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Districts of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is divided into 26 local government districts, which are unitary authorities. Some of the districts have city status - these are marked in bold.

Antrim Ards Armagh Ballymena Ballymoney Banbridge Belfast Carrickfergus Castlereagh Coleraine Cookstown Craigavon Derry

Down Dungannon and South Tyrone Fermanagh Larne Limavady Lisburn Magherafelt Moyle Newry and Mourne Newtownabbey North Down Omagh Strabane

The current pattern of local government in Northern Ireland, with 26 unitary districts, was established in 1973 to replace the previous system established by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The system is based on the recommendations of the Macrory Report, of June 1970, which presupposed the continued existence of the Government of Northern Ireland to act as a regional-level authority.

For local government, Northern Ireland was previously divided into six counties and two county boroughs, with various rural districts and urban districts in the counties. This system, with the abolition of rural districts, remains the model for local government in the Republic of Ireland.

See also

• List of Northern Ireland districts by population
• List of Northern Ireland districts by area
• List of Northern Ireland districts by community make-up