Ulster (Erse: Ulaidh) is ane o the fower provinces o Ireland, alang wi Leinster, Munster an Connacht. Ulster haes nine coonties, sax in Norlin Airlan as pairt o the Unitit Kinrick an the ither three in the Republic o Ireland. Ulster is whiles wrangly uised as a synonym fur Norlin Airlan. three
History
Ulster is cried efter the Ulaid, early fowk o the area. The O'Neill clan wis the maistmuckle in the province in the early medieval period. The Normans muivit in an foondit the Earldom o Ulster. That wis aw the wey intae in the 15t century whan Ulster wis the ainly province that wisna unner Ingland. Efter the Nine Years War, it was owertaken bi Ingland an that led tae England plantin Ulster.
The plantin o Ulster led to a rebellion bi Catholics. The war atween the religious curns endit wi the province bein occupee'd bi Cromwell's airmy.
Than in 1688 war begoud again wi the Williamite War, wi Catholics uphaudin James an Protestants uphaudin William o Orange. The Jacobites haed owerins ower the hail o Ireland but Derry an Enniskillen, an defeats thare led tae the lave o Ireland bein ower haled by the Williamites.
In the 19t century, Ulster wis the maist weel-aff stewartry in Ireland. The releegious divide becam a poleetical divide forby atween Protestant Unionists, an Catholic Nationalists. This divide cam aboot ower Hame Rule. Unionists wis agin this an nationalists upheld it. Durin the Erse War o Unthirldom, thare wis a lock street fechtin atween Catholics an Protestants in Belfast. Whan Ireland dividit, Northren Ireland, sax coonties o Ulster, chuised tae bide in the Unitit Kinrick.
The Troubles waur a religious fecht in Norlin Airlian frae tha late 1960's tae 1988. As thay waur focht maistly in Norlin Airlan, Ulster wis whaur muckle fechtin happent. This fechtin tendit tae be atween nationalists (sic as tha Erse Republican Airmy), unionists (sic as tha Ulster Defence Association) an that Breetish Airmy.
Votin in the sax coonties o Nothren Ireland tends tae be on releegious raisons, again anent nationalism an unionism. In the Republic o Ireland's coonties this is less prevalent.
Demographics
Fowk
Ulster haes a population o aroon 2 million fowk, wi aroon a hauf million folk in Belfast, the maistmuckle city o the province. Anent hauf the population o Ulster reside in the Coonties o Aintrim an Doun.
Leids
Maist fowk spik Inglis. The seicont maist leid is Erse wi wee Gaeltacht areas in the province. Scots is spoak in Northren Ireland an in the east o Coonty Donegal, by maist Ulster Scots fowk.
The maistmuckle incomer leid o the stewartry is Cantonese, acause o the lairge nummer o Cheenae fowk o Belfast.
Religion
The province, fae the 2001 UK and the 2002 Erse censuses is 49% Catholic an 48% Protestant. 3% o fowk hae nae religion.
