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This article is about the country. For other uses, see Scotland (disambiguation).

Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a nation in northwest Europe and one of the constituent countries<ref>The website of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom refers to "Countries within a country", stating "The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland".</ref> of the United Kingdom. It occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shares a land border to the south with England. It is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. Apart from the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islands.<ref name="Scottish Executive">Scottish Executive Resources. Scotland in Short. Retrieved on September 14, 2006.</ref>

Edinburgh, the nation's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres.<ref>Edinburgh, Inspiring Capital - Information for Journalists - "Edinburgh is Europe's sixth largest fund management centre".</ref> Scotland's largest city is Glasgow, which is the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Greater Glasgow is home to approximately 40% of Scotland's population. Scottish waters consist of a large sector<ref>Image showing 1999 Scottish Fishing and Territorial Waters www.opsi.gov.uk</ref> of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union.

The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of England to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. Scotland's legal system continues to be separate from those of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, therefore Scotland still constitutes a discrete jurisdiction in public and in private international law.<ref>pdf file "For the purposes of the English conflict of laws, every country in the world which is not part of England and Wales is a foreign country and its foreign laws. This means that not only totally foreign independent countries such as France or Russia... are foreign countries but also British Colonies such as the Falkland Islands. Moreover, the other parts of the United Kingdom - Scotland and Northern Ireland - are foreign countries for present purposes, as are the other British Islands, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey." Conflict of Laws, JG Collier, Fellow of Trinity Hall and lecturer in Law, University of Cambridge</ref> The continued independence of Scots law, the Scottish education system and the Church of Scotland have been three cornerstones contributing to the continuation of Scottish culture and Scottish national identity since the Union. However, Scotland is no longer a sovereign state and does not enjoy direct membership of either the United Nations or the European Union.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early civilisation 1.2 Mediaeval 1.3 Union 1.4 Jacobites 1.5 The Industrial Revolution 2 Politics 3 Law 4 Subdivisions 5 Geography 6 Climate 7 Economy 8 Military 9 Demographics 9.1 Languages 9.2 Religion 10 Education 11 Culture 11.1 Cuisine 11.2 Music 11.3 Literature 11.4 Sport 11.5 Media 12 Transport 13 National symbols 14 Notes 15 References 16 See also 17 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Scotland

[edit] Early civilisation

Main article: Prehistoric Scotland

Prior to the Mesolithic period, Scotland was repeatedly glaciated. The ice covered the entire land mass of Scotland and so has destroyed any evidence of early human habitation. The earliest Scottish human settlement, dated to around 8500 BC,<ref>Edinburgh. By Neil Wilson, Tom Smallman: Page 76 Scotland. By Neil Wilson, Alan Murphy: Page 72 Scotlandspast.org - "Radiocarbon dating of carbonised hazelnut fragments found at the site confirmed that Cramond is the earliest Mesolithic site in Scotland, dating back to between 8500 and 8250 BC (calibrated)."</ref> was found at Cramond, near Edinburgh.

A well preserved Neolithic farmstead can been seen at Knap of Howar on Orkney. The building, dated to around 3500 BC, is claimed to be the oldest standing house in the country.<ref>Scotland: A Short History. By Christopher T. Harvie: Page 13</ref> An example of a complete Neolithic village can be seen nearby at the village of Skara Brae, on the Mainland of Orkney. There are many other Neolithic habitation, burial and ritual sites across the Northern and Western Isles such as Callanish on Lewis, Maeshowe and The Ring of Brodgar on Orkney. In southern, crannogs were a common form of dwelling.

After the 8th century BC, Brythonic Celtic culture and language spread into Scotland. The Iron age brought numerous hill forts, brochs, crannogs and fortified settlements which support the image of quarrelsome tribes and petty kingdoms later recorded by the Romans, though evidence that at times occupants neglected the defences^{[citation needed]} might suggest that symbolic power had as much significance as warfare.

