The population of Northern Ireland is approximately 1.5 million people. With approximately one third leaving in the capital Belfast. The other cities are Londonderry, Armagh (the ecclesiastical capital of both the Anglican Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Church), Newry and Lisburn. In fact of 22 places with a population of over 20,000 in the whole or Ireland twelve of these are found in Northern Ireland. Six of these are in the densely populated area around Belfast Lough, Bangor, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Lisburn, Newtownabbey and Newtownards.

This population is largely white with a smaller ethnic mix than the rest of the United Kingdom. However the following etnic minorities do exist¹:

• Chinese about 4000.
• Indian c. 1000.
• Pakistani 700
• Travelling community about 1500.

However the ethnicity is spilt along religious rather than racial lines. The two main communities are the Protestant largely Unionist community and the Roman Catholic largely Nationalist community.

Many of the Protestants can trace their families to the Scots who immigrated as part of the plantation to the best farming land of Ireland which was located in Ulster. Most of the Roman Catholics were either original residents in Ireland or came as labourers with their Scottish landlords. The backgrounds to these two communities is probably the main cause of the divisions that sadly exist to this day. Plus the prosecution at various times by both sides of the other.

Principal Centres of Population