English - Irland and Brexit – Mayar Baker

Ireland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland):
– an Island in the North Atlantic
– is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St
George's Channel
– Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe,
and the twentieth-largest on Earth
– in 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.6 million, ranking it the second-
most populous island in Europe after Great Britain
– as of 2016, 4.8 million live in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million live in
Northern Ireland
– the Irish climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and thus very moderate and
winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, although summers are cooler
than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant
– with the Acts of Union in 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. A
war of independence in the early 20th century was followed by the partition of the island,
creating the Irish Free State
– he culture has a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the field of
literature
– alongside mainstream Western culture, a strong indigenous culture exists, as
expressed through Gaelic games, Irish music and the Irish language.
– the island's culture shares many features with that of Great Britain, including
the English language, and sports such as association football, rugby, horse racing, and golf

What about Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, has the country’s only land border
with the European Union — the politically sensitive 310-mile frontier with Ireland.
After decades of sectarian strife, a peace process in the 1990s allowed checkpoints to be
dismantled, and preventing the return of a hard border was a priority for both sides.
Under a deal struck late in 2019, Northern Ireland was given a special trade status and will
continue to follow many European rules, so trucks can continue to cross the Irish border
freely.
The agreement did mean that there would be new paperwork and some regulatory checks on
goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, although the
new trade deal struck on Dec. 24 prevented the addition of even more bureaucracy for
traders.
Still, the new system has caused headaches for companies as they pick their way through the
fine print. Deterred by the paperwork, some British companies have limited distribution of
their goods to Northern Ireland, and some products have disappeared from supermarket
shelves there.

Brexit (https://www.nytimes.com/article/brexit-uk-eu-explained.html):
What Is Brexit? And What Happens Next?
Britain’s split from the European Union took full effect as 2021 began. Here is a guide to
what it means, how it came about and what the future might hold.
Britain broke from the European Union’s regulatory orbit on Jan. 1, casting off nearly half a
century inside the bloc. While it formally left in January 2020, for 11 months Britain was in
a transition period, operating under E.U. rules as negotiators settled on terms of the two
sides’ future commercial relations.
The split, known as Brexit, has now been finalized, setting in motion what analysts say will
be the biggest overnight change in modern commercial relations. A trade agreement between
the two sides, far from closing the book on Britain’s tumultuous relationship with the rest of
Europe, opened a new chapter, starting with an avalanche of trading obstacles on Jan. 1.