The written histories of Scotland began with the arrival of the Roman Empire. The Romans occupied what is now England and Wales. Parts of southern Scotland were controlled by Rome for brief periods as well. The Roman historian, Tacitus, calls Northern Scotland Caledonia<ref>Agricola and Germany. By Anthony Richard (TRN) Birley, Cornelius Tacitus, Cayo Cornelio Tácito</ref>. The name derives from one of the many Pictish tribes in the region who were called the Caledonii.

[edit] Mediaeval

Main article: Scotland in the High Middle Ages

Image:Alexander III and Ollamh Rígh.JPG

Pictland became dominated by the Pictish sub-kingdom of Fortriu. The Gaels of Dál Riata settled the region of Argyll. According to legend, the Scottish Saltire flag was adopted by King Óengus II of Fortriu in 832 after a victory over the Northumbrians at Athelstaneford. In 843 Cináed mac Ailpín (King Kenneth Macalpine) from Dál Riata, united the Kingdom of Scotland when he became the King of the Picts and Scots.

In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Kingdom of Scotland had comparatively good relations with the Wessex rulers of England. The period was marked by intense internal dynastic disunity, despite this, Scotland had relatively successful expansionary policies. The Kingdom of Strathclyde was handed over to King Malcolm I by King Edmund of England after an Edmund invaded in 945.<ref>The Anglo-saxon Chronicle. By Darryl Hester, James Ingram (Translator), James Ingram: Page 86.</ref> Around the year 960 and during the reign of King Indulf, the Scots captured the town of Eden which is now called Edinburgh.<ref>The Spottiswoode Miscellany: a collection of original papers and tracts, illustrative chiefly of the Civic and Ecclesiastical history of Scotland. By James Maidment - 1844: Page 444 to 445.</ref> The reign of Malcolm II saw fuller incorporation of these territories. A critical year^{[citation needed]} was 1018, when Malcolm II defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Carham.<ref>The Wordsworth Dictionary of British History. By J. P. (John Philipps) Kenyon, Norman Stone: Page 228.</ref>

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 initiated a chain of events which started to move the Kingdom of Scotland away from its Gaelic cultural orientation. Malcolm III married Margaret. She was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, one of the deposed Anglo-Saxon claimants to the throne of England. Margaret played a major role in reducing the influence of Celtic Christianity. Scotland went through something of its own "Norman Conquest" When Margaret's youngest son David I became King. David I had become an important Anglo-Norman lord through marriage. He was instrumental in introducing feudalism into Scotland. He encouraging an influx of settlers from the Low Countries to the newly-founded burghs which enhanced trade links with mainland Europe and Scandinavia. By the late 13th century, scores of Norman and Anglo-Norman families had been granted Scottish lands. The first meetings of the Parliament of Scotland were convened during this period.

Edward I, King of England, was asked to adjudicate between rival claimants to the vacant Scottish throne after the death of the Margaret, Maid of Norway in 1290. She was the last direct heir of Alexander III of Scotland. Edward I used the political divisions in Scotland to his own benefit. The Scots resisted the English under the leadership of Sir William Wallace and Andrew de Moray. This period is known as the First War of Scottish Independence. In March 25, 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned, King Robert I. He won a decisive victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. However, warfare flared up again after Robert I's death. This was the Second War of Scottish Independence from 1332 to 1357. The situation in Scotland began to stabilise with the emergence of the Stewart dynasty.

In 1542 James V died leaving only the infant child Mary I of Scotland as heir to the throne. Mary was only six days old when her father died. She was crowned when only 9 months old. The country was ruled by a Regent while Mary grew up. This began a period known as The Rough Wooing. This was also the time of John Knox and the Scottish Reformation. Intermittent wars with England, political unrest and religious change dominated the late 16th Century. On July 24, 1567, Mary was also forced to abdicate the Scottish throne in favour of her one-year-old son James VI.

