Scotland

The Scottish Royal Coat of Arms- Better known as the Lion Rampant

Scotland is the second largest country of the United Kingdom. It is about three-eighths the size of its larger neighbor England, but is much less populous; most of the population lives in the central belt, a band across central Scotland between the capital Edinburgh and the city of Glasgow. Other cities are Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness.

Introduction

Position	Current Holder
Monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minster	Gordon Brown MP
Secretary of State	Douglas Alexander MP
First Minister	Alex Salmond MSP

Scotland is historically Christian; the national church is the Church of Scotland

Scotland includes the island groups of Orkney, Shetland, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the islands of the Firth of Clyde including Arran, Bute, Cumbrae & Wee Cumbrae and various other smaller islands.

Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, is in the Scottish Highlands, as are most of the nations highest mountains. Those with heights above 914m (3000 feet) are eponymously named Munros after Sir Hector Munro, the first person to compile such a list.

Cities

File:Scotland.gif

A map of Scotland.

Scotland has six major cities. They are Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling.

History

Scotland has been inhabited since at least 8500BC, when the first Mesolithic hunter-gatherers are thought to have migrated to Scotland. These inhabitants showed advanced knowledge of astronomy, creating several Stonehenge-like sculptures.

Union with England

After the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1603, James VI of Scotland ascended to the Throne of England, becoming James I of England. He was the first monarch to call himself King of Great Britain. This is referred to as the Union of the Crowns. James was also at this time King of Ireland.

The Parliaments of Scotland and England were not united until 1707 and it is this date that is recognized as the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This is referred to as the Union of the Parliaments. The formation of the Irish Republic in 1922 resulted in the current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Scotland has its own Parliament of 129 members as well as sending 59 Members of Parliament(MPs) to represent its interests in the United Kingdom parliament which sits in London. Scottish MPs have historically been recognized for their political skills and appointed to the Cabinet in larger numbers than is proportionate. The current Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is Scottish, and formerly he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Relationships between Scottish and English MPs before devolution were sometimes tense because of what the former Conservative Party MP, by then an Ulster Unionist, Enoch Powell dubbed The West Lothian question. The name arose in 1977 after Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for West Lothian in Scotland, asked during a debate in the Houses of Parliament over Scottish and Welsh devolution:

For how long will English constituencies and English Honourable members tolerate... at least 119 Honourable Members from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exercising an important, and probably often decisive, effect on British politics while they themselves have no say in the same matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

He pointed out that he as MP for West Lothian could vote on matters affecting English constituencies but not his own constituency.

Scotland and Cultural Controversies

Scotland is historically Christian, the national church is the Church of Scotland and it is sympathetic to the the homosexual agenda. This has led the leading conservative Christian Pat Robertson to describe Scotland as "dark country full of homosexuals". This homosexual agenda is exemplified by:

• the repeal of laws banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools
• the legalization of same-sex marriage
• the adoption of children by homosexuals
• teaching homosexuality in schools
• affirmative action for homosexual soldiers and policemen
• forcing religious schools to employ atheist teachers
• an increase in abortion
• protection for pedophiles
• and the banning of the expression of pro-Christian sentiment at sports events.

Sports and culture

The national preoccupation is football. Other diversions include rugby union, lawn bowls, chanty wrassling (a native form of wrestling), pocket billiards, shinty (similar to hockey), cricket, curling, sports of the Highland Games - such as tossing the caber and, of course, golf - Scotland is the home of golf. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews is the governing body of world golf.

Scotland's 'other' national drink, Irn Bru (formerly "Iron Brew"), is a bubblegum-flavored carbonated drink manufactured by A.G.Barr of Glasgow, and claims to be "made in Scotland from girders". An advert for it uses the music and animation style of "The Snowman".

Scotland is famous for its disproportionate amount of inventions and discoveries (as immortalized in Wha's Like Us), its world class universities, the Scottish Enlightenment, being the one of the first industrial nations while still preserving some of the last great wildernesses of Europe, and being the home of golf.

The symbol of Scotland is the thistle. The Scottish flag is the Cross of St. Andrew, a white diagonal cross on a dark blue background. The design originated in the 9th century and it is the oldest national flag still in use anywhere in the world. Other things associated with the country are kilts (tartan skirts worn by Scotsmen), and the haunting music of the bagpipes. Famous Scottish products include pies, haggis, toleys and Scotch whisky.

Scotland's motto is Nemo Me Impune Lacessit ("No-one provokes me with impunity") which translates as Wha daur meddle wi me? in Scots and in English as Who would dare mess with me?.

External Links

• A Brief History of Scotland