Ulster Unionism

Ulster Unionism is a political term used to describe the proportion of the population of Northern Ireland (which encompasses most of Ulster, hence the name) who wish to maintain the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Unionism is opposed to unification of the island of Ireland as one national entity. The overwhelming majority of Ulster Unionists tend to be Protestant, and similarly the overwhelming majority of Nationalists (that proportion of Northern Ireland who want closer ties with the Irish Republic) tend to be Roman Catholic.