Population: 1.89 million - Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) est. 2021.
Area: 13,843 km2 c.175km wide and 135km high.
Border: 360km (with the Republic of Ireland)

Counties (in order of population): Antrim, Down, Londonderry, Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh. Northern Ireland's six counties fall within the ancient Irish Province of Ulster which also includes neighbouring Republic of Ireland Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.

Councils: 11

Capital city: Belfast (341,877 - 2011 census)

Other cities (in order of population): Derry (85,016), Bangor (61,011), Lisburn (45,370), Newry (26,967), Armagh (14,777)

Inhabited Islands: Rathlin (154)

Highest point: Slieve Donard, Mourne Mountains (852m)

Largest lake (landlocked): Lough Neagh (392 km² - also largest in the British Isles)

Largest inlet: Strangford Lough (150 km² - also largest in the British Isles)

Longest river: River Bann (129km)

Government: Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (also comprising England, Scotland and Wales). Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour). Secretary of Sate Hilary Benn MP (head of the Northern Ireland Office). There are 18 NI MPs; Sinn Fein 7, DUP 5, SDLP 2, Alliance 1, TUV 1, UUP 1, Independent 1. Due to their opposition of NI's inclusion in the UK (and Parliament's oath of allegiance to the King), Sinn Fein's MPs do not take their seats at Westminster.

Northern Ireland Assembly: (devolved power-sharing government at Stormont with specific powers including policing & justice, health, education, environment and local economy). 90 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). First Minister MIchelle O'Neill (Sinn Fein) and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (DUP).

Political Parties (top six in order of Assembly's May 2022 public vote): Sinn Fein (27 Nationalist), Democratic Unionist Party (25 Unionist), Alliance (17), Ulster Unionist (9 Unionist), Social Democratic and Labour Party (8 Nationalist), Traditional Unionist Voice (1 Unionist), People Before Profit (1), Independent Unionist (2).

Currency: £Sterling

Languages: English (predominant), Irish Gaelic, Ulster-Scots.

Click here to see a timeline of our history.