Northern Ireland, United Kingdom — Population, map and places

About Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a region. Location: United Kingdom. Population: 1,910,543.

From Wikipedia

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares an open border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland. At the 2021 census, its population was 1,903,175, making up around 3% of the UK's population and 27% of the population on the island of Ireland.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Built: 1921
Area: 14,130 km²

Source: Wikidata

Photos of Northern Ireland

Coney Island Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Carrickarade Island Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0
Boa Island Jon Sullivan · Public domain
Trostan Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0
Sawel Mountain Kifster · CC BY-SA 3.0

Travel notes for Northern Ireland

From Wikivoyage

Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart na hÉireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is part of the island of Ireland and one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland has the Giant's Causeway (a world heritage site), stunning landscapes, vibrant cities, and welcoming locals interested in your own stories. The hit television series Game of Thrones was produced in Northern Ireland, which is also home to many of its filming locations.

Understand+

History:

Northern Ireland was created in 1921 when Ireland was partitioned by the Treaty that ended the Anglo-Irish war. Most of the island became what was initially called Southern Ireland then the Irish Free State and is now the independent Republic of Ireland or Eire. But six of the nine historic counties of Ulster remained within the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland, with the other three joining the south, and the plate tectonics of this rift are still in motion. "Ulster" is thus a geographical and cultural term, and doesn't refer to the political entity of Northern Ireland. Lots of outsiders do conflate the two, but doing so in nationalist company... well, if you're lucky, you'll just be thrown out of the pub. If you're unlucky, you'll be required to stay and listen to a history lesson that begins in the 12th century.

In the souvenir tea-towel version of Irish history, there were four provinces, Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster, with a High King presiding over all. In reality in the early medieval period there were about a dozen kingdoms, forever warring and recognising no overlords. The northwest was O'Neill territory, while the northeast (now Antrim) was Ulaid hence "Ulster". From the 12th century the Normans settled in southeast Ireland but never got this far. Right up to the 17th century, Gaelic nobles ruled over Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. Then the English Tudors subdued this last redoubt and began to re-shape Ulster to their liking.

Get in+

Immigration, visa, and customs requirements:

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, so it has exactly the same entry requirements as England, Scotland and Wales.

Citizens of the UK and Crown Dependencies can travel to Northern Ireland without a passport and have the automatic right to reside, work and take up benefits.

Citizens of Ireland have the same entitlement as UK citizens.

Citizens of other European Union countries do not require a visa for short visits (e.g. holiday, family visits, business meetings) but do require a visa for work or study in the UK.

Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have (and will probably continue to have) the same rules as for the EU.

Citizens of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and Uruguay do not require a visa for visits of less than 6 months.

Most other countries will require a visa, which can be obtained from the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

There is no passport control or border check between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. However visitors must carry any relevant documents that permit them entry to the UK, such as a passport or identity card and visa.

The UK has a Working Holidaymaker Scheme for citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations and British dependent territories. This allows residency in the UK for up to 2 years, with limited working rights.

There are restrictions in terms of goods one can bring from elsewhere in the UK to Northern Ireland and vice versa. Importing certain goods may incur tariffs. See the UK government website for more information.

For more information on these requirements, see the UK government's website.

By plane:

Almost all direct flights to Northern Ireland are from the UK, Western Europe and the Mediterranean. There are no flights from the Republic of Ireland, as the distances are too short.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Places bordering Northern Ireland

Ireland

Population of Northern Ireland over time

Population of Northern Ireland over time
2011		1,810,863
2015		1,852,168
2016		1,862,100
2021		1,903,200

Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.

Climate of Northern Ireland

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: June–August.

This month · November

A wet month

Day 10° · Night 4° · Rain 100 mm

Hottest month: July (day 20°)
Coldest month: January (night 2°)
Wettest month: January (111 mm)
Driest month: May (62 mm)

7° 2°

8° 2°

10° 3°

12° 4°

15° 7°

18° 9°

20° 12°

19° 11°

17° 9°

13° 7°

10° 4°

8° 3°

Jan

111

Feb

82

Mar

90

Apr

66

May

62

Jun

66

Jul

65

Aug

86

Sep

84

Oct

104

Nov

100

Dec

104

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table

Climate of Northern Ireland
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high (°C)	7°	8°	10°	12°	15°	18°	20°	19°	17°	13°	10°	8°
Average low (°C)	2°	2°	3°	4°	7°	9°	12°	11°	9°	7°	4°	3°
Precipitation (mm)	111	82	90	66	62	66	65	86	84	104	100	104

Other places to visit in this season: June July August

How to get to Northern Ireland

The nearest airport is Belfast International Airport (BFS), 25 km to the northeast as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Belfast, 39 km to the east.