britain according to the Anglo-Irish treaty signed in June 1921. But people of both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are for the reunification of the country. They believe that British withdrawal from Ireland is the only way to achieve peace.

Northern Ireland is the smallest component of the United Kingdom. It occupies the northeast of the island of Ireland, only one sixth of its territory. There are low hills and peaks of rocks in the northwest, while the northeast sector of the island is a plateau. Ireland is sometimes called the Emerald Isle due to its beautiful greenness. The fact is that the winds usually blow in from the Atlantic Ocean and make the air and soil warm and damp. Grass grows well in such a climate and it makes the island so beautiful.

Though Northern Ireland is not rich in minerals, industrialization has grown in and around Belfast, which is the capital. More than two-thirds of the population of Northern Ireland is concentrated in Belfast and in the neighbouring counties.

Northern Ireland has a Governor and a Parliament consisting of a Senate (26 members) and a House of Commons (52 members) which legislates for its own area except for matters: of imperial concern. It has a population of about a million and a half. The whole economy of Northern Ireland is closely integrated with that of Great Britain. Three basic industries are developed here – agriculture, textiles and shipbuilding.