[edit] Union

In 1603, Elizabeth I of England died. Thus James VI King of Scotland also became King James I of England. With the exception of a short period under The Protectorate, Scotland remained a separate state. There was considerable conflict between the crown and the Covenanters over the form of church government. After the Glorious Revolution and the overthrow of the Roman Catholic James VII by William and Mary, Scotland briefly threatened to select a different Protestant monarch from that of England. The Alien Act of 1705 was a law passed by the Parliament of England, in 1705, as a response to the Parliament of Scotland's Act of Security of 1704, which in turn was a response to the English Act of Settlement 1701.

The Alien Act provided that estates held by Scottish nationals in England were to be treated as alien property, making inheritance much less certain. It also had an embargo on the import of Scottish products into England and English colonies - about half of Scotland's trade, covering sectors such as linen, cattle and coal.

The Act contained a provision that it would be suspended if the Scots entered into negotiations on the dispute between the two parliaments. Combined with English financial offers to refund Scottish losses on the Darién scheme, it achieved its aim, leading to the Act of Union 1707 uniting the two countries as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

[edit] Jacobites

The deposed Jacobite Stuart claimants had remained popular in the Highlands and north-east, particularly amongst non-Presbyterians. Two major Jacobite risings launched from the Highlands of Scotland in 1715 and 1745. The latter uprising was lead by Bonnie Prince Charlie, aka "The Young Pretender". It climaxed with the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden on 16 April, 1746.

[edit] The Industrial Revolution

During the Scottish Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. After World War II, Scotland experienced an industrial decline.

[edit] Politics

Main articles: Politics of Scotland and Scottish Parliament

Image:Jack McConnell.jpg

As one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, the head of state in Scotland is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). Constitutionally the United Kingdom is a unitary state with one sovereign parliament and government. Under a system of devolution (or home rule) adopted after Scottish and Welsh referendums on devolution proposals in 1997, most of the constituent countries within the United Kingdom were given limited self-government, (except England). The British Parliament in Westminster retains the ability to amend, change, broaden or abolish the devolved governmental systems at will. As such the Scottish Parliament is not sovereign. However, it is thought unlikely that any British parliament would unilaterally abolish a home rule parliament and government without consultation via a referendum with the voters of the constituent country.

Executive power in the United Kingdom is vested in the Queen-in-Council, while legislative power is vested in the Queen-in-Parliament (the Crown and the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster in London). Under devolution executive and legislative powers in certain areas have been constitutionally delegated to the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh respectively. The United Kingdom Parliament retains active power over Scotland's taxes, social security system, the military, international relations, broadcasting, and some other areas explicitly specified in the Scotland Act 1998 as reserved matters. The Scottish Parliament has legislative authority for all other areas relating to Scotland, and has limited power to vary income tax, but has never exercised this power. The Scottish Parliament can refer devolved matters back to Westminster to be considered as part of United Kingdom-wide legislation by passing a Legislative Consent Motion if United Kingdom-wide legislation is considered to be more appropriate for certain issues. The programmes of legislation enacted by the Scottish Parliament have seen a divergence in the provision of public services compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. For instance, the costs of a university education, and care services for the elderly are free at point of use in Scotland, while fees are paid in the rest of the UK. Scotland is the first country in the UK to ban smoking in public places.<ref>BBC Scotland News Online "Scotland begins pub smoking ban", BBC Scotland News, 2006-03-26. Retrieved on 2006-07-17. (in English)</ref>

The Scottish Parliament is a unicameral legislature comprised of 129 Members, 73 of whom represent individual constituencies and are elected on a first past the post system; 56 are elected in eight different electoral regions by the additional member system, first elected on the 6th May 1999 and serving for a four year period. The Queen appoints one of the members of the Parliament, on the nomination of the Parliament, to be First Minister. Other Ministers are also appointed by the Queen on the nomination of the Parliament and together with the First Minister they make up Scottish Executive, the executive arm of government. The current (since 2001) First Minister is Jack McConnell of the Labour Party, who forms the government on a coalition basis with the Liberal Democrats. The main opposition party is the Scottish National Party, which campaigns for Scottish independence. Other parties include the Conservative and Unionist Party, the Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party.

