Great Britain” refers to the countries of England, Wales and Scotland which, along with Northern Ireland, form part of the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” (commonly referred to as the United Kingdom or the UK).

The official nationality of the UK is “British”. Some people may however, prefer to identify as English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish/Irish.

As a modern capital city, Belfast is a compact, welcoming and inexpensive place to live and work. Queen’s University is located in the heart of Belfast, in the leafy Queen’s Quarter district.

Belfast is a city with remarkable heritage, from its emergence as a world centre of industry and shipbuilding, through a generation of political and social turmoil, to the vibrant and growing urban centre that you see today. Throughout our history the character, humour and local pride of our residents has always been a defining part of the city. Modern Belfast offers a fantastic quality of life, and with a relatively young population the city continues to evolve and develop.

Historically, Belfast has been a centre for the manufacture of Irish linen, tobacco production, rope-making and shipbuilding: the city's main shipbuilders, Harland and Wolff, which built the well-known RMS Titanic, propelled Belfast on to the global stage in the early 20th century as the biggest and most productive shipyard in the world.

Today, Belfast remains a centre for industry, as well as the arts, higher education, business, and law, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland. Belfast city centre has undergone considerable expansion and regeneration in recent years, notably along the River Lagan and around Victoria Square.