Norlin Airlan

**Norlin Airlan** (Ulster Scots; frae *norland Ireland*; kent in Lallans as **Northren Ireland**) is ane o fower kintras o the Unitit Kinrick. It is in the north o the iland o Ireland, whaur it haes a laund mairch wi the Republic o Ireland, the ae pairt o the Unitit Kinrick wi an internaitional laund mairch. It wis foondit bi the *[[Govrenment o Ireland Act 1920]].*

It kivers 5,460 mi², aboot a saxt o the hail area o the iland, an haes 1,685,000 indwallers (Aprile 2001) — atwein a fowert an a thrid o the iland's hail population.

## Historie
The area that's nou kent as Norlin Airlan haes haed a diverse historie. Frae servin as the bedrock o Airisch resistance in the tym o the plantations o Queen Elizabeth an James VI & I in ither pairts o Ireland, it becam the subjek o major plantin o Scots an Inglish settilers itsel eftir the Flicht o the Earls in 1607 (whan the native Gaelic aristocracie flittit *en masse* fur Catholic Europe).

The aw-iland Kinrick o Ireland (1541-1801) wis incorporate intil the Unitit Kinrick o Great Breetain an Ireland in 1801 unner the terms o the Act o Union, the kinriks o Ireland an Great Breetain gang thegither unner ane pairlament, govrenment an monarchie based in Lunnon. In the aerlie 20t centurie Unionists, led bi Sir Edward Carson, gainstaundit the introduction o Hame Rule in Ireland. Unionists wis in a minoritie on the iland o Ireland as a hail, but wis a majoritie in the Norlin stewartrie o Ulster. A byspel o the Unionists' sheer determination no til hae Hame Rule foist'd on thaim wis the Lairne Gun Runnin in 1912, whan thay smuggilt thoosands o ryfils an roonds o ammuneition frae Imperial Germany. Tharfore, eftir the First Warld War, Ireland wis parteitiont in 1921 unner the terms o the ''Govrenment o Ireland Act 1920'' atwein sax o the nyn Ulster coonties in the nor'eist (furmin Norlin Airlan) an the ither twintie-sax coonties o the sooth an wast (furmin the Airisch Free State in 1922). Whan the latter got domeinion status, the sax Norlin Airlan coonties — unner the procedurs setten oot in the *[[Anglo-Irish Treatie|Anglo-Airisch Treatie]], 1921* — optit oot, an sae byds as pairt o the Unitit Kinrick.

The *[[Ireland Act 1949]]* gied the first lawfu guarantee til the Pairlament an Govrenment that Norlin Airlan wadna stap bein pairt o the Unitit Kinrick athoot consent o the fek o its ceitizens, an this wis maist recent reaffirm'd bi the Norlin Airlan Act 1998. This status wis echoed in the ''Anglo-Airisch Greement'' in 1985, that wis signed bi the govrenments o the Unitit Kinrick an the Republic o Ireland. ''Bunreacht na hÉireann'', the constitution o the Republic, wis amendit in 1999 for ti remuve a claim til owerins ower the hail o Ireland (in Airtikil 2), a claim qualifee'd bi an acknawledgment o Breetish rule in the nor'eist. The new Airtikils 2 an 3, eikit til the Bunreacht for ti replace the aerlier airtikils, acknawledge impleecit that the status o Norlin Airlan, an its relationships wi the Unitit Kinrick an the Republic o Ireland, wad anerlie be chynged wi the greement o the fek o voters that aurie. An acknawledgement that a deceision on whither ti byd in the Unitit Kinrick or jyn the Republic o Ireland byds wi the fowk o Norlin Airlan wis central til the Belfast Greement anaw, that wis sign'd in 1998 an raitifee'd bi simultanous plebiscites hauden in baith Norlin Airlan an the Republic.

A plebiscite athin Norlin Airlan anent whither it shod byd in the Unitit Kinrick, or jyn the Republic, wis hauden in 1973. The vote gaed hivilie in faur o uphaudin the *status quo*, in pairt acause monie naitionalists boycottit it. Tho legal proveision byds for haudin anither plebiscite, an the Ulster Unionist Pairtie leader David Trimble sum yeirs syn advocatit the haudin o sican a vote.

