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Geography : Scotland, stretching over an area of 78,772 sq. km., is situated in the northern part of Great Britain. It shares its southern border, 96 km., from the east to west coast with England. It lies snuggled between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The country of Scotland includes a mainland; further divided into 3 major areas including the Southern Uplands; the Highlands and the Central Belt and along with the mainland, has several islands.
As the name suggests, the Highlands are mountainous and divided by the Great Glen. Some of the highest peaks include Munros with a height of 3,000 ft. and Ben Nevis which is nearly 4,409 ft. Most of the population lives in the Central Belt due to its flat terrain. Along the Central Belt’s east coast are cities like Lothians, Fife and Edinburgh and along the west coast you will find majestic and antique cities like Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Glasgow.
History
Scotland, the Caledonia of the Roman Empire, consisted of several warrior clans conquered by the Romans during their conquest of the island of Britain in 79 AD. King Robert MacAlpin rose to power in 843 AD by subduing the fierce tribes of the Picts and finally named this country as Scotland.
The Highlanders remained superior with their language, cultural heritage and history whereas the Lowlanders spoke Gaelic and English. The Scots of the Lowlands followed ancient feudalism and produced many great monarchs during the early centuries and many wars were fought between the British and Scots who were not prepared for Norman impositions. Scottish patriotism produced great independence warriors like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce who swayed many victories upon the British Monarchs.
Finally, like all great quarrels, it ended up with a truce in 1707 when the British and Scot parliaments merged to form a single parliament under the Treaty of Union. This truce was highly disliked by Scot Highlanders and was evident in the coming civil wars of 1715-1745 which ended in a mass evacuation of Scots from the Highlands to other regions and countries. Finally in 1999, Scotland had its own semi-independent parliament with Great Britain in order to monitor its defense and global relationship.
Climate
Scottish winters, though short, are extended with northern twilight due to its several regions which are included in the Arctic Circle. The highest temperatures are noted during May-June and the lowest during December. It’s still cloudier than England due to its northern location.
Language
Most of the Scot population can speak English fluently but there are pockets that still prefer to speak Gaelic and other dialects too. The Scottish language is mainly derived from the kingdom of Bernicia and is related to a Germanic language very close to English. In Scotland, less than 59,000 individuals, or 1% of the population, speak Gaelic.
Industry
The major industry sectors include oil which was discovered off the coast. Call centers and finance are on the rise since the decline of ship building and light engineering. Agriculture and fishing are also very important economical sectors of Scotland. Scotch Whiskey remains the renowned landmark of Scotland.
As the name suggests, the Highlands are mountainous and divided by the Great Glen. Some of the highest peaks include Munros with a height of 3,000 ft. and Ben Nevis which is nearly 4,409 ft. Most of the population lives in the Central Belt due to its flat terrain. Along the Central Belt’s east coast are cities like Lothians, Fife and Edinburgh and along the west coast you will find majestic and antique cities like Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Glasgow.
History
Scotland, the Caledonia of the Roman Empire, consisted of several warrior clans conquered by the Romans during their conquest of the island of Britain in 79 AD. King Robert MacAlpin rose to power in 843 AD by subduing the fierce tribes of the Picts and finally named this country as Scotland.
The Highlanders remained superior with their language, cultural heritage and history whereas the Lowlanders spoke Gaelic and English. The Scots of the Lowlands followed ancient feudalism and produced many great monarchs during the early centuries and many wars were fought between the British and Scots who were not prepared for Norman impositions. Scottish patriotism produced great independence warriors like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce who swayed many victories upon the British Monarchs.
Finally, like all great quarrels, it ended up with a truce in 1707 when the British and Scot parliaments merged to form a single parliament under the Treaty of Union. This truce was highly disliked by Scot Highlanders and was evident in the coming civil wars of 1715-1745 which ended in a mass evacuation of Scots from the Highlands to other regions and countries. Finally in 1999, Scotland had its own semi-independent parliament with Great Britain in order to monitor its defense and global relationship.
Climate
Scottish winters, though short, are extended with northern twilight due to its several regions which are included in the Arctic Circle. The highest temperatures are noted during May-June and the lowest during December. It’s still cloudier than England due to its northern location.
Language
Most of the Scot population can speak English fluently but there are pockets that still prefer to speak Gaelic and other dialects too. The Scottish language is mainly derived from the kingdom of Bernicia and is related to a Germanic language very close to English. In Scotland, less than 59,000 individuals, or 1% of the population, speak Gaelic.
Industry
The major industry sectors include oil which was discovered off the coast. Call centers and finance are on the rise since the decline of ship building and light engineering. Agriculture and fishing are also very important economical sectors of Scotland. Scotch Whiskey remains the renowned landmark of Scotland.
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