Scotland is represented in the British House of Commons by 59 MPs elected from territory-based Scottish constituencies. The Scotland Office, a department of the United Kingdom government led by The Secretary of State for Scotland, is responsible for reserved matters. The Secretary of State for Scotland sits in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and prior to devolution headed the system of government in Scotland. The current Secretary of State for Scotland is Douglas Alexander. Until 1999, Scottish peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords.

Political debate in Scotland has revolved around the constitution and this dominated the Scottish political scene in the latter half of the 20th century. Under the pressure of growing support for Scottish independence all three UK-wide parties advocated a policy of devolution to some degree during their history (although Labour and the Conservatives have also at times opposed it). Now that devolution has occurred, debate continues over whether the Scottish Parliament should accrue additional powers (for example over fiscal policy), or seek to obtain full independence with full sovereign powers (either through independence, a federal United Kingdom or a confederal arrangement). It remains to be seen whether the current devolution system satisfies Scottish demands for self-government or will strengthen demands for full-blown independence.

[edit] Law

Main article: Scots law

Scots law has a basis derived from Roman law combining features of both uncodified civil law, dating back to the Corpus Juris Civilis, and common law with mediaeval sources. The terms of the Treaty of Union with England in 1707, guaranteed the continued existence of a separate legal system in Scotland from that of England and Wales. Prior to 1611, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, most notably Udal Law in Orkney and Shetland — based on Old Norse Law. Various other systems derived from common Celtic or Brehon Laws survived in the Highlands until the 1800s.

Scots law provides for three types of courts responsible for the administration of justice in Scotland: civil, criminal and heraldic. The supreme civil court is the Court of Session, although civil appeals can be taken to the House of Lords in London. The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court. Both courts are housed at Parliament House, Edinburgh which was the home of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. The sheriff court is the main criminal and civil court. There are 49 sheriff courts throughout the country.<ref>Scottish Court Information www.scotcourts.gov.uk </ref> District courts were introduced in 1975 for minor offences. The Court of the Lord Lyon regulates heraldry in Scotland.

Scots law is also unique in that it allows three verdicts in criminal cases including the controversial 'not proven' verdict.<ref name="Parliament of Victoria, Australia">Jury Service in Victoria, Chapter 6. This three verdict system is unique to Scotland and has existed there for around 300 years. Retrieved on September 13, 2006.</ref><ref name="The Journal Online">Law Society of Scotland. England may adopt "Not Proven" Verdict. Retrieved on September 13, 2006.</ref>

[edit] Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Scotland

Historical subdivisions of Scotland include the mormaerdom, stewartry, earldom, burgh, parish, county and regions and districts. The names of these areas are still used as geographical descriptors.

Modern Scotland is subdivided in different ways depending on the purpose. For local government, 32 council areas were set up in 1996<ref>Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994</ref>. These are administered by 32 unitary authorities responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services. Some of the larger councils are further divided into area committees. Community councils are informal organisations that represent specific sub-divisions of a council area.

There are 35 lieutenancy areas, for which the Queen appoints a Lord Lieutenant to represent her (except for Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen — where the democratically elected Lord Provost is the Lord Lieutenant, ex officio). There are six sheriffdoms for administering justice. For the Scottish Parliament, there are 8 regions. These are then sub-divided into 73 constituencies. For the Parliament of the United Kingdom there are 59 constituencies. The Scottish fire brigades and police forces are still based on the system of regions introduced in 1975. For healthcare and postal districts, amongst others, Scotland is subdivided in various other ways. Non-governmental organisations, notably the churches, have other long-standing methods of subdividing Scotland for the purposes of administration.

