Editing Northern Ireland (section)

==Geography and climate==
{{See also|Geography of Ireland|Geography of the United Kingdom}}{{Multiple image
| image1            = Causeway-code poet-4.jpg
| caption1          = The [[Giant's Causeway]], [[County Antrim]]
| direction         = vertical
| image2            = Loch Erne.jpg
| caption2          = Boats travelling through [[Lough Erne]]
| image3            = Mourne Mountains 0006.jpg
| caption3          = Slieve Donard, [[Mourne Mountains]]
}}
The volcanic activity which created the Antrim Plateau also formed the geometric pillars of the [[Giant's Causeway]] on the north Antrim coast. Also in north Antrim are the [[Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge]], [[Mussenden Temple]] and the [[Glens of Antrim]]. Northern Ireland was covered by an [[ice sheet]] for most of the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]] and on numerous previous occasions, the legacy of which can be seen in the extensive coverage of [[drumlin]]s in Counties Fermanagh, Armagh, Antrim and particularly Down.

The centrepiece of Northern Ireland's geography is [[Lough Neagh]], at {{convert|151|sqmi|km2|0}} the largest freshwater lake both on the island of Ireland and in the [[British Isles]]. A second extensive lake system is centred on Lower and Upper [[Lough Erne]] in Fermanagh. The largest island of Northern Ireland is [[Rathlin Island|Rathlin]], off the north Antrim coast. [[Strangford Lough]] is the largest inlet in the British Isles, covering {{cvt|150|km2|sqmi|0}}.

There are substantial uplands in the [[Sperrin Mountains]] (an extension of the [[Caledonian orogeny|Caledonian mountain belt]]) with extensive gold deposits, the [[granite]] [[Mourne Mountains]] and the [[basalt]] [[Antrim Plateau]], as well as smaller ranges in [[County Armagh|South Armagh]] and along the Fermanagh–Tyrone border. None of the hills are especially high, with [[Slieve Donard]] in the dramatic Mournes reaching {{convert|850|m|ft|0}}, Northern Ireland's highest point. Belfast's most prominent peak is [[Cavehill]].
[[File:Contiguous majority wards - around Belfast (with motorways dcs etc overlaid).png|thumb|According to the 2021 census, just over 50% of Northern Ireland's population lives in the highlighted red and yellow area. This area is concentrated around Belfast and nearby settlements (red), and features the greatest concentration of motorways, dual carriageways, railways and train stations (overlaid).]]
The Lower and Upper [[River Bann]], [[River Foyle]] and [[River Blackwater (Northern Ireland)|River Blackwater]] form extensive fertile lowlands, with excellent [[arable land]] also found in North and East Down, although much of the hill country is marginal and suitable largely for animal husbandry. The valley of the [[River Lagan]] is dominated by Belfast, whose metropolitan area includes over a third of the population of Northern Ireland, with heavy urbanisation and industrialisation along the Lagan Valley and both shores of [[Belfast Lough]].

===Climate===
[[File:Northern Ireland Köppen.png|left|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen-Geiger climate classification]] map of Northern Ireland]]
The vast majority of Northern Ireland has a [[maritime climate|temperate maritime climate]], (''Cfb'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]) rather wetter in the west than the east, although cloud cover is very common across the region. The weather is unpredictable at all times of the year, and although the seasons are distinct, they are considerably less pronounced than in interior Europe or the eastern seaboard of North America. Average daytime maximums in Belfast are {{convert|6.5|°C|°F}} in January and {{convert|17.5|°C|°F}} in July. The highest maximum temperature recorded was {{convert|31.4|°C|°F}}, registered in July 2021 at [[Armagh Observatory]]'s weather station.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57932848 |title=NI temperature record broken for third time in a week |work=BBC News |date=22 July 2021 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=22 July 2021 |archive-date=22 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722160920/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57932848 |url-status=live}}</ref> The lowest minimum temperature recorded was {{convert|-18.7|°C|°F|1}} at [[Castlederg]], [[County Tyrone]] on 23 December 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=MetO2010-12: December 2010 |publisher=[[Met Office]] |date=January 2011 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2010/december.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405132857/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2010/december.html |archive-date=5 April 2011}}</ref>

===Flora and fauna===

Until the end of the [[Middle Ages]], the land was heavily forested. Native species include [[deciduous]] trees such as [[oak]], [[Fraxinus excelsior|ash]], [[Corylus avellana|hazel]], [[birch]], [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]], [[willow]], [[Populus tremula|aspen]], [[Wych elm|elm]], [[Sorbus aucuparia|rowan]] and [[Crataegus monogyna|hawthorn]], as well as [[evergreen]] trees such [[Scots pine]], [[Taxus baccata|yew]] and [[Ilex aquifolium|holly]].<ref>[https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees Native Species] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409023345/https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees |date=9 April 2022 }}. [[Tree Council of Ireland]].</ref> Today, only 8% of Northern Ireland is woodland, and most of this is non-native [[conifer]] [[plantation]]s.<ref>[https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/5189/WAPR2018_sUui5YW.pdf "Woodland Area, Planting and Publicly Funded Restocking – 2018 Edition"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053721/https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/5189/WAPR2018_sUui5YW.pdf |date=30 January 2019 }}. [[Forestry Commission]].</ref>

As of the 21st century, Northern Ireland is the least forested part of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and one of the least forested countries in Europe.<ref>[https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/mediafile/100821804/10664-ni-welcome-leaflet-update-final-dec-2017.pdf Welcome to the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053159/https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/mediafile/100821804/10664-ni-welcome-leaflet-update-final-dec-2017.pdf |date=30 January 2019 }}. [[Woodland Trust]], December 2017.; [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14381277 "Trust's fears for Northern Ireland tree cover"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201180746/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14381277 |date=1 February 2019 }}. [[BBC News]], 2 August 2011.</ref>

The only native reptile in Northern Ireland is the [[viviparous lizard]], or common lizard, which is widely distributed, particularly in heaths, bogs and sand dunes. The [[common frog]] is a very widespread species.&nbsp;Some lakes support internationally important bird populations, [[Lough Neagh]] and [[Lough Beg]] hold up to 80,000 wintering waterfowl of some 20 species, including [[duck]]s, [[geese]], [[swan]]s and [[gull]]s. The [[Eurasian otter|otter]] is the fourth largest land mammal in Northern Ireland. It can be found along the river systems, although it is seldom seen and will avoid contact with humans.<ref name="Trust">{{Cite web |title=Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) |url=https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/species-northern-ireland |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs |date=21 August 2015 |archive-date=23 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723105103/https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/species-northern-ireland |url-status=live }}</ref> 356 species of marine [[algae]] have been recorded in the northeast of Ireland; 77 species are considered rare.<ref>Morton, O. 1994. ''Marine Algae of Northern Ireland''. Ulster Museum. {{ISBN|0-900761-28-8}}</ref>