Northern Ireland is the only nation-not located in Britain. It is located north of the divided island of Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, which is an independent and sovereign country.
In 1920 approved a law passed to make an autonomous political entity in 1921. But the differences only nationalist cause chaos in the country, nationalists and unionists. At this point begins the problem that creeps years:

- The Irish nationalists want a parliament to govern the whole.

- The unionists will no autonomy.

Northern Ireland was a key part of Irish nationalism in the era of the plantations of Queen Elizabeth I and James I in other parts of Ireland, and became the main area of occupation after the Scottish conhecio "Flight of the Earls" (When the Scottish government native, nationalist and military elite have left Scotland in mass). Today the country is experiencing a great rivalry between communities represented in Belfast by tricolor Irish republicanism or the Union Flag (which is the symbol of their British identity), while the kerbstone in areas of less influence painted green-white / orange or red / white / blue, depending on whether the local community is sympathetic to the nationalist / republican or unionist.

Since its beginning, when he self-government in 1920, ministers who had practiced a policy of discrimination against the minority nationalist / Catholic.
In the words of Nobel Laureate, Northern Ireland is a "cold place for Catholics." The country is divided into electoral districts in order to give the Protestant majority, Protestant control

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Terence O'Neill

The prime minister, moderate Unionist Terence O'Neill (later Lord O'Neill of the Maine) in 1960 attempted to reform the system, but encountered opposition from extreme fundamentalist Protestant leaders like the Reverend Ian Paisley. There was increased pressure for reform and led to the emergence of the Movement for "Civil Rights" under figures like John Hume, Austin Currie and others. The clashes between marchers and the Royal Ulster Constabulary led to conflicts between communities increasing. The British Army, sent to protect nationalists from attack, received a warm welcome. However, the killing of thirteen unarmed civilians in Derry by British paramilitaries, known as Bloody Sunday that became a classic U2's "Bloody Bloody Sunday"), including northern nationalists revolted against the British Army.

Reverendo Ian Paisley

Then comes another strong name in the history of Ireland, the name of which all have heard about some time in their life, "IRA" and a campaign of violence by unionists as the Ulster Defence Association and others, brought to the brink of civil war. In the '70s and '80s, extremists on both sides have committed several mass killings, often involving innocent civilians. The most notorious attacks included the bombing of Le Mon and explosions in Enniskillen and Omagh, practiced by Republicans trying to bring political change through guerilla warfare.

bandeiras Uslter

Some British politicians, notably former Labour minister Tony Benn, defended the British withdrawal from Ireland, but successive Irish governments have opposed this policy, and called their predictions about the possible results of British withdrawal the Doomsday Scenario, depicting spread widespread conflict, followed by the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children as refugees to "side" of each community in the province. The worst fear is aimed at a civil war that could engulf not just Northern Ireland, but the neighboring Ireland and Scotland, both with ties to one or both communities. Later, the feared possible impact of British withdrawal has earned the designation of Balkanisation of Northern Ireland after the violent breakup of Yugoslavia and the chaos that followed.

After the Belfast Agreement, voters elected the Assembly in Northern Ireland to form a Northern Irish parliament. Every party that reaches a specific level of support gains the right to appoint one member to the government and claim a ministry.

Belfast

The formation of the Executive scheduled for June 1998, coming in demanding only the Protestant leaders admit the party Sinn Fein - the IRA's political arm - the Executive after the Republican guerrillas to disarm. In November 1999, the Protestants accept the IRA's commitment to deliver weapons between February and May 2000. Sinn Féin holds two ministries. As part of the agreement, the Republic of Ireland withdraws from the Constitution a clause which claimed sovereignty over Ulster

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In February 2000, the British government takes over direct control of Ulster, because of the reluctance of the IRA to disarm. But in May, the IRA to accept international inspection of its weapons stockpiles and the British authorities to return the power of the Ulster Parliament. Growing optimism about the peace process with the assurance given by the international inspectors that the weapons of the IRA are under surveillance. Trimble's government regains control of the region.

The climate change in the country was represented by the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Parliament Buildings at Stormont, where she met the ministers of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party and talked about the rights of Northern Ireland complained that equal treatment with British. Also, on a visit to Northern Ireland, Mary McAleese met with unionist ministers and the Lord Lieutenant of each county, representatives of the Queen of this country.

Northern Ireland is a complex entity, divided between two distinct cultural communities, the Unionists are predominantly Protestant (including the faith the greatest of these is Presbyterianism, the second in terms of number of followers and the Church of Ireland, while nationalists are predominantly Catholic. However, contrary to common belief, not all Protestants who support unionism necessarily with the same rule for Catholics worth in relation to nationalism but on a smaller scale.

What sets the Catholic or Protestant in Ulster is not necessarily your participation in the liturgical services and their faith, but their home community. Northern Ireland, specifically Belfast is divided into all areas of one or another community.

Once established in the Government of Ireland Act 1920 Northern Ireland has been structured geographically to take unionist majority, who fear for their fate if there were the unification of Ireland. However, the Catholic population is increasing in proportion in Northern Ireland, while the Protestant population has been decreasing.

As with the Agreement of Good Friday it is guaranteed that Northern Ireland will remain linked to the UK as its people wish, it is likely that in some years the Ulster re-integrate into Ireland as a region and not as a separate country.

As part of the UK, the people of Northern Ireland are British citizens. They are also entitled to obtain Irish citizenship by birth, something that is guaranteed by the Belfast Agreement, made between the British and Irish governments, which provides that is the natural right of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and accept as Irish or British, or both, as they can so choose, and therefore [the two governments confirm their right to hold both British citizenship as the Irish and they should be accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any change in the future status of Northern Ireland.

Several studies carried out between 1971 and 2006 indicated that, in general, the Protestants of Northern Ireland tend to identify themselves more as "British", while Catholics regard themselves primarily as "Irish". These data, however, does not represent the complex identities of Northern Ireland, as many consider themselves the "Northern Ireland" or "Ulster" as either the principal or as a secondary identity. A 2008 survey revealed that 57% of Protestants described themselves as British, while 32% identified themselves as Northern Irish, as ulsters 6% and 4% as Irish. Compared to the same survey conducted in 1998, it shows a drop in the percentage of Protestants who identify themselves as British and ulsters, and an increase in those who identified themselves as Northern Irish. The 2008 survey found that 61% of Catholics described themselves as Irish, 25% identify themselves as Northern Ireland, 8% and 1% as British as ulsters. These numbers remained virtually unchanged since 1998.

Unionists often call the Northern Ireland "Ulster" or "the Province" nationalists often use the words "Northern Ireland" or "the Six Counties." Lately the term Ulster has been used by the Republicans, because this way of dealing with Northern Ireland as a region of Ireland. Ulster formed one of the historic provinces of Ireland and consists of 9 counties. Three of these are now part of the Republic of Ireland. The remaining six counties became Northern Ireland:

1. County Fermanagh
2. County Tyrone
3. County Derry or County Londonderry (Unionists prefer the term Londonderry, Derry nationalists the term.)
4. County Antrim
5. County Down
6. County Armagh

These counties are no longer used for local government purposes, but instead are 26 districts in Northern Ireland. The "six counties" remain for cultural purposes such as the GAA and the Orange Order.