Scotland | |
|---|---|
| Anthem: various, predominantly "Flower of Scotland" | |
 Location of Scotland (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) | |
| Status | Country |
| Capital | Edinburgh 55°57′11″N 3°11′20″W / 55.95306°N 3.18889°W |
| Largest city | Glasgow 55°51′40″N 4°15′00″W / 55.86111°N 4.25000°W |
| Official languages[1] | |
| Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2022)[2] | List
|
| Demonym(s) | Scottish • Scots |
| Government | Devolved parliamentary legislature within a parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
| John Swinney | |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | |
| • Secretary of State | Ian Murray |
| • House of Commons | 57 MPs (of 650) |
| Legislature | Scottish Parliament |
| Formation | |
| 9th century (traditionally 843) | |
| 17 March 1328 | |
| 3 October 1357[3] | |
| 1 May 1707 | |
| 19 November 1998 | |
| Area | |
• Total[b] | 80,231 km2 (30,977 sq mi)[4] |
• Land[a] | 77,901 km2 (30,078 sq mi)[4] |
| Population | |
• 2022 census |  5,439,842 |
• Density | 70/km2 (181.3/sq mi)[5] |
| GVA | 2022 estimate |
| • Total | £165.7 billion |
| • Per capita | £30,419[6] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | £218.0 billion |
• Per capita | £39,707[7][c] |
| Gini (2020–23) |  33[8]medium inequality |
| HDI (2022) |  0.933[9]very high |
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP; £) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
| Drives on | left |
| Calling code | +44 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-SCT |
| Internet TLD | .scot[d] |
Scotland (Scots: Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjacent islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. To the south-east, Scotland has its only land border, which is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England; the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the north-east and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. The population in 2022 was 5,439,842.[10] Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow is the largest of the cities of Scotland.
The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the 9th century. In 1603, James VI succeeded to the thrones of England and Ireland, forming a personal union of the three kingdoms. On 1 May 1707, Scotland and England combined to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain,[11][12] with the Parliament of Scotland subsumed into the Parliament of Great Britain. In 1999 a Scottish Parliament was re-established, and has devolved authority over many areas of domestic policy.[13] The country has its own distinct legal system, education system and religious history, which have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and national identity.[14] Scottish English and Scots are the most widely spoken languages in the country, existing on a dialect continuum with each other.[15] Scottish Gaelic speakers can be found all over Scotland, however the language is largely spoken natively by communities within the Hebrides.[16] The number of Gaelic speakers numbers less than 2% of the total population, though state-sponsored revitalisation attempts have led to a growing community of second language speakers.[17]
The mainland of Scotland is broadly divided into three regions: the Highlands, a mountainous region in the north and north-west; the Lowlands, a flatter plain across the centre of the country; and the Southern Uplands, a hilly region along the southern border. The Highlands are the most mountainous region of the British Isles and contain its highest peak, Ben Nevis, at 4,413 feet (1,345 m).[10] The region also contains many lakes, called lochs; the term is also applied to the many saltwater inlets along the country's deeply indented western coastline. The geography of the many islands is varied. Some, such as Mull and Skye, are noted for their mountainous terrain, while the likes of Tiree and Coll are much flatter.
- ^ "Languages". Scottish Government. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion - Chart data". Scotland's Census. 21 May 2024. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "The Treaty of Berwick was signed – On this day in Scottish history". History Scotland. 3 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Standard Area Measurements for Administrative Areas (December 2023) in the UK". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 31 May 2024. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Quality Assurance report – Unrounded population estimates and ethnic group, national identity, language and religion topic data". Scotland's Census. 21 May 2024. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income components". Office for National Statistics. 24 April 2024. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "GDP Quarterly National Accounts, Scotland: 2023 Quarter 4 (October to December)" (PDF). gov.scot. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2020-23". Scottish Government. 21 March 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "Subnational HDI". Global Data Lab. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b "A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Keaywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Mackiewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Devolution Settlement, Scotland". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ Devine, T. M. (1999), The Scottish Nation 1700–2000, P.288–289, ISBN 0-14-023004-1 "created a new and powerful local state run by the Scottish bourgeoisie and reflecting their political and religious values. It was this local state, rather than a distant and usually indifferent Westminster authority, that in effect routinely governed Scotland"
- ^ Maguire, Warren (2012). "English and Scots in Scotland" (PDF). In Hickey, Raymond (ed.). Areal Features of the Anglophone World. Mouton de Gruyter. pp. 53–78. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Gaelic Language". Outer Hebrides. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Gaelic in modern Scotland". Open Learning. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
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