Despite its well-publicized "troubles", Northern Ireland is one of the safest places visit in the world. Incidents of violent crime are extremely low. The Good Friday Agreement was expected to bring peace but recent events such as new IRA arms shipments, intelligence gathering, terrorist training and intimidation of Protestants have set the process back.

Ulster is a society working to resolve the sources of historic conflict, but for most people, life goes on as normal. Most Ulster people are strictly non-sectarian. It is quite possible for you to spend your entire time in Ulster and never be aware of any tension...

Many take a lead in promoting mutual understanding, cross-community activity, and economic regeneration, all of which form part of the current phase of development and reconciliation.

Some people believe that the current period of violent conflict, 'the Troubles', in Northern Ireland may be at an end. However, Northern Ireland in recent years has experienced continuing violence not only from those paramilitary organisations which are 'active' (that is, did not declare a ceasefire - rIRA; CIRA; RHD; OV), but also from some organisations which are supposed to be on ceasefire (IRA, UFF, LVF,). So the period of 'peace' since the first ceasefires (which were broken and renewed by some organisations) has been an imperfect one.

However, conflict (in the form of political conflict, economic conflict, etc.) between the two main communities has a long history, almost 400 years. There have been many bouts of violent conflict in the past and there is no guarantee that people will not resort to violence in the future. Simply on the basis of previous experience one would have to say that another period of violence is a very real possibility. In the meantime Northern Ireland is likely to continue to experience an imperfect peace. It will require a fundamental shift in the nature of the relationship between Protestants and Catholics in the region for violence to be avoided in the future.

The island is called Ireland, but it is divided into two jurisdictions. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, governed from London. The remainder of the island is a separate state, the Republic of Ireland, with its government in Dublin.

"Ireland" is ambiguous: it refers to the island or to the part governed from Dublin. You may want to say "the island of Ireland" when appropriate to avoid this ambiguity. The following are synonyms in common usage. Some of these terms are politically loaded: the first in each list is the best choice if you want to make yourself clear (without committing yourself to a particular political view).

Northern Ireland; Ulster; the North; the Six Counties

Republic of Ireland; Ireland; the South; the Twenty Six Counties; the Free State