City status in the United Kingdom is determined by letters patent. There are six cities in Scotland: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, and Stirling.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Scotland

Scotland comprises the northern third of the island of Great Britain, off the coast of north west Europe. The total land mass is around 78,772 square kilometres (30,414 mi²). Scotland's only land border is with England, and runs for 96 kilometres (60 miles) between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The island of Ireland lies around 30 kilometres (20 mi) off the south west tip of Scotland, Norway is around 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north east, and the Faroes and Iceland lie to the north. Scotland lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the 1237 Treaty of York between Scotland and England and the 1266 Treaty of Perth between Scotland and Norway. Exceptions include the Isle of Man, which is now a crown dependency outside the United Kingdom, Orkney and Shetland, which are Scottish rather than Norwegian, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, which was defined as subject to the laws of England by the 1746 Wales and Berwick Act. Rockall was annexed by the United Kingdom in 1972 and administratively made part of the Isle of Harris in Scotland, although this is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, and Denmark; both the UK (in 1997) and Ireland (in 1996) have since ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which excludes Rockall from qualifying as land from which various territorial limits can be measured although it is claimed by both the UK and Ireland that it lies within their territorial limits.

The country consists of a mainland area plus several island groups. The mainland can be divided into three areas: the Highlands in the north; the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands in the south. The Highlands are generally mountainous and are bisected by the Great Glen. The highest mountains in the British Isles are found here, including Ben Nevis, the highest peak at 1,344 metres (4,409ft). All mountains over 3,000 ft (914 m) are known as Munros. The Central Belt of Scotland is generally flat and is where most of the population reside. The Central Belt is often divided into the West, which contains the areas around Glasgow; and the East which includes the areas around the capital, Edinburgh. The Southern Uplands are a range of hills and mountains almost 200 km (125 miles) long, stretching from Stranraer by the Irish Sea to East Lothian and the North Sea.

Scotland has over 790 islands, divided into four main groups: Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. The Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth also contain many islands. St. Kilda is the most remote of all the inhabitable Scottish islands, being over 160 km (100 miles) from the mainland. Almost all the islands surrounding Scotland, no matter how small or remote, were formerly inhabited, as is shown by archaeological and documentary evidence. In general only the more accessible and larger islands retain human populations (though these are in some cases very small). Access to several islands in the Northern and Western groups was made easier in the course of the 20th century by the construction of bridges or causeways (e.g., the Churchill Barriers), installed for strategic reasons during the Second World War between several small islands on the east side of Scapa Flow in Orkney. Plans, some controversial, for more links between islands continue to be drawn up.

[edit] Climate

Image:BenNevis2005.jpg

Main article: Climate of Scotland

The climate of Scotland is temperate and oceanic, and tends to be very changeable. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, and as such has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, for example Oslo or Moscow. However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the coldest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C (-16.96°F) recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and also at Altnaharra, Highland, on 30 December 1995. <ref>BBC Weather Features UK Records UK Records</ref> Winter maximums average 6°C (42.8°F) in the lowlands, with summer maximums averaging 18°C (64.4°F). The highest temperature recorded was 32.9°C (91.22°F) at Greycrook, Scottish Borders on 9 August 2003. <ref name="Met Office UK">Met Office. Met Office - Details for Scotland. Retrieved on September 14, 2006.</ref>

In general, the west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, due to the influence of the Atlantic ocean currents, and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea. Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, is the sunniest place in the country: it had 300 days of sunshine in 1975. Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall exceeding 3,000 mm (120 inches).<ref name="Met Office UK"/> In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than 800 mm (31 inches) annually.<ref name="Met Office UK"/> Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude. Braemar experiences an average of 59 snow days per year,<ref> BBC Weather features Scottish Weather Part One</ref> while coastal areas have an average of less than 10 days.<ref name="Met Office UK"/>

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Scotland

The Scottish economy is closely linked with that of the rest of Europe and the wider Western world, with a heavy emphasis on exporting. It is essentially a market economy with some government intervention. After the Industrial Revolution, the Scottish economy concentrated on heavy industry, dominated by the shipbuilding, coal mining and steel industries. Scotland was an integral component of the British Empire which allowed the Scottish economy to export its output throughout the world.

