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A segregated landscape exists across the entire city of Belfast. Unlike other cities where the main factor is class, in Belfast it is ethnic, though a different kind of ethnic than usually comes to mind. Here, the population is separated by culture, politics, history, and religion into Catholic/Nationalist/Republican and Protestant/Loyalist/Unionist groups. These groups are quite unlike other situations of segregation in the UK in two ways; the Catholic minority is only slightly a minority and is expected to increase in the future, creating the second difference, a highly polarized population of Protestants nervous about losing their majority status and Catholics rapidly growing in number. This landscape was formed as the result of two related processes from the 1600s to 1800s: colonization and industrialization. Colonization brought Scottish and English settlers to Belfast and rural areas across Northern Ireland who distinguished themselves from the native Irish, by building a rampart around Belfast for example. Relations between the two groups were stable through the 1700s until a large number of Catholics moved to Belfast from the countryside seeking industrial jobs, increasing in population into the 1800s. In the late-1700s, Catholics were roughly 8% of the population, growing immensely to over 34% by 1834. During this rapid industrial growth, economic ties to Britain were strengthened at the expense of cultural and other ties with the rest of Ireland. Belfast's prosperity depended on British investment and trade, and Protestant interests, due to their heritage, were best served by this increased alliance. In contrast, the soon-to-be Republic of Ireland was fighting for its independence from Britain and Catholics throughout Ulster wished to remain connected with their tradition. Segregation, peacelines, and the Troubles all share a genesis in this historical experience. |