Around the UK: Belfast
Under the mild temperate marine climate, Northern Ireland is a cloudy and rainy region with a quite changeable weather. Although Northern Ireland does have four seasons, the distinction is not obvious. Belfast has an average temperature of 6.5°C in January, and in July its average temperature is 17.5°C.
Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, is located on the north-eastern coastline of Ireland at the mouth of the River Lagan, and on the south-western side of Belfast Lough. It has the biggest harbour in Northern Ireland. With a population of about 300,000, Belfast is the centre of Northern Irish politics, culture, and its biggest industrial city.
Belfast’s shipbuilding industry had a long and luminous history. Even the famous RMS Titanic was built here. Nowadays, Belfast vigorously develops its high tech industries. And, with its beautiful sceneries, Belfast has gradually transformed from a city of heavy industry into a city of culture and tourism.
Northern Ireland has a lot of excellent primary and secondary schools. It also boasts two famous universities: the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB) and the University of Ulster. QUB is located near the city centre of Belfast. It has about 200 years of history. It offers a wide range of subjects, and is internationally-recognized for its many excellent researches. The University of Ulster is the biggest and one of the most influential public universities in Northern Ireland. A very modern university, Ulster is composed of four campuses and its university network. Fees for these two universities are lower than those in other UK cities, therefore, they attract a lot of international students to come and study in Belfast every year.
For international travels Belfast has two airports: George Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport. And, with a 2 to 3 hours’ ride you can easily reach Ireland’s capital Dublin with mega buses and trains. Belfast also has a well-developed inner city transportation network. And with its moderate cost of living, a relaxed pace of life, and a friendly population, there are indeed many benefits for one to settle permanently here in Belfast.
It should be noted that, after many years of political turmoil, Northern Ireland has been gradually stabilized since the mid-1990s. Still, its economic development has been slow, and young adults here have fewer chances than their counterparts in other UK cities. Therefore many university graduates choose to leave Northern Ireland and pursue their careers elsewhere.
But to conclude, Belfast is still a good and suitable place to live for retired and semi-retired persons. It is also a good place for students to further their studies.