Heavy industry declined, however, in the later part of the 20th century, leading to a remarkable shift in the economy of Scotland towards a technology and service sector-based economy. The 1980s saw an economic boom in the Silicon Glen corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh, with many large technology firms relocating to Scotland. The discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s also helped to transform the Scottish economy.

Edinburgh is the financial services centre of Scotland and the sixth largest financial centre in Europe,<ref name=Milner>Milner M. and Treanor J.. "Devolution may broaden financial sector's view", The Guardian, 1999-06-02. Retrieved on 2006-08-08. (in English)</ref> with many large finance firms based there, including: the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (the second largest bank in Europe); HBOS (owners of the Bank of Scotland); Scottish Equitable owned by AEGON UK; Standard Life; and Scottish Widows.

Glasgow is Scotland's leading seaport and is the fourth largest manufacturing centre in the UK, accounting for well over 60% of Scotland's manufactured exports. Shipbuilding, although significantly diminished from its heights in the early 20th century, still forms a large part of the city's manufacturing base. The city also has Scotland's largest and most economically important commerce and retail district. Glasgow is also one of Europe's top 20 financial centres and is home to many of the UK's leading companies.

Aberdeen, sometimes referred to as the Oil Capital of Europe, is the centre of the North Sea oil industry. Other important industries include textile production, chemicals, distilling, brewing, fishing and tourism.

Only about one quarter of the land is under cultivation (principally in cereals and vegetables), but sheep farming is important in the less arable highland and island regions. Most land is concentrated in relatively few hands (some 350 people own about half the land). As a result, in 2003, the Scottish Parliament passed a Land Reform Act that empowered tenant farmers and local communities to purchase land even if the landlord did not want to sell.

In 2004, total Scottish exports (excluding intra-UK trade) were provisionally estimated to be £16.7 billion, of which 73% (£12.19 billion) were attributable to manufacturing. The largest export products for Scotland are niche products such as whisky, electronics and financial services. The largest markets were the United States, Germany, and The Netherlands.<ref name=economy2006>The Scottish Executive (June 2006). The Scottish Economic Report June 2006 (PDF). The Scottish Executive. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.</ref> In 2002, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Scotland was just over £74 billion ($130 billion), giving a per capita GDP of £14,651 ($25,546).<ref name=GDP>The Scottish Executive (2006). Scottish Economic Statistics. The Scottish Executive. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.</ref>

Although the Bank of England is the central bank for the UK, three Scottish clearing banks still issue their own Sterling banknotes: the Bank of Scotland; the Royal Bank of Scotland; and the Clydesdale Bank. These notes have no status as legal tender in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, although they are fungible with the Bank of England banknotes. Despite this, Scottish-issued notes are often refused in England and they are not always accepted by banks and exchange bureaus outside the UK. The current value of the Scottish banknotes in circulation is around £2.5 billion.

[edit] Military

Main article: Military of Scotland

Although Scotland has a long military tradition that predates the Act of Union with England, its armed forces now form part of the British Armed Forces. In 2006, the regiments of the Scottish Division were amalgamated to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Due to their topography and perceived remoteness, parts of Scotland have housed many sensitive defence establishments, with mixed public feelings. Between 1960 and 1991, the Holy Loch was a base for the U.S. fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines. Today, Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, 25 miles (40 km) west of Glasgow, is the base for the four Trident-armed Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines that comprise the UK's nuclear deterrent. HMS Caledonia at Rosyth in Fife is the support base for navy operations in Scotland and also serves as the Naval Regional Office (NRO Scotland and Northern Ireland). The Royal Navy's submarine nuclear reactor development establishment, is located at Dounreay, which was also the site of the UK's fast breeder nuclear reactor programme. HMS Gannet is a search and rescue station based at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire and operates three Sea King Mk 5 helicopters. RM Condor at Arbroath, Angus is home to 45 Commando, Royal Marines.

