“Ulster” after an ancient Irish kingdom which once existed in that part of Ireland) is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast. Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four nations, both in area and population—14 139 sq km in area, with a population of more than 1.6 million. About one-third of them are Roman Catholics who are not glad to see the unification with Great Britain dominated by Protestantism. The Catholic extremists organized the Irish Republican Army to continue their struggle. The goal of the IRA guerrillas is to oust ( drive out) the English and unify Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. Their political wing is known as Sinn Fein which has been offered a role in talks on the future of Northern Ireland through the Downing Street Declaration. (Zhu, 27)
Troubles and conflicts are still frequent. Apart from troubles, crime is very low. It is on the brink—a new peaceful future, or a return to the violence.
Ireland was not invaded by the Romans, or settled by the Anglo-Saxons who followed them into Britain, thus they were ethnically distinct from the majority of British people. Adding to this difference was religion: most Irish people remained Catholics, while most British people had become Protestants.
Northern Ireland today must be the only country in the world which is recognized as an independent entity but which is governed, in effect, by three separate jurisdictions: that of the Republic of Ireland, that of Great Britain, and that of its own elected executive government of ten ministers. At present, Ulster has once again
reverted to direct rule from London.
The Provisional IRA: in 1919, a group calling itself the IRA (Irish Republican Army) expanded fighting for Irish freedom and independence. The Provisional IRA is the radical faction of the IRA. They prefer the use of force and believe that armed force is the only way to get the British out and to have an unified Ireland.
The Official IRA: the official IRA is the political wing of the IRA. They offer their own social and economic policy. They hold that they have already made enough progress so that they can concentrate themselves on a political process and run candidates for election.
Sinn Fein: a legal political Party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA to fight for the union of Ireland. The leaders of Sinn Fein prefer union
with Ireland by a twin campaign, both political and military which they call the policy of “ the Bullet and Ballot Box”(暴力和民主手段，主张用政治或军事手段解决爱尔兰统一，bullet指暴力活动，ballot box指民主选举活动。. It believes that without the participation of Sinn Fein the political problem of Northern Ireland can not be thoroughly solved.
※Brief history of Britain
British history has been a history of invasions. Before the first century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people or Celts (the earliest natives): a powerful culture originating in central Europe.
In 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman empire (Zhu, 14), and England
and Wales became a part of the Roman empire for nearly 400 years.
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In the 5 century, Britain was invaded by the Angles, and the Saxons, namely, Germanic peoples from the north of Germany. They either absorbed the Celtic people, or pushed them to the western and northern edges of Britain. The story of King Arthur appeared. He united the British and drove the invaders back.(Zhu, 8)
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In the late 8 century on, the Vikings from Scandinavia invaded Britain and controlled large areas of northern and eastern England. By then King Alfred the Great, an English hero came into being to fight against the Vikings.(Zhu, 8)
In 1066, the Normans, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings, invaded Britain under William of Normandy (known as “William the