<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <P> Patron Saints: Finnian of Moville Columba a . ^ The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency for 2011 combined with the preliminary results of Census of Ireland 2011 for Ulster (part of). </P> b . ^ Ulster contains all of the Northern Ireland constituency (3 MEPs) as well as part of the Midlands--North - West constituency (4 MEPs); the counties of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal contain 17.5% of the population of this constituency . </Td> </Tr> <P> Patron Saints: Finnian of Moville Columba a . ^ The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency for 2011 combined with the preliminary results of Census of Ireland 2011 for Ulster (part of). </P> <P> Ulster (/ ˈʌlstər /; Irish: Ulaidh pronounced (ˈul̪ɣəi) or Cúige Uladh pronounced (ˈkuːɟə ˈul̪ɣə), Ulster Scots: Ulstèr or Ulster) is a province in the north of the island of Ireland . It is made up of nine counties, six of which are in Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom) and three of which are in the Republic of Ireland . It is the second largest (after Munster) and second most populous (after Leinster) of Ireland's four provinces, with Belfast being its biggest city . Unlike the other provinces, Ulster has a high percentage of Protestants, making up almost half of its population . English is the main language and Ulster English the main dialect . A minority also speak Irish, and there is a Gaeltacht (Irish - speaking region) in the west . Lough Neagh, in the east, is the largest lake in the British Isles, while Lough Erne in the west is one of its largest lake networks . The main mountain ranges are the Mournes, Sperrins, Croaghgorms and Derryveagh Mountains . </P> <P> Historically, Ulster lay at the heart of the Gaelic world made up of Gaelic Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man . According to tradition, in ancient Ireland it was one of the fifths (Irish: cúige) ruled by a rí ruirech, or "king of over-kings". It is named after the overkingdom of Ulaid, in the east of the province, which was in turn named after the Ulaid folk . The other overkingdoms in Ulster were Airgíalla and Ailech . After the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, eastern Ulster was conquered by the Anglo - Normans and became the Earldom of Ulster . By the late 14th century the Earldom had collapsed and the O'Neill dynasty had come to dominate most of Ulster, claiming the title King of Ulster . Ulster became the most thoroughly Gaelic and independent of Ireland's provinces . Its rulers resisted English encroachment but were defeated in the Nine Years' War (1594--1603). King James I then colonized Ulster with English - speaking Protestant settlers from Britain, in the Plantation of Ulster . This led to the founding of many of Ulster's towns . The inflow of Protestant settlers and migrants also led to bouts of sectarian violence with Catholics, notably during the 1641 rebellion and the Armagh disturbances . Along with the rest of Ireland, Ulster became part of the United Kingdom in 1801 . In the early 20th century, moves towards Irish self - rule were opposed by many Ulster Protestants, sparking the Home Rule Crisis . This, and the subsequent Irish War of Independence, led to the partition of Ireland . Six Ulster counties became Northern Ireland, a self - governing territory within the United Kingdom, while the rest of Ireland became the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland . </P>

What's the difference between ulster and northern ireland
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