Greater Belfast (Irish: Mórcheantar Bhéal Feirste) is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern Ireland. It generally is taken to include North Down, Lisburn, Castlereagh and parts of South Antrim including Newtownabbey and Whiteabbey. Greater Belfast is the largest urban area in Northern Ireland, and second largest in Ireland (after Greater Dublin). In 2001, the Belfast urban area had a population of 579,276, which accounts for approximately one third of the population of Northern Ireland. The area has no official relevance, containing around five local government districts, however it is used for ease of reference, as well as in area planning. The Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan was published in 2005. The area is Northern Ireland's most densely populated area, containing two of the largest cities in the province (Belfast and Lisburn).