A land of rugged cliffs and heather-covered hills, Scotland is a place of wild natural beauty. Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, a country of Western Europe. The United Kingdom is a union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. GeographyScotland occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a land border with England, which takes up most of the southern two thirds of the island. (Wales occupies part of the southwest of the island, but it does not border Scotland.) Scotland is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and north and the North Sea to the east. The North Channel separates Scotland from Northern Ireland to the southeast. Scotland includes many small islands. Two island clusters, the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands, lie to the northeast. Numerous islands line the west coast, including the Hebrides group. Scotland has an area of 30,421 square miles (78,789 square kilometers). Scotland is divided into three geographic regions—the Highlands in the north, the Lowlands in the center, and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands have large areas of wilderness. In the northwest are rocky, bare mountains and many valleys. A long valley called Glen More cuts through the highlands from southwest to northeast. The valley has many lochs, or lakes. Among them is Loch Ness, which is famous for myths that a monster lives in the lake. South of Glen More are the United Kingdom's highest mountains, the Grampian Mountains. They contain Ben Nevis, the country's highest peak, at 4,406 feet (1,343 meters) above sea level. The great majority of the Scottish people live in the Lowlands, in the center of Scotland. The Lowlands are lower than the surrounding areas, but they are not flat. The landscape contains many hills. Most of the farming in Scotland is done in the Lowlands, because the soil is very fertile. The Lowlands are also the country's main industrial area. The Uplands have gentle hills and narrow, flat valleys. The Uplands are mostly lower than the Highlands. At the southern border of the Uplands, Scotland and England meet. Scotland has a generally mild, cool climate. Winds blowing from the surrounding seas make the climate warmer than it would otherwise be so far north. The mountainous west coast has the most rainfall. The east is drier and sunnier. Plants and animalsNearly one tenth of Scotland's total area is peat bogs, or swampy areas of partly decayed mosses, grasses, and sedges. Peat bogs and heather are widespread in the country's Lowlands. Most of Scotland's hills and mountains are covered with grasses and shrubs. Scotland's original forests are now mostly gone. Patches of pine forests can still be found in the Highlands. Scotland is fairly rich in animal life. Among the more common animals are deer, rabbits, foxes, and badgers. The birds include golden eagles, buzzards, and ptarmigans and other grouse. The red grouse has long been a popular target of hunters in Scotland. Large numbers of seabirds breed on cliffs around the coasts. Seals, dolphins, and porpoises are regular visitors to the surrounding waters. A large portion of the world's gray seals breed in Scottish waters. People and cultureThe Scottish people are mainly from two groups. The Scots of the Highlands have Celtic origins. The people of the rest of Scotland are mostly Anglo-Saxon, similar to the people of northern England. For many centuries, there were great conflicts between the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon groups. However, over time the people of Scotland have become more unified. Scotland is also home to people of Irish, Lithuanian, Italian, Polish, and South Asian descent. Most of the Scottish people are Christian. The national church is the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian. The vast majority of the population speaks English. Small groups of people speak Scottish Gaelic and Scots, which were the chief languages spoken in Scotland before English was introduced. The Lowlands are home to most of the Scottish people. Scotland's two largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, are both in this region. Edinburgh is the political, legal, and financial heart of Scotland. Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and a major center of industry. Scotland has been greatly influenced by English culture. However, Scottish traditions and customs have been vigorously preserved. Scotland has a wealth of surviving traditional music, played on instruments such as the bagpipe, fiddle, and clarsach (a small Celtic harp). The traditional clothing of men from the Highlands is the kilt (a knee-length pleated skirt) and plaid (a length of cloth worn over the shoulder). These garments are now worn on special occasions. The national poet of Scotland is Robert Burns, who wrote poetry and songs in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the Scottish author Walter Scott wrote many adventure tales in novels and poems. Scott is considered the inventor of the historical novel. EconomyManufacturing and construction account for more than a quarter of Scotland's income. The Scottish economy was traditionally based on heavy industries such as coal mining, steel, and shipbuilding. However, these industries have largely declined. On the other hand, industries that produce such high-technology goods as computers, electronics, and office equipment have grown. The engineering and cloth-making industries produce many exports. Another major export is Scotch whisky, which is produced in the Highlands. - Ships that serve oil platforms in the North Sea dock in the port at Aberdeen, Scotland. The United …
The United Kingdom's oil and natural gas industries are centered in Aberdeen, in northeastern Scotland on the North Sea coast. These industries have created tens of thousands of jobs in Scotland. Service industries such as tourism, finance, and retail trade expanded greatly in the 20th century. Services now provide many times more jobs than manufacturing. Far fewer people work in agriculture. Scottish farmers raise cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. Among the main crops are wheat, barley, and potatoes. Fishing is an important industry in Scotland. Aberdeen is one of the United Kingdom's main fish-processing centers. HistoryFrom many tribes to one kingdomPeople have lived in the area of Scotland for thousands of years. By the 1st century AD, several different tribes had settled there. The Romans invaded the region many times from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. Although the Romans conquered the areas of England and Wales, they were unable to take control of what is now Scotland. Four main groups settled in Scotland: the Picts, the Britons, the Angles, and the Scots (a Celtic group from Ireland). In the 9th century, the king of the Scots, Kenneth MacAlpin, also became king of the Picts. He then controlled a large kingdom. Later Scottish kings increased their territory. King Malcolm II completed most of the rest of the unification of Scotland in the 11th century. War with EnglandFrom the 11th century, Scotland came under the influence of the English king. Relations between the two kingdoms were peaceful for more than 100 years. However, in 1296 King Edward I of England invaded Scotland and declared himself its king. The Scottish people rebelled but were crushed. They rose again in 1306, this time under Robert the Bruce. In 1328 Scotland became independent, with Robert as its king. Religious conflictScotland continued to clash with England for more than 250 years. In the 16th century, religious differences developed between the two countries, in addition to political differences. A Protestant movement called the Reformation swept across Europe. England became a Protestant country. Scotland, however, remained Roman Catholic under Queen Mary Stuart (or Mary, Queen of Scots). The Protestant movement grew stronger in Scotland under the leadership of John Knox. For political and religious reasons, Mary was forced to give up her throne in 1567. Her infant son then became king of Scotland as James VI. He was brought up Protestant. Scotland and England share a kingIt was only during James VI's rule that Scotland and England became closer. James's cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England died in 1603. He then became king of England, as well as remaining king of Scotland. (In England, he was called James I.) From then on, Scotland and England were ruled by one monarch. Still, England and Scotland remained separate countries, with separate Parliaments. Religious differences persisted, as the countries followed different forms of Protestantism. The Church of England was Anglican. In the mid-17th century, King Charles I tried to force Scotland to become Anglican. The king sent troops to Scotland, but Scotland won the brief war. The Church of Scotland became Presbyterian. The United KingdomIn 1707 Scotland was joined to both England and Wales, and the entire island became one country. Scotland's Parliament was merged with England's. However, Scotland kept its own courts, laws, educational system, and national church. In 1801 Ireland was added to England, Wales, and Scotland to form the United Kingdom. (Most of Ireland later broke away from the union, though Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom.) Many people in Scotland at first opposed union with England. However, the union gave Scotland free trade with England and all its colonies. Scotland also shared in the inventions and wealth from the Industrial Revolution in England in the 18th and 19th centuries. The history of modern Scotland became inseparable from that of England. However, a movement developed in Scotland to establish more self-rule. In 1998 a separate Scottish Parliament was established, with the right to govern many regional affairs. The national Parliament in England still governs the United Kingdom as a whole. Population (2001 estimate), 5,119,200. |