|
'''George Stephen Morrison''' was the father of [[Jim Morrison]], also notable for being the youngest admiral in the [[US Navy]] at one time.
{{otheruses}}
'''Scotland''' ([[Scottish Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic]]: '''Alba''', also previously known as '''Caledonia''' by the Romans) is a [[country]] or [[nation]] and former independent kingdom of northwest [[Europe]], and one of the four constituent parts of the [[United Kingdom]]. Scotland has a land boundary with [[England]] in the island of [[Great Britain]] and is otherwise bounded by seas and oceans. These boundaries represent 15th century agreements with England and [[Denmark]] and a 13th century agreement with [[Norway]].
George Stephen Morrison, also known as Steve, was born in Georgia in 1920 and raised in Leesburg, Florida. The Morrison family was descended from Scottish settlers who arrived in America in the late eighteenth century.
Scotland took part in a [[personal union]] with England in [[1603]], when the Scottish King [[James VI]] also became [[James I of England]]. This union was formalised on [[1 May]] [[1707]] by the [[Act of Union 1707]]. The Scottish Parliament was abolished on [[March 26]], [[1707]]. The union merged both kingdoms, creating the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]], with a new single Parliament sitting in [[Westminster]], [[London]], but some aspects of Scotland's institutions, notably the country's legal system, remained separate. The new state eventually became the [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]. In [[1999]], the people of Scotland voted to create a new [[parliament]], established by the [[British Government|UK Government]] under the [[Scotland Act 1998]]. The new devolved [[Scottish Parliament]] has been given powers to govern the country on certain purely domestic matters and has limited tax varying capability.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="300px" style="margin-left:15px"
|+ <big>'''Scotland'''</big> ([[English language|English]]/[[Scots language|Lowland Scots]]) <br /> <big>'''Alba''' </big> ([[Scottish Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic]])
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan="2" |
{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|align="center" width="140px"|[[Image:Flag of Scotland Pantone300.png|150px|The Saltire (or St Andrew's Cross), the national flag of Scotland]]
|align="center" width="140px"|[[Image:Scottish royal coat of arms.png|150px|]]
|-
|align="center" width="140px"|([[Flag of Scotland|In detail]])
|align="center" width="140px"|([[Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom|Full size]])
|}
|-
|align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px solid gray; font-size:small;" | ''Royal [[motto]]: [[Nemo me impune lacessit]]<br>([[Latin]]: No one provokes me with impunity)''
|-
|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:LocationScotland.png]]
|-
|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:UKScotland.jpg]]<br/><small>''Scotland's ___location within the UK''</small>
|-
|Official [[language]]s
|[[English language|English]] (de facto), [[Scottish Gaelic language|Scots Gaelic]], [[Scots language|Lowland Scots]]
|-
|[[Capital]]
|[[Edinburgh]]
|-
|Largest City
|[[Glasgow]]
|-
|[[First Minister of Scotland|First Minister]]
|[[Jack McConnell]] MSP
|-
|[[Area]]<br/> - Total <br/> - % water
|[[List of United Kingdom nations by area|Ranked 2nd UK]] <br/>78,782 [[square kilometre|km²]] <br/> 1.9%
|-
|[[Population]]<br/> - Total ([[2001]])<br/> - [[Population density|Density]]
|[[List of United Kingdom nations by population|Ranked 2nd UK]]<br/> 5,062,011 <br/> 64/km²
|-
|Establishment
|[[Kenneth I of Scotland|Kenneth MacAlpin]], [[843]]
|-
|[[Currency]]
|[[Pound Sterling]] (£) (GBP)
|-
|[[Time zone]]
|[[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]] ([[UTC]]; UTC+1 in summer)
|-
|[[National anthem]]
|''[[Flower of Scotland]]'' (de facto)'''¹'''
|-
|[[Top-level_domain|Internet TLD]]||.uk
|-
|[[List_of_country_calling_codes|Calling code]]||+44
|-
|[[List of international call prefixes|International call prefix]]
|00
|-
|colspan="2"| <small>
(1) To date, Scotland does not officially recognise one single national anthem. Over the years, the role of the nation's anthem has been filled by various patriotic songs, including ''[[Flower of Scotland]]'', ''[[Scotland the Brave]]'' and ''[[Scots Wha Hae]]''. In the 1990s, one of the country's leading tabloid newspapers conducted a poll to determine which song should be classed as Scotland's anthem. ''Flower of Scotland'' won and is now used as the de facto national anthem at international sporting events, although there are those who still consider the other songs as having equal validity.