## Demografics an politics
The fek o the-day’s population (59%, gaun bi a 2004 survey ) is unionist an wisses ti byd pairt o the Unitit Kinrick, but a signeeficant minoritie (22%), kent as Airisch naitionalists, is eftir a unitit Ireland. The makup o the Norlin Airlan Assemblie refleks thir diveisions amang the indwallers. O the 108 members, 59 is unionist an 42 is naitionalist (the ither seivin is kent as "ither"). The mukkilest releigious denomination o Norlin Airlan is the Roman Catholic kirk, follaed bi the Presbyterian kirk in Ireland an the Kirk o Ireland, wi the Methodist Kirk o Ireland cumin fowert. Thir twa views is inhauden ti deeper cultural diveisions. Unionists is maistlins Protestant an aften the affspring o Scots an Inglis (maist bein Scots) sattilment in the aforegaun centuries, whyl naitionalists is maistlins Catholic an forordnar descends frae the indeiginous fowk. Diskreimination agin naitionalists unner the Stormont govrenment (1920–1972) gied rise til the naitionalist "Ceivil Richts Muvement" in the 1960s, an at lang an lenth til an ongaun strauchil kent as The Truibils. Poleitical wanrest haes gane throu its maist veiolent phase in recent tyms atwein 1968–1994. The main actors haes been parameilitaries representin minorities frae baith syds o the divide an the Ryal Ulster Constabular an Breetish Airmy representin the Breetish owerins an the Norlin Airlan state. As an affcum o the warsenin securitie seitiation, sel-govrenment for Norlin Airlan wis suspendit in 1972. Syn the mid 1990s, the main parameilitar group, the Proveesional IRA haes observ'd an uneithie ceasefire. Follaein negotiations, the Belfast Greement o 1998 provides for an electit Norlin Airlan Assemblie, an a pouer-sharin Norlin Airlan Executive pitten thegither frae representatives o aw the main pairties. Thir institutions haes been suspendit syn 2002 acause o PSNI allegations o spyin bi fowk wirkin for Sinn Féin at the Assemblie, awtho naebodie wis conveictit eftir a hie-profile polis unnertakin.

On 28 Julie, 2005, the PIRA caw'd an end til violence.

## Seembols

The-day, Norlin Airlan haes a sindrie patchwirk o communitie rivalries, representit in sum auries bi hail communities whaur laump posts an sum hames flees the Airisch tricolour (a taiken o Airisch identitie) or ense the Union Banner (a taiken o Breetish identitie), whyls e'en the kerbstanes in less weil-daein auries gits pentit green-white-oranger or reid-white-blue, lippnin on whither the communitie is naitionalist/republican or unionist/lealist.

As a constituent pairt o the Unitit Kinrick, the ae offeicial Banner o Norlin Airlan is the Union Banner. The Ulster Banner is nae langer offeicial acause o the aboleition o the Pairliament o Norlin Airlan in 1972. Unionists tents ti bruik the Union Banner an whyls the 'Ulster Banner', whyl naitionalists forordnar bruiks the Airisch tricolour. Sum unionists whyls bruiks the banner o the secular an releigious groups thay belang. The Ulster Banner is foondit on the Banner o Ulster. Sum groups, includin the Airisch Rugbie Fitbaw Union haes bruikit the Banner o Saunt Petherick as a taiken o Ireland that wants the same naitionalist or unionist owertones, but e'en this is felt bi sum ti be a lealist banner, acause it wis design'd bi the Breetish an is bruikit bi sum Breetish Airmie regiments. Nae universalie acceptabil seembol haes been fund yit.

Lykweys, thar's nae langer an offeicial naitional anthem. At maist events needin a Norlin Airisch naitional anthem, *[[God Save the Queen]]* is play'd. At the Commonweel Gemmes the auld anthem o Norlin Airlan is play'd, alangsyd the Ulster Banner (abuin), *[[A Londonderry Air]]*, aiblins better kent ootwi Norlin Airlan as the tuin o *[[Danny Boy]]*, is bruikit.

