Context: 

Northern Ireland (NI) has finally developed a new government this month after a two-year political stalemate between the two main parties since the 2022 elections to the Stormont Assembly. 

Power-Sharing Returns to Northern Ireland

The Good Friday Agreement/ the Belfast Agreement, signed on 10 April 1998, was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.

• It set up a new government for Northern Ireland, representing both nationalists and unionists.

About Northern Ireland

• It is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom (the others being England, Scotland and Wales).
• It is the smallest member of the United Kingdom

Geographic Location:

• Geographically, it is part of Ireland but politically, it is part of the United Kingdom (UK)
• It  has coasts on the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
• It  is separated on the east from Scotland, another part of the United Kingdom, by the narrow North Channel.
• Capital: Belfast (major port)

Attractions of Northern Ireland

• Giant’s Causeway: It is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Northern Ireland. 
  • It is a spectacular ancient volcanic rock formation dating back an estimated 60 million years.
• Lough Neagh: It  is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the United Kingdom.
• Slieve Donard: It is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland.

News Source: The Hindu

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