|-
|}
Steve Morrison's parents were hardworking, God-fearing, nondrinking southern Presbyterians, and Steve followed the family's tradition of military service and entered the U.S. Naval Academy in the late 1930s. He was a trim young man, short of stature and serious, with an air of quiet authority. With World War II about to begin, his class was hustled through an early graduation in 1941, and Steve Morrison was posted to Hawaii for flight training. Later that year, just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he met Clara Clarke at a military dance. Blond, bubbly, very pretty and slightly heavy, she was the daughter of a Wisconsin lawyer and political maverick who defended union activists and had run for political office as a socialist candidate. It is interesting that Jim Morrison's maternal grandfather came from the great populist/progressive/socialist strain of American radicalism, a powerful sector of dissent and anger that challenged the two- party establishment from a strong political base in the upper Midwest and produced national leaders like Robert La Follette.
After a brief and war-torn courtship typical of thousands of young couples in that dangerous time, Steve Morrison and Clara Clarke were married in April 1942. They moved to Pensacola, Florida, where Steve continued flight training before shipping out on a vessel laying mines in the waters around Alaska. Their first child, named James Douglas Morrison, was born in Melbourne, on Florida's Atlantic coast near Cape Canaveral, on December 8, 1943, amid the greatest burst of military energy his country ever experienced. He was called Jimmy by his family, and answered to that name all his life, at least to those who knew him intimately.
==Head of state==
[[image:Royal_Standard_Scotland.gif|thumb|left|250px|The [[Royal Standard]] used in Scotland]]
His father was soon flying Hellcat fighters in the South Pacific, and spent the next eighteen months on duty. While her husband was overseas, Clara lived with her husband's parents, Paul and Caroline Morrison, who operated a laundry in Clearwater, on the Gulf of Mexico. Jimmy lived in his grandparents' house until he was three, and Clearwater remained the family's hometown of record during Jimmy's childhood.
HM Queen [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]], [[head of state]] of the [[United Kingdom]], is descended from King [[James VI]] of Scotland, the first Scottish monarch to also be King of England ([[James I of England]] from 1603).
While some controversy has simmered amongst the Scottish public over her official title since her coronation (many believe that, being the first Queen Elizabeth of Scotland, she should use the style "Elizabeth I"), the courts of Scotland have confirmed "Elizabeth II" as her official title. She has said that in the future monarchs will follow the international ordinal tradition that, where a monarch reigns in a number of non-independent territories (or independent territories that agree to share a monarch) that each have a differing number of previous monarchs of the same name, the highest ordinal used in any of the territories is the one used across all. (Past Scottish-English monarchs such as James VI & I and James VII & II reigned over legally separate kingdoms and hence used a dual ordinal.)
Steve Morrison emerged from the war a decorated Navy pilot and an ambitious officer devoted to his career. His first postwar assignment was in Washington, but, determined to rise in the naval hierarchy, he moved his young family around with very little notice as he earned promotions and his assignments changed. Correctly guessing in 1947 that quick advancement lay in the new technologies that were reshaping the world, Steve Morrison transferred into nuclear weapons systems in the period when the hydrogen bomb was being developed at Los Alamos and tested at the White Sands proving grounds in the deserts of New Mexico. During this time in New Mexico, Jim Morrison would experience the Indian highway death scene, which he relates to in his poetry. George Morrisons new duties required a high-level security clearance that specified that his work was never discussed at home. Obscured by official secrecy (references to Lieutenant Morrison's duties during this period are still heavily censored in copies of his naval records made available to the public), all that is known about this era is that the Morrison family lived in naval housing in the vicinity of Albuquerque. Jim's sister, Anne, was born there when he was three years old.
Properly, the Scottish monarch was known as "King/Queen of Scots", and referred to as "your Grace", rather than "your Majesty".
George Stephen Morrison was later to serve as the Captain of the USS Bonheim (58-60) and later transfered to the pentagon. Ironically, George Morrison was the keynote speaker at the decomissioning ceromony for the USS Bonham on July 3, 1971 in Washington, USA (just 12 hours after his son Jim Morrisons death).
==Geography==
{{US-mil-bio-stub}}
Scotland comprises the northern part of the island of [[Great Britain]]; it is bordered on the south by [[England]]. The country consists of a mainland area plus several island groups, including [[Shetland Islands|Shetland]], [[Orkney Islands|Orkney]], and the [[Hebrides]], divided into the [[Inner Hebrides]] and [[Outer Hebrides]]. Three main geographical and geological areas make up the mainland: from north to south, the generally mountainous [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]], the low-lying Central Belt, and the hilly Southern Uplands. The majority of the Scottish population resides in the Central Belt, which contains three of the country's six largest cities, [[Edinburgh]], [[Glasgow]], [[Stirling]], and many large towns. Most of the remaining population lives in the North-East Lowlands where two of the remaining three cities, [[Aberdeen]] and [[Dundee]], are situated. The final city, [[Inverness]], is situated where the [[River Ness]] meets the [[Moray Firth]], on the fault between the North-West Highlands and the [[Cairngorms]].