## Geografie an climate

Norlin Airlan wis shapit bi an ice sheet for maist o the last ice eild an monie tyms afore, the legacie o whit can be seen in the mukkil kiverin o drumlins in Coonties Fermanagh, Armagh, Antrim an in parteicular Doun. The midbit o Norlin Airlan's geografie is Loch Neagh, at 392&nbsp;km² the maist mukkil callerwattir loch in the Breetish Isles. Anither mukkil loch netwirk is Nether an Upper Loch Erne in Fermanagh.

Thar's hantil uplands in the Sperrin Muntains (an eik o the Caledonian fauld muntains) wi mukkil gowd poses, granite Mourne Muntains an bawsaut Antrim Plateau, wi smawer reenges in Sooth Coontie Armagh an alang the Fermanagh–Tyrone mairch anaw. Nane o the hills is gey heich, wi Slieve Donard in the Mournes raxin til 848 meter, Norlin Airlan's heichmaist pynt. The volcanic acteivitie that shapit the Antrim Plateau furmit the eerilie geometric pillars o the Giant's Causey anaw.

The Nether an Upper River Bann, River Foyle an River Blackwattir furms mukkil growthie lawlands, wi barrie arabil laund foond in North an Eist Doun anaw, forby maist o the hill kintra is mairginal an til the maist pairt fittin anerlie for ainimal husbandrie.

The glen o the River Lagan is dominatit bi Belfast, that's metropolitan aurie inhauds ower a thrid o the population o Norlin Airlan, wi hivie urbanization an industrialization alang the Lagan glen an baith shores o the Belfast Loch.

The hail o Norlin Airlan haes a temperate maritym climate, mair wat in the wast nor the eist, awtho clood kiver is persistent ower the kintra. The wather is unpredictabil yeir aboot, an awtho the saisons is sindrie, thay ar hantil less pronoonced nor in inland Europe or the eistern siebuird o North Americae. Average daytym heichs in Belfast is 6.5&nbsp;°C (43.7&nbsp;°F) in Januar an 17.5&nbsp;°C (63.5&nbsp;°F) in Julie. The dunk climate an mukkil deforestation in the 16t an 17t centuries led ti maist o the kintra bein kiver'd in rich green gressland.

### Coonties o Norlin Airlan
Norlin Airlan conseists o sax Airisch coonties:
* Coonty Antrim
* Coonty Armagh
* Coonty Doun
* Coonty Fermanagh
* Coonty Lunnonderry
* Coonty Tyrone
Thir coonties is nae langer bruikit for local govrenment; insteid thar's twintie-sax destriks o Norlin Airlan that haes unalyk geografical stents, e'en in the case them cried eftir the coonties that thair names cums frae. Fermanagh Destrik Cooncil follaes the mairches o the coontie it taks its name frae maist o aw.

### Ceities an touns
The follaein ar brandit "touns". Thae wi ceitie status ar **bauldit**.
* Aintrim, **[[Armagh]]**
* Ballycastil, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Ballynahinch, Bannbrig, Bangor, **[[Belfast]]**
* Craigfergus, Carryduff, Coaliland, Commer, Cookstoun, Cowlrain, Craigavon
* Donaghadee, Dounpatrick, Dromore, Dundonal, Dungannon
* Halywid
* Inniskillin
* Kilkeel
* Lairne, Limavadie, **[[Lisburn]]**, **[[Lunnonderry]]**, Lurgan
* Macherafelt
* Newcastil, **[[Newry]]**, Newtounabbey, Newtounairds
* Omey
* Portadoun, Portrush, Portstewart
* Straban
* Warrenpynt

### Steids o interest

* The Muntains o Mourne in Coontie Doun
* Loch Neagh, the mukkilest loch in the Breetish Isles
* Loch Erne in Coontie Fermanagh
* Strangford Loch in Coontie Doun
* Carlinfuird Loch in Coontie Doun
* The Giant's Causey in Coontie Aintrim
* The Glens o Antrim in Coontie Aintrim
* The Sperrin Muntains in Coonties Tyrone an Lunnonderry
* Naitional pairks o Norlin Airlan
* Naitional Trust Properties in Norlin Airlan

### Variations in Geografic nomenclatur
Monie fowk athin an ootwi Norlin Airlan bruiks ither names for the entitie, as pairt o a lingueistic agenda for ti define the naitur o the state frae thair historic, cultural or poleitical sicht.

