Factual Summary |
Province |
Ulster (United Kingdom part) |
Area |
2,074 kmē (801 milesē) (15th) |
Population |
214,800 (5th) |
County Town |
Derry city |
Irish name and origin |
"Doire". St Colmcille
first named the area when he set up a monastry in
an Oak grove at the site, calling it "Doire
Colmcille" ("Colmcille's Oak
Grove"). When English settlers arrived much
later they founded a city near the ruins of the
monastry and named it "London Doire",
using part of the local name and the name of
their own home town. This is anglicised as
"Londonderry". When the counties were
set up, county Londonderry was named after the
city. Today the anglicised version of Doire
("Derry") is often used as an
abbreviation. |
Towns > 4000 |
Derry (72,334), Coleraine
(20,721), Limavady (10,350), Magherafelt (6682),
Portstewart (6459), Portrush (5598). |
Borders |
Antrim, Donegal,
Tyrone |
|