The county's geography ranges from lush lowland meadows
in the Bann and Lagan valleys and also bordering Lough Neagh,
to the rugged grandeur of the uplands along the east coast.
The Glens of which
there are nine. Torr head and nearby Fair
Head are only 13 miles from Scotland, consequently the
culture and history of the two areas are inextricably interwoven.
County
Antrim is situated in the north eastern corner of Ireland,
it has an area of 972 Sq. Miles (622,000 Acres) (3,046
square kilometer) it is bordered to the north by the Atlantic
and east by the North Channel (Northern part of the Irish
sea), and to the west the river Bann forms the county boundary
with Co Londonderry.
Lough Neagh
(The largest fresh water lake in the UK and Ireland) forms
the rest of its western boundary from Toome at the north of
the lake where the Upper Bann leaves the Lough for the sea
at Coleraine. To the south it has a county boundary with Co
Down and Belfast Lough.
Most of the county is
a high, basalt plateau, The plateau is about 80 kilometer
in length and 50 wide. The beautiful Antrim coast road is
built on a raised beach at the foot of the high basalt cliffs.
The Antrim plateau is cut by valleys known as the nine
Glens of Antrim. These valleys, which run eastward to
the sea, were formed by glaciers
in ancient times. The cliffs of Fair Head mark the Northeast
corner of the basalt block. At the Giant's Causeway, the outflow
from a volcano formed into about 40,00 pillars of black basalt,
legend attributed this to a giant
Finn McCool Most of the plateau is flat. Its highest point
are at Trostan 554 metres (1,817 ft) above sea level,
followed by Knocklayd at 517 metres (1,695 ft)
Along
Antrim's eastern
and northern coasts are many harbours some cleft from the rock, from one
of these it's said, l Deirdre(Of the sorrows) and the sons of Uisneach embarked for Scotland
to escape the wrath of King Conor.
At the top right hand corner of the county Fair Head stands proud above
the sea, overlooking Murlough bay and giving a birds eye view of Rathlin
Island.
Agriculture is the main industry.
Barley, oats, and potatoes are the main crops. But livestock production
is more important. Farmers in the county raise cattle, sheep, pigs, and
poultry. The textile industry was once important, chiefly for linen and,
more recently, synthetic fibers. This industry is now in decline.
Coal mines at Ballycastle were worked
until recently. Lignite (brown coal) is found in large quantities in the
county, although there is much opposition to its extraction. Most of Northern
Ireland's electricity is generated by stations at Ballylumford and Kilroot.
Iron ore and limestone were mined up until the 1970's.
The town of Antrim situated close
to the Northeast corner of Lough Neagh ,
the largest inland lake in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Antrim and
Ballymena are the administrative centres of their respective districts.
The government has named them as new towns, which are centres for rapid,
industrial, and urban development. Larne is also an industrial centre,
it is the main port for ferry traffic to and from the rest of the United
Kingdom. The smaller port of Carrickfergus is dominated by its great Norman
castle. Portrush and Portstewart are popular seaside resorts on the
Atlantic coast. Ballycastle
looks across a narrow sound (channel of water) to Rathlin Island. The
traditional Lammas fair is held at Ballycastle every August. Bushmills
is famous for its whiskey distillation.
Northern Ireland's main air and sea
terminals are located in the county of Antrim. Belfast International Airport
is at Aldergrove, The ferry port of
Larne, serving the short sea route to Stranraer, in Scotland, handles
most of Northern Ireland's freight traffic, the remainder is carried from
Warrenpoint in Co Down. The county has a good network of main roads. The
M2 motorway connects Belfast with Larne, with the airport, and with all
the main routes to the north and west. The railway links Belfast to Larne
and to Antrim, Ballymena, and Derry in the north.
The principal towns of the county
are Antrim, Belfast (Capital
of N I .) Ballycastle, Ballymoney,
Ballymena, Carrickfergus
and Lisburn. The county
has a population in excess of 250,000
Ballymena Tourist
Office
76 Church Street
Ballymena
BT 43 6DF
Co Antrim
E Mail Web Site
Interactine
map of County Antrim.
Print
the county map below
and a list of places to see
.
in the
county, although there is much opposition to its extraction. Most of Northern
Ireland's electricity is generated by stations at Ballylumford and Kilroot.
Iron ore and limestone were mined up until the 1970's.
the largest inland lake in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Antrim and
Ballymena are the administrative centres of their respective districts.
The government has named them as new towns, which are centres for rapid,
industrial, and urban development. Larne is also an industrial centre,
it is the main port for ferry traffic to and from the rest of the United
Kingdom. The smaller port of Carrickfergus is dominated by its great 
