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Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland, also known as Ulster, is still a part of the United Kingdom. It is made up of six countries: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Tyrone. One third of the population lives in and around the capital, Belfast. Belfast is also the most important port and commercial and industrial centre. Some parts of the territory, those that are not close to the capital, have remained mainly rural.

The Irish population is divided into two groups: the Protestants and the Catholics. The Protestants are of British origin. They are descendants of British settlers who came to Ireland in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries, during and after the Reformation. The Catholics are mostly natives of Ireland.
The Protestants were the majority and dominated the Catholics with strong discrimination. In 1968 the Catholics began the movement for equal civil rights.
The fightings between the two groups of the population continue to this day.
Northern Ireland has a strong cultural tradition: songs, dances, literature and festivals.
It has its own Art Council, and there are orchestras, theatres, ballet and opera companies.


Questions:

1. 
   How many countries are there in Northern Ireland?
   
2. 
   What is the capital of Northern Ireland?
   
3. 
   Into what parts is the Irish population divided?
   
4. 
   Who are the Catholics? ,5. Who are the Protestants?
   

6. Has the Catholics-Protestants problem been solved?
7. Does Northern Ireland have strong cultural tradi­tions?


Vocabulary:
population - население
origin - происхождение
descendant - потомок
settler - поселенец, переселенец
discrimination - дискриминация
civil rights - гражданские права


Северная Ирландия

Северная Ирландия, известная как Ольстер, также яв­ляется частью Соединенного Королевства. Она состоит из шести частей: Антрим, Даун, Ферманаг, Лондондерри и Ти­рон. Треть населения живет в столице - Белфасте - и вокруг нее. Белфаст также является самым важным пор­том, коммерческим и промышленным центром. Некото­рые части территории, расположенные не совсем близко к столице, остаются, по большей части, сельскими.

Ирландское население делится на две группы: протес­тантов и католиков. Протестанты - британского проис­хождения. Они являются потомками британских поселен­цев, которые пришли в Ирландию в XVI-XVII веках, во время и после Реформации. Католики, в основном, урожен­цы Ирландии.
Протестанты главенствовали и доминировали над ка­толиками, причем имела место сильная дискриминация. В 1968 году католики начали движение за равные граждан­ские права. Борьба между двумя группами населения про­должается и по сей день.
В Северной Ирландии сохранились сильные культур­ные традиции: песни, танцы, литература и фестивали. Име­ется своя собственная Академия искусств, а также оркест­ры, театры, балетные и оперные труппы.


Ireland

Ireland is an island on the west side of Europe. The capital of Ireland is Dublin. There are about 5 million people in the Republic of Ireland. It is a small country but a lot of people know about it. In many countries there are Irish priests and nuns.

People left Ireland to find work in those countries and they stayed there. All over the world there are people with Irish blood.
The country is in two parts. The larger part, the Republic of Ireland, is in the south. The smaller part of Ireland, Northern Ireland, is part of the United Kingdom and its big city is Belfast. Like a lot of other countries, Ireland had sad and difficult times, but it had good times too. The Irish are kind and polite people, they welcome strangers. The Irish love to talk. Ireland is a beautiful country with fine lakes, tall mountains and attractive beaches. It has two great rivers. It is a very green country. It is green partly because it rains too much.
Ireland is a country of good butter, good beer and good horses. People come from all over the world to buy Irish horses, from Europe, from America, from Arab countries and from the Far East. Ireland also has its manufacturing industry.


Questions:

1. 
   Where is Ireland situated?
   
2. 
   What is the population of this country?
   
3. 
   Why did people leave Ireland?
   
4. 
   What parts does it consist of?
   
5. 
   Ireland has its own manufacturing industry, hasn't it?
   

Vocabulary:
island - остров
priest - священник
nun - монах
manufacturing industry - обрабатывающая промыш­ленность