Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom that is variously described as a country, province, territory or region. Located in the northeast of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.Northern Ireland was created in 1921, when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, creating a devolved government for the six northeastern counties. The majority of Northern Ireland’s population were unionists, who wanted to remain within the United Kingdom. They were generally the Protestant descendants of colonists from Great Britain. Meanwhile, the majority in Southern Ireland (which became the Irish Free State in 1922), and a significant minority in Northern Ireland, were Irish nationalists and Catholics who wanted a united independent Ireland.Cultural links between Northern Ireland, the rest of Ireland, and the rest of the UK are complex, with Northern Ireland sharing both the culture of Ireland and the culture of the United Kingdom. In many sports, the island of Ireland fields a single team, with the Northern Ireland national football team being an exception to this. Northern Ireland competes separately at the Commonwealth Games, and people from Northern Ireland may compete for either Great Britain or Ireland at the Olympic Games.These vintage black and white photos from Public Record Office of Northern Ireland captured street scenes of Northern Ireland in 1958 and 1959.High Street, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958‘Grannies’ Corner’, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958Bowls and Tennis Courts, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958Harbor area, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958Lighthouse and harbor, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958Regatta Day, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958Seafront and harbor, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958The Bay, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958The Inner Harbor, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958View from backing wall, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958View of Moat and Copeland Islands, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958Belfast Hills, Ravarnett, Co. Down, 1959Belvoir Park Golfcourse, Belfast, Co. Down, 1959Bridge over River Lagan, Dromara, Co. Down, 1959Council houses at Ballycraigy, Muckamore, Co. Antrim, circa 1959Donegore church, Donegore, Co. Antrim, circa 1959Fishing on the Lagan, Broomhedge, Co. Down, 1959Headquarters of Yacht Club, Cultra, Co. Down, 1959High Street (looking east), Antrim town, Co. Antrim, circa 1959Housing Development, Braniel, Castlereagh, 1959Housing Trust Estate, Cregagh, Castlereagh, Co. Down, 1959Main Street, Ballykelly, Co. Londonderry, circa 1959Main Street, Feeny, Co. Londonderry, circa 1959Main Street, Saintfield, Co. Down, 1959Market Day, Castlewellan, Co. Down, 1959Maynard Sinclair Memorial Pavilion and playing fields, Stormont, Belfast, 1959New housing estate, Dungannon Road, Aughnacloy, Co. Tyrone, circa 1959Parish Church, Hillsborough, Co. Down, 1959Portadown Road, Gilford, Co. Down, 1959Regatta and Sports Day, Dundrum, Co. Down, 1959Retirement home and Banbridge Hospital, Co. Down, circa 1959Roundtower, Drumbo, Co. Down, 1959The ‘Cut’, Newry Street, Banbridge, Co. Down, circa 1959Trade Exhibition Parade, Ballynahinch, Co. Down, 1959Upper Main Street, Dungiven, Co. Londonderry, circa 1959