The maist common names bruikit is
; Unionist
* *[[Ulster]]* - for ti pit ower that Norlin Airlan haes an aulder ancestrie that predates its foondin in 1921, datin back baith til the Plantation o Ulster in the late 17t centurie an tae the millennium-auld stewartrie o Ulster, ane o fower stewartries on the iland o Ireland. The stewartrie o Ulster kivers a greter landmass nor Norlin Airlan: sax o its coonties is in Norlin Airlan, thrie in the Republic o Ireland.
* *The Province* - for ti anss mair cleek in wi the historic Airisch stewartrie (or "province") o Ulster.
; Naitionalist
* *North o Ireland* - for til eik Norlin Airlan til the lave o the iland, bi deskreivin the state as bein in the 'north *o* Ireland' an sae playin doun Norlin Airlan's links wi Breetain. The Norlinmaist pynt in Ireland, in Coonty Donegal, is in fak in the Republic.
; Pro-Belfast Greement Republican
* *The Sax Coonties* - langage that evyts bruikin the name gien til the state bi the Breetish-enactit *Government o Ireland Act, 1920*. The Republic is lykweys caw'd the *Twintie-Sax Coonties*. Sum o the bruikers o this name kemps that bruikin the offeicial name wad implie acceptance o the legeitimacie o the *Government o Ireland Act*.
; Conter-Belfast Greement Republicans
* *The Occupee'd Sax Coonties*. The Republic, that's exeistence is gainstaundit bi sicna groups anaw, is deskreiv'd as bein "The Free State," referrin til the Airisch Free State, the Republic's auld name.

Disagreement on nomenclatur, an the readin o poleitical seembolism intil the uiss or non-uiss o a wird, beirs on sum urban centurs anaw. The maist weil-kent byspel is whither Norlin Airlan's seicont ceitie shud be cried *Derry* or *[[Lunnonderry]]*.

Chyce o langage an nomenclatur in Norlin Airlan aften kyths the cultural, ethnic an releigious identitie o the speaker. The first Depute First Meenister o Norlin Airlan, Seamus Mallon wis skauldit bi unionists for cryin the state the "North o Ireland" whyl Sinn Féin haes been skauldit in sum newspapers in the Republic for conteinain ti refer til the "Sax Coonties". Naitionalists haes in turn skauldit unionist leaders, for referrin constant til Norlin Airlan as "Ulster".

Thaim that disna belang onie group but leans til ae syd aften tends ti bruik the langage o that group. Uphauders o unionism in the Breetish media (maist merkit the *[[Daily Telegraph]]* an the *[[Daily Express]]*) cries Norlin Airlan "Ulster" aften whyl naitionalist an republican-leanin media ootlats in Ireland (sic as ‘’Daily Ireland’’) awmaist aye bruiks "the North o Ireland" or "the Sax Coonties".

State institutions an cultural organisations in Norlin Airlan, in parteicular thaim that's frae afore the 1980s, aften bruikit the wird "Ulster" in thair teitil; for byspel, the *[[Varsitie o Ulster]]* the *[[Ulster Orchestra]]*, an BBC Radio Ulster.

Monie news bulletins syn the 1990s haes ettilt til evyt aw contentious terms an bruik aither the offeicial name, *Norlin Airlan*, or the cuttie name, "the North". For Norlin Airlan's seicont mukkilest ceitie, braidcastin ootlats that's no align'd til aither communitie an braidcasts ti baith, bruiks baith names interchangeabil, aften stairtin a report wi "Lunnonderry" an syn bruikin "Derry" in the lave o the report. Houaniver athin Norlin Airlan, prent media that's leal til aither communitie (the *[[Belfast Newsletter]]* is leal til the Unionist communitie whyl the *[[Irish News|Airisch News]]* is leal til the Naitionalist communitie) forordnar bruiks thair communitie's liefer name. Breetish newspapers wi Unionist leanin, sic as the ‘’Daily Telegraph’’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F06%2F16%2Fnblud16.xml , forordnar bruiks the langage o the Unionist communitie, whyl ithers, sic as *[[The Guardian]]*, bruiks the names interchangeabil http://www.guardian.co.uk/bloodysunday/article/0,2763,184915,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/bloodysunday/article/0,2763,1394346,00.html The media in the Republic o Ireland bruiks the nomenclatur preferr'd bi Naitionalists, eg RTÉ News.

