BELFAST, bil-fiist' (Gad. Bel-feirsdr, the fort of the far set or sand-hank). The principal commercial and manufacturing city in Ireland, the chief town of Antrim County, and capital of the Province of Ulster. It stands at the mouth of the Lagan and the head of Belfast Lough, 12 miles from the Irish Sea. and 86 miles north northeast of Dublin (Map: Ireland, F 2). The city site is reclaimed marshland. On the land side it is picturesquely bounded by the ridges of Divis (1567 feet high) and Cave hill (1185 feet). It is connected with its suburbs on the Down, or south side, by four bridges. Many of the streets, especially in the White Linen hall quarter, are well built and spacious. The mercantile section lies chiefly near the ex tensive and well-built quays. Churches abound, and the public' buildings include the Linen Ball, commercial buildings, several fine banks, the Corn Exchange, the government offices, club houses, and museum. The Royal Academical Institution, Queen's College, and the Government School of Design are the chief of many educa tional establishments. The fine botanical gar dens of the Natural 11 istory Society occupy 17 acres, and there are five public parks, inelosing 200 acres.
The staple manufacture is linen,-dating from 1637. Other branches of industry are bleaching, dyeing, calico-printing, iron-founding, flour and oil mills, chemical works, breweries, distilleries, alabaster and barilla mills, sawmills, shipbuild ing, rope, and sail-cloth yards. The iron ship building yards in the harbor employ a large number of hands, and have built among other important vessels the ships of the White Star Line. The inland trade is carried on by the Lagan, the Ulster Canal. and several railways; and lines of steamers constantly ply between Belfast sod the ports of Great Britain. The harbor is one of the first-class ports of the United Kingdom, and has several docks and basins, the largest being the Abereorn Basin and the Spencer Tidal Dock. The harbor is under
the control of commissioners elected by the rate payers. The most important branch of commerce is the Channel trade. Linen yarns and manufac tures, machinery. mill and metal work, cattle, ag ricultural produce. provisions, and whisky are the chief exports. The imports include grain and raw products, cotton, flax. linen yarn. timber, sugar, ete. From 1896 to 1900 the annual value of the total imports and exports increased from $21,000,000 to $36,000,000. An average of 11,000 vessels enter and clear annually. One hundred and ten steamers of 109,000 gross tonnage. and as many sailing vessels, of 30.000 tons, are in scribed on its own shipping register. It is the seat of a United States consulate.
Belfast is governed by a corporation of 10 aldermen (one being mayor) and 30 councilors, and is noted for its municipal activities. It owns the harbors, ferries, abattoirs, markets, gas and electric-lighting plants, tramways; maintains a fire brigade, free libraries. museums, artisans' dwelling's, and controls the elementary schools. Population, in 1821, 37,000; in 1851, 103,000; in 1891, 273,000; in 1901, 340,000. Belfast was destroyed by Edward Bruce in the Fourteenth Century. but became an important town after 1604. receiving it charter in 1611. In the great Civil War the inhabitants at first joined the Parliament, but afterwards were Royalists. It became a city in 1888. The Bel fast News-Letter, established 1737, is the chief newspaper, and the third oldest published in the United Kingdom.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Benn. History of Belfast (LonBibliography. Benn. History of Belfast (Lon- don. 1877) : Young. Historical Notices of Old Belfast (Belfast, 1896) ; -Ounce, Workmen's Dwellings in Belfast (1898) ; "Belfast Tram ways," in Railway World (Philadelphia, 1899) ; Fisher, Trading Centres of the Empire: Belfast (London, 1901).