Three important Royal Air Force bases are in Scotland today. These are RAF Lossiemouth, the RAF's primary base for the Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, RAF Kinloss, home to the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft and RAF Leuchars, the most northerly air defence fighter base in the United Kingdom. The only open air live depleted uranium weapons test range in the British Isles is located near Dundrennan.<ref>BBC Scotland News Online "DU shell test-firing resumes", BBC Scotland News, 2001-02-21. Retrieved on 2006-09-13. (in English)</ref> As a result, over 7000 radioactive munitions lie on the seabed of the Solway Firth.<ref> Parliament of the United Kingdom - Debates 7 February 2001 Depleted Uranium (Shelling)</ref> This has led to many environmental concerns.<ref name=Mackay>Mackay, N and Wilson, A.. "MOD "lied" over depleted Uranium", Sunday Herald, 2004-02-29. Retrieved on 2006-09-06. (in English)</ref> The large amount of military bases in Scotland has led some to use the euphemism "Fortress Scotland".<ref> Spaven, Malcolm (1983) Fortress Scotland. Pluto Press in association with Scottish CND. London</ref> In 2004, the MoD land holdings in Scotland (owned, leased or with legal rights) was 115,200 hectares representing around 31% of the MoD's UK estate.<ref>UK Defence Statistics, 2004 [2].</ref>

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Scotland

The population of Scotland in the 2001 census was 5,062,011. This has risen to 5,094,800 according to July 2005 estimates.<ref>Scotland's Population rises for the third year in a row. General Register Office for Scotland April 2006</ref> This would make Scotland the 112th largest country by population if it were a sovereign state. Although Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland it is not the largest city; Scotland's largest city, with a population of 629,501, is Glasgow. The highest concentration of population in Scotland is in the areas surrounding Glasgow with approximately 2.2 million people living in west central Scotland centred on the Greater Glasgow urban conurbation.<ref>Strathclyde Passenger Transport With a population of 2.2 million West Central Scotland accounts for almost half of Scotland's population</ref><ref>TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise More than 2.2 million people live in the Strathclyde area, which includes Greater Glasgow, Scotland’s largest conurbation</ref>

Due to immigration since World War II, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee have significant Asian and Scottish Asian populations.<ref>Urdustan. net 2004 Scotland speaks Urdu</ref> Since the recent Enlargement of the European Union there has been an increased number of people from Central and Eastern Europe moving to Scotland. For example, Aleksander Dietkow, Consul General of Poland, estimates that there are between 40,000 and 50,000 Poles living in Scotland.<ref>Sunday Herald August 6, 2005 The Pole Position</ref> As of 2003, there are 16,315 Chinese people in Scotland and 18.2% of international students at Scottish Universities come from China, making them the largest international student group in Scotland.<ref>Scottish Executive, International Relations International Relations, Increase Student flows between Scotland and China</ref>

[edit] Languages

Main article: Language in Scotland

Since the United Kingdom lacks a codified constitution, there is no official language. However, Scotland has three officially recognised languages: English, Scottish Gaelic and Scots. De facto English is the main language, and almost all Scots speak Scottish Standard English.

Over the past century the number of native speakers of Gaelic, a Celtic sister language to Irish, has declined from around 5% to just 1% of the population, almost always on a fully bilingual basis with English.<ref>A Century on the Census - Gaelic in Twentieth Century Focus - Dr. Kenneth MacKinnon www2.arts.gla.ac.uk</ref> Gaelic is mostly spoken in the Western Isles, where the local council uses the Gaelic name - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ("Council of the Western Isles"). The General Register Office for Scotland estimates that 30% of the population are fluent in Scots, a West Germanic sister language to English.

Scots and Gaelic were recognised under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ratified by the UK in 2001, and the Scottish Executive is committed, based on the UK's undertakings, to providing support for both<ref>European Charter for regional or minority languages www.scotland.gov.uk</ref> Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 which was passed by the Scottish Parliament to provi