NEWTOWNABBEY

Irish Baile Na Mainistreach town and district (established 1973), formerly in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The town of Newtownabbey was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of seven villages, and it is a residential continuation of the city of Belfast on the shores of Belfast Lough (inlet of the sea). Newtownabbey is surrounded by modern industrial estates, manufacturing tires, telephones, textiles, and light engineering products, as well as new housing complexes. Newtownabbey district has an area of 58 sq mi (150 sq km) and borders the districts of Larne and Carrickfergus to the east, Ballymena to the north, Antrim to the west, and Belfast to the south. The southern slopes of the Antrim Mountains extend into the northern and eastern parts of the district, but most of Newtownabbey consists of flat to undulating lowland. The district's light agricultural activity is centred around the administrative seat of Ballyclare, located in a wide valley 7 mi (11 km) north of Newtownabbey town. Pop. (1971) town, 58,114; (1981 prelim.) district, 71,917.