Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland (Belfast is bigger). It sits in the north of the island of Ireland, and it is part of the United Kingdom. The official name is Londonderry, but many people call the same city Derry. That older name is the one you will hear most from the city's Roman Catholic population, and from people who want Northern Ireland to leave the UK and join the Republic of Ireland next door. Unionists — people who want to stay in the UK, often Protestants — more often say Londonderry. In daily talk inside the city, though actually, a lot of people just say Derry without making a speech about it. Newspapers sometimes write both, Derry/Londonderry, to stay out of the fight. The extra “London” was added in the early 1600s, when King James I gave the place to London merchants; they put their city's name in front of Derry. So this is not London, the capital. Using one name or the other can show which “side” you are on, so it is a tender word, not just a pin on a map.