Difference Between Republic Ireland and Northern Ireland
People generally confuse Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as the same thing. This is a general perception which is wrong. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are surely on the same island but are two different regions. They are generally referred to as two different regions, countries or states.
Republic of Ireland which is also known as Ireland is a sovereign state and handles its own matters whereas Northern Ireland is still under the rule of the British Empire. The two regions have different currencies and religions. Republic of Ireland is much larger in area as compared to Northern Ireland.
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Republic of Ireland
While both fall on the same island, Republic of Ireland covers most of the area. Republic of Ireland consists of about 5/6th of the island and its capital is Dublin. It consists of 26 counties in total and the region has had major influence in United Kingdom’s politics over the past few years.
Republic of Ireland has a majority of Christian population but most of them follow teachings of the Catholic Church. The region is a sovereign state and has its own government. They also have a different currency than Britain as they have opted for Euro, that is Europe’s common currency.
- Image Courtesy: itw2010dublin.org
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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s capital is Belfast and it consists of six countries. The majority of the population comprises of Protestants. There is a small proportion of Catholics in Northern Ireland who have been fighting for a separate Ireland from the British rule for the past few years.
Northern Ireland is under the British Sovereign law. Northern Ireland had its own independent government before the 1960s when there was much civil unrest because of which a Home Rule was imposed. There have been some situations in the past when many have questioned the presence of British army in the region which has been a major cause of unrest. However, things have become much more independent in the last few years and the region runs most of its matters on its own.
Northern Ireland uses the same currency as Britain which is the British pound.
- Image Courtesy: stakeholdergroup.com