[[Category:The Doors]]
==Geology==
===Tectonic plate movement===
When [[vulcanism]] actively occurred in [[East Lothian]], 350 million years ago, the rocks which now comprise Scotland lay close to the equator, and formed part of the newly amalgamated supercontinent of [[Pangaea]]. The continental plates making up Pangaea continued to converge, and a major collision occurred with the continent of [[Gondwana]].
The northern and southern parts of the island of Great Britain became adjoined only 75 million years before the onset of vulcanism in East Lothian. Before then, Scotland lay on the margin of the [[Laurentia]]n continent, which included North America and Greenland. England and Wales lay some 40° of latitude further south, adjacent to Africa and South America in the Gondwanan continent. In the Early [[Ordovician]], approximately 475 million years ago, England and Wales, on the [[Avalonia]]n plate, rifted away from Gondwana and drifted northward towards Laurentia. The [[Iapetus Ocean]], which separated the two land masses, began to close. By the mid-[[Silurian]], about 420 million years ago, its margins had become attached along the Iapetus Suture, which roughly follows a line running West to East from the [[Solway Firth]] to [[Northumberland]].
When the later episode of vulcanism occurred, approximately 270 million years ago, Scotland still comprised part of Pangaea, but had drifted northward. East Lothian stood at about 8° North. Consolidation of Pangaea had continued so that the nearest ocean, the [[Tethys Ocean | Tethys seaway]], lay between Eurasia and Africa.
See [http://www.glg.ed.ac.uk/home/s9810658/eastlothian/plates/tectonics.html] and [[Geology of the United Kingdom]].
==Language==
Almost all residents of Scotland speak English, although many also speak various dialects of [[Scots language|Lowland Scots]] which differ markedly from [[Scottish English|Scottish Standard English]]. Slightly greater than 1% of the population use [[Scottish Gaelic]] as their language of everyday use, primarily in the northern and western regions of the country. Almost all Scottish Gaelic speakers also speak fluent English.
By the time of [[James I of England|James VI]]'s accession to the English throne, the old Scottish Court and Parliament spoke Lowland Scots, also known as [[Lallans]]. Lowland Scots developed from the [[Northumbria]]n form of [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]], spoken in [[Bernicia]] which in the [[6th century]] conquered the Brythonic kingdom of [[Gododdin]] and renamed its capital of [[Dunedin, Scotland|Dunedin]] to [[Edinburgh]]. However, most of the area that currently speaks Lowland Scots is well outside this area, and its spread appears to have been largely due to Anglo-Norman feudalism, and Flemish merchants.
==History==
''See also the main article: [[History of Scotland]].''
Historically, from at least the reign of [[David I of Scotland | David I]] (ruled [[1124]] - [[1153]]), Scotland began to show a split into two cultural areas - the mainly [[Scots language|Scots]], latterly English, speaking [[Scottish Lowlands|Lowlands]], and the mainly [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]]-speaking [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]]. This caused divisions in the country where the Lowlands remained, historically, more influenced by the English: the Lowlands lay more open to attack by invading armies from the south and absorbed English influence through their proximity to and their trading relations with their southern neighbours, although Scotland had strong trade links with continental Europe also. However, Gaelic persisted in parts of the Lowlands until quite late, notably in Galloway and Carrick up until the late 1700s and possibly the 1800s. It has also been recorded that the areas of Dunblane and Auchterarder were speaking the language after the Reformation. The Highland-Lowland Border, contrary to popular belief, has not been static, and has moved a number of times.
The [[Scottish clan|clan]] system of the Highlands formed one of its more distinctive features. Notable clans include [[Clan MacGregor]], [[Clan MacDonald]], [[Clan Mackenzie|Clan MacKenzie]], [[Clan Mackie]], [[Clan MacLeod]], [[Clan Robertson]], [[Clan Campbell]] and others.
Historically the Lowlands adopted a variant of the [[feudal]] system after the [[Norman Conquest]] of England, with families of Norman ancestry providing most of the monarchs after approximately [[12th century|1100]]. These families included the [[House of Stewart|Stewart]] or [[House of Stuart|Stuart]], [[Bruce (family)|Bruce]], [[Douglas (family)|Douglas]], [[Porteous family|Porteous]], and [[Murray (family)|Murray]] or [[Moray (family)|Moray]] families.