The diveision in nomenclatur is seen in parteicular in sports an releigions associate wi ane o the communities. Gaelic gemmes an fitbaw bruiks *Derry* in club names for byspel. Houaniver, for ti complicate things baith the maistlie unionist Kirk o Ireland an the maistlie naitionalist Roman Catholic Kirk aw cries thair local beishop *Beishop o Derry an Raphoe*. Nor is thar clear greement on hou ti decide on a name. Whan the naitionalist-control'd local cooncil votit ti cry the ceitie *Derry* unionists gainstaundit, sain that, as its ceitie status wis aucht a Ryal Chairter, anerlie a chairter pit furth bi Queen Elizabeth II cud chynge the name. Queen Elizabeth waled not til intervene.

Oweraw the uiss o nomenclatur exclusive til ae communitie bi ae communitie is a merkit featur o Norlin Airlan. At tyms o heich communal tension, ilka syd compleins oft anent the bruik o the nomenclatur associate wi the ither communitie bi a thrid pairtie sic as a media organization, threipin sic bruik kyths "bias" agin thair communitie.

## Cultur
: *See [[Ulster-Scots fowk]], [[Cultur o Ireland]], [[Cultur o the Unitit Kinrick]]*
Wi its bettert internaitional staunin, Norlin Airlan haes recentlie seen risin nummers o tourists wha cum til apprise the aurie's unique heritage. Attractions include cultural blythtyds, muisical an airtistic tradeitions, kintrasyd an geografical steids o interest, pubs, walcumin hospitalitie an sports (especialie gowf an fishin). In 1987, pubs war allou'd til apen on Sundays.

### Leids

The Mid Ulster dialek o English that's spak in Norlin Airlan shaws influence frae baith the Wast Midlands an Scotland, tharby giein it a distink accent e'en wi the lave o Hiberno-English, alang wi the uisi o sic Scots wirds as *wee* an *aye*. Sum jokinlie cry this dialek foneticalie bi the name *Norlin Airlan*. Thar's suposedlie sum wee differs in pronunciation atwein Protestants an Catholics, the best kent o thaim is the name o the letter *h*, that Protestants tends ti pronoonce as "aitch", as in Breetish English, an Catholics tends ti pronoonce as "haitch", as in Hiberno-English. Houaniver, geografie is a sicht mair wechtie determinant o dialek nor ethnic backgrund. English is bi ferr the maist braid spoken leid in Norlin Airlan.

Unner the Guid Friday Greement, Airisch an Ulster Scots haes offeicial acknawledgment on a par wi that o English. Aften the bruik o the Airisch leid in Norlin Airlan haes met wi the suspeicion o Unionists, that haes associate it wi the maistlie Catholic Republic o Ireland, an mair recent, wi the republican muvement in Norlin Airlan itsel.

Ulster Scots bes varieties o the Scots leid that's spak in Norlin Airlan. Monie threips that it haes becum a sindert leid, descendit frae Scots in Scotland, whaur as ithers quaisten whither Scots is a sindert leid frae English, or juist a hatter o dialeks o Scots an Norlin Hiberno-English.

Chinese an Urdu is spoken bi Norlin Airlan's Asian communities an aw. Gaun bi the maist recent census, Chinese is nou the seicont maist spoken leid, tho the 8000-strang Chinese communitie — whyl aften referr'd til as the "thrid mukkilest" communitie in Norlin Airlan — is awfu wee bi internaitional staundarts.

## References


## Further readin
* Jonathan Bardon, *A History of Ulster* (Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1996)
* Robert Kee, *The Green Flag: A History of Airisch Nationalism* (Penguin, 1972–2000), ISBN 0-14-029165-2

## Fremmit airtins
* Discover Norlin Irland: Norlin Airlan's Tourist Buird
* Varsitie o Ulster: Norlin Airlan Conflict Archive 
* Elections in Norlin Airlan 
* Online NI
* Airt gailerie featurin Norlin Airisch airtists an scenes 
* BBC Nations  Historie o Ireland
* The Breetish Isles Independent view o Ireland an the UK
* Mercator Atlas o Europe  Cairt o Ireland ("Irlandia") circa 1564
* Jobs in Norlin Airlan
* Sutton Index o Daiths