Belfast
Belfast
Belfast, capital city (1986 est. pop. 303,600) of Northern Ireland, on an inlet of the Irish Sea, at the mouth of the Lagan R. A
port and industrial center, Belfast is known for its shipyards and linen industry. Agricultural and livestock products are the chief
exports. The city was founded in 1177. French HUGUENOT settlers, who arrived in the late 17th cent., stimulated the growth of
the linen industry. Since the 19th cent. the city has been scarred by violent strife between the majority Protestants and the
minority Catholics. In recent years there has been frequent guerrilla fighting between the IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY and
British troops.
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