During the [[Wars of Scottish Independence]] (approximately 1290 - 1363) the Scottish people rose up against English interference and invasion. Firstly, under the [[leadership]] of Sir [[William Wallace]], and later, under that of [[Robert the Bruce]]. Bruce won a decisive victory over the English at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]] in 1314.
In [[1603]], the Scottish King [[James VI of Scotland|James VI]] inherited the throne of [[England]], and became [[James VI of Scotland|James I of England]]. James moved to [[London]] and only returned to Scotland once. In [[1707]], the Scottish and English Parliaments signed the [[Act of Union 1707|Treaty of Union]], which was deeply unpopular in Scotland, as it had been negotiating from a position of economic weakness and suffering from English tariffs. Implementing the treaty involved dissolving both the English and the [[Scottish Parliament]]s, and transferring all their powers to a new Parliament sitting in [[London]] which then became the [[United Kingdom Parliament|Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. A customs and monetary union also took place.
This state of affairs continued until [[May]] [[1999]] when Scotland's [[Scottish Parliament|Parliament]] was established following a [[Scotland referendum, 1997|referendum]]. Whereas the old Scottish Parliament had functioned as the full parliament of a sovereign state, the new parliament governs the country only on domestic matters, the [[United Kingdom Parliament]] having retained responsibility for Scotland's defence, international relations and certain other areas.
==Modern Scotland==
Scotland comprises 32 [[Subdivisions_of_Scotland|unitary authority regions]].
Popular folk-memory continues to divide Scotland into 33 [[traditional counties of Scotland|traditional counties]].
Scotland has six designated cities: in descending order of population size:
* [[Glasgow]]
* [[Edinburgh, Scotland|Edinburgh]], the capital
* [[Aberdeen, Scotland|Aberdeen]]
* [[Dundee, Scotland|Dundee]]
* [[Inverness]]
* [[Stirling, Scotland|Stirling]]
Scottish towns:
* [[List of burghs in Scotland]]
Waterways in Scotland:
* Major Rivers:
** [[River Clyde|The Clyde]], [[River Dee, Aberdeenshire|The Dee]], [[River Don, Aberdeenshire|The Don]], [[River Forth|The Forth]], [[River Tay|The Tay]], [[River Tweed|The Tweed]], [[River Spey|The Spey]], ...
* [[Firth|Firths]]
** [[Solway Firth|Solway]], [[Firth of Clyde|Clyde]], [[Cromarty Firth|Cromarty]], [[Dornoch Firth|Dornoch]], [[Firth of Forth|Forth]], [[Firth of Lorne|Lorne]], [[Moray Firth|Moray]], [[Firth of Tay|Tay]]
* Sea Lochs ([[fjord]]s)
** [[Loch Linnhe]], [[Loch Fyne]], [[Loch Long]], [[Loch Etive]], [[Loch Sunart]], [[Loch Nevis]], [[Loch Hourn]], [[Loch Broom]]
* Freshwater Lochs (lakes) include:
** [[Loch Ness]], [[Loch Lomond]], [[Loch Morar]], [[Loch Tay]], [[Loch Rannoch]], [[Loch Awe]], [[Loch Shiel]], [[Loch Maree]], The [[Lake of Menteith]],...
* Artificial & Enhanced waterways include:
** [[Caledonian Canal]], [[Crinan Canal]], [[Forth & Clyde Canal]], [[Union Canal (Scotland)|Union Canal]]
*** See Also [[Falkirk Wheel]]
==Culture==
Scotland has a civic culture somewhat distinct from that of the rest of the British Isles. It originates from various differences, some entrenched as part of the Act of Union, others facets of nationhood not readily defined but readily identifiable.
===[[Scots Law]]===
Scotland retains its own unique legal system, based on [[Roman law]], which combines features of both [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] and [[common law]]. The terms of union with England specified the retention of separate systems. The barristers being called advocates, and the judges of the high court for civil cases are also the judges for the high court for criminal cases. [[Scots Law]] differs from England's [[common law]] system.
Formerly, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, one of which was [[Udal Law]] (also called ''allodail'' or ''odal law'') in Shetland and Orkney. This was a direct descendant of Old Norse Law, but was abolished in [[1611]]. Despite this, Scottish courts have acknowledged the supremacy of udal law in some property cases as recently as the [[1990s]]. There is a movement to restore udal law[http://www.udallaw.com/] to the islands as part of a devolution of power from Edinburgh to Shetland and Orkney.
Various systems based on common Celtic Law also survived in the Highlands until the [[1800s]].
===Scottish education===
Scotland also has a separate [[Education in Scotland|Scottish education]] system. The Act of Union guaranteed the rights of the Scottish universities, but more importantly, Scotland became the first country since [[Sparta]] in classical Greece to implement a system of general [[public education]]. This began with the Education Act of 1696 and became compulsory for children from the implementation of the Education Act of 1872 onwards.
As a result, for over two hundred years Scotland had a higher percentage of its population educated at primary, secondary and tertiary levels than any other country in [[Europe]]. The differences in education have manifested themselves in different ways, but most noticeably in the number of Scots who went on to become [[leadership | leader]]s in their fields during the 18th and 19th centuries. The politician [[Jim Wallace]] stated in October 2004, that Scotland produces a higher number of university and college graduates per-head than anywhere else in Europe.
School students in Scotland sit [[Standard Grade]] exams while students in England sit [[General Certificate of Secondary Education|GCSE]] exams, and then [[Higher Grade]] exams rather than the English [[A-level]] system. Also, a Scottish university's honours [[academic degree|degree]] takes four years of study as opposed to three in the rest of the UK. The university systems in several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries show marked affinities with the Scottish rather than the English system.
===Banking and Currency===
Banking in Scotland also features unique characteristics. Although the [[Bank of England]] remains the central bank for the UK Government, three Scottish corporate banks still issue their own [[banknote]]s: (the [[Bank of Scotland]], the [[Royal Bank of Scotland]] and the [[Clydesdale Bank]]). These notes have no status as [[legal tender]] in England, Wales or Northern Ireland (although they can be used throughout the UK, particularly in Northern Ireland, where Irish banks also issue their own banknotes, and they are also freely accepted in the [[Channel Islands]]). In Scotland, neither they nor the Bank of England's notes rank as legal tender (as Scots law lacks the concept), however banknotes issued by any of the four banks meet with common acceptance. See [[British banknotes]].
For a further discussion read [http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/1_7.html Legal Tender]
The modern system of branch banking (in which banks maintain a nationwide system of offices rather than one or two central offices) originated in Scotland. Only strong political pressure during the 19th century prevented the resultant strong banking system from taking over banking in England. However, although Scottish banks proved unwelcome in England at the time, their [[business model]] became widely copied, firstly in England and later in the rest of the world.
The Savings Bank movement was created in Scotland in 1810 by the Reverend [[Henry Duncan]] as a means of allowing his parishioners to save smaller amounts of money than the major banks would accept as deposits at that time. His model for the Ruthwell Parish Bank was adopted by well-to-do sponsors throughout the world, with most of the British savings banks eventually amalgamating to form the [[Trustee Savings Bank]] -- more recently merged with the commercial bank, Lloyds, to form [[Lloyds TSB]] -- and the American examples becoming a [[Savings and Loan Association]]. See [http://www.savingsbanksmuseum.co.uk/] for further information.
===Sports===
Scotland has many national sporting associations, such as the [[Scottish Football Association]] (SFA) or the [[Scottish Rugby Union]] (SRU). This gives the country independent representation at many international sporting events such as the [[football (soccer)|football]] [[Football World Cup|World Cup]]. Scotland cannot compete in the [[Olympic Games]] independently however, and Scottish athletes must compete as part of the Great Britain team if they wish to take part. Scotland does however send its own team to compete in the [[Commonwealth Games]].
Scotland also has its own sporting competitions distinct from the rest of the UK, such as the [[Scottish Football League]] and the SRU.
Scotland is considered the "[[Golf|Home of Golf]]", and is well known for its courses. As well as its world famous [[Highland Games]] (athletic competitions), it is also the home of [[curling]], and [[shinty]], a stick game similar to Ireland's [[hurling]], and England's [[field hockey]]. [[Scottish cricket]] is a minority game.
Scottish professional rugby clubs compete in the [[Celtic League]], along with teams from [[Ireland]] and [[Wales]]. However, the country retains a national league for amateur and semi-pro clubs.
===Media===
Scotland has distinct media from the rest of the UK. For example, it produces many national newspapers such as [[The Daily Record]] (Scotland's leading [[tabloid]]), [[The Herald (Glasgow)|''The Herald'']] [[broadsheet]], based in [[Glasgow]], and ''[[The Scotsman]]'' in [[Edinburgh]]. ''The Herald'', formerly known as the ''Glasgow Herald'', changed its name to promote a national rather than a regional identity, while ''The Scotsman'', which used to be a broadsheet, