Ulster is the northernmost of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. It is made up of nine counties; six of them form the region of Northern Ireland, while the remaining three are in the Republic of Ireland. As such, the name Ulster is now used by many to refer to Northern Ireland. It covers an area of 21,552 km2 and has a population of 2.1 million, making it both the second largest and most populous province. The largest city is Belfast.
Unlike the other provinces that are catholic, protestants make up almost half the population of Ulster. The most spoken language is English, followed by Irish and Ulster Scots. The province is home to Lough Neagh, the biggest lake in the British Isles. It’s also home to the Giant’s Causeway, an area of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and received over 998,000 visitors in 2019.
