The rest of Ireland
Study note
The island of Ireland is divided into two parts, and only one of them is in the UK. Northern Ireland, in the north east of the island, is part of the United Kingdom. The rest of the island is a completely separate country.
That separate country is the Republic of Ireland. It is an independent nation with its own government, its own laws and its own affairs, and it is not part of the UK. Its capital city is Dublin. This is different from Belfast, which is the capital of Northern Ireland.
For the test, the points to remember are that not all of Ireland is in the UK, that the Republic of Ireland is an independent country rather than a Crown dependency or an Overseas Territory, and that Dublin is the capital of the Republic while Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
Memory tip: Northern Ireland is in the UK; the rest of Ireland is an independent country.
Practise this topic
Question 1 of 3
The rest of Ireland, outside Northern Ireland, is best described as which of these?
Show all questions and answers for The rest of Ireland(3 questions with explanations)
The rest of Ireland: questions, answers and explanations
1. The rest of Ireland, outside Northern Ireland, is best described as which of these?
- A British Overseas Territory
- Part of Great Britain
- A Crown dependency of the UK
- An independent country
Correct answer: An independent country
The rest of Ireland is a separate, independent country, the Republic of Ireland.
2. All of the island of Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
- True
- False
Correct answer: False
False. Only Northern Ireland is in the UK; the rest of Ireland is independent.
3. What is the capital of the Republic of Ireland?
- Belfast
- Edinburgh
- Cork
- Dublin
Correct answer: Dublin
Dublin is the capital of the independent Republic of Ireland; Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
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