Scotland
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| Scotland | |||||
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| National information | |||||
| National motto: | Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin) "No one provokes me with impunity" "Cha togar m' fhearg gun dìoladh" (Scottish Gaelic) '"Wha daur meddle wi me?"' (Scots)1 |
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| National anthem: | No official song. Flower of Scotland unoffical. | ||||
| About the people | |||||
| Official languages: | English, Gaelic | ||||
| Population: (# of people) | |||||
| - Total: | 5,116,900 | ||||
| - Density: | 168.2 per mi² / 65 per km² | ||||
| Geography / Places | |||||
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| Capital city: | Edinburgh | ||||
| Largest city: | Glasgow | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - Total: | 30,414 mi² / 78,772 km² | ||||
| Politics / Government | |||||
| Established: | Early Middle Ages; exact date unclear, but traditionally 843, by King Kenneth MacAlpin | ||||
| Leaders: | First Minister: Alex Salmond | ||||
| Economy / Money | |||||
| Currency: (Name of money) |
British Pound (£) (GBP) | ||||
| International information | |||||
| Time zone: | GMT | ||||
| Telephone dialing code: | +44 | ||||
| Internet domain: | .uk .gov.uk | ||||
Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country in the northern part of the British Isles, on the island of Great Britain. It was once an independent country with its own government but it is now one of the four nations that form the United Kingdom. In 1603 the King of Scotland James VI of Scotland became King of England too. In 1707 the parliament of Scotland joined with the parliament of England to become the parliament of Great Britain, and in 1801 Great Britain joined with Ireland to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Now Scotland is not independent, but throughout history it always had a separate, law and school system and a unique culture. Since 1999 Scotland has had its own parliament. However, many things are still controlled by the Westminster parliament in London, England. Some people in Scotland now want independence again for their country.
The Scottish flag is blue with a white diagonal cross (called a saltire). This is the cross of Saint Andrew, who is the patron saint of Scotland. Some other symbols used for Scotland are a thistle, and a lion.
The north of Scotland has many mountains, and few people live there. Most people live in the low central area, or around the coast. South of the central belt are the Southern Uplands, another hilly place. On the west coast and in the north are a lot of islands.
The capital city of Scotland is the city of Edinburgh, on the east coast. But the biggest city is Glasgow - nearly half of Scotland's people live in Glasgow or in the area near it. Other cities in Scotland are Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and Stirling.
[change] Sport
Football is the most popular sport in Scotland. The big cities often have two or three big football teams, and most towns have at least one team. Other popular sports are rugby, cricket, hill-walking, mountain-climbing, swimming, and golf, which was invented in Scotland. Scotland is also involved with motorsports. Current F1 driver David Coulthard is a thirteen time Grand Prix winner. Jackie Stewart is a 3-time F1 World Champion and regarded as one of the best drivers ever. Jim Clark is a 2-time F1 World Champion and regarded as one of the three best ever with Schumacher and Senna. Colin McRae was also 1995 World Rally Champion.
[change] Language
English is spoken by most people in Scotland, but Scotland also has two native languages - Gaelic and Scots. Gaelic is a Celtic language closely related to Irish and related to Welsh and Breton. It is spoken in the north-west of Scotland, but mainly in the Western Isles. Scots is a Germanic language which is closely related to English. It is spoken mainly in the north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south west and west of Scotland. Different forms of Scots are also spoken in the islands in Orkney and Shetland.
