Belfast

:This article is about the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. For other uses, see Belfast (disambiguation).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Belfast (B?al Feirste in Irish) is the second-largest city in Ireland. It is the largest city in Northern Ireland, of which it is the capital, and in the province of Ulster. While the actual population within the city limits is c. 275,000, approximately 550,000 people live in the Greater Belfast area. It is situated at the south-western end of Belfast Lough, a long natural inlet ideal for the shipping trade that made the city famous, and near the mouth of the River Lagan. It is flanked by long stretches of hills on two sides.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The name Belfast originates from the Irish B?al Feirste, or the mouth of the Farset (feirste is the genitive of the word fearsaid, "a spindle"), the river on which the city was built. Interestingly, the river Farset has been superseded by the River Lagan as the most important river; the Farset now languishes under the High Street in obscurity. Bridge Street indicates where there was originally a bridge across the Farset.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Belfast saw the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A calmer scene in recent years has allowed some development of the city. The Lagan riverfront has been regenerated, including the new Odyssey complex and sports arena. Much of the city centre has now been pedestrianised. The city has two airports: Belfast City Airport adjacent to Belfast Lough and Belfast International Airport which is near Lough Neagh. Queen's University Belfast is the main university in Belfast. The University of Ulster also maintains a campus in the city, which concentrates on fine art and design.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Irish: Irish may refer to:...

Ireland: :This page is about the island of Ireland. For the political territories on the island, see Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the History section below....

Northern Ireland: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....

Belfast related Images and Photos (experimental)

Castle Square Belfast C.1902

The Titanic Leaving Belfast Ireland for Southampton England for Its Maiden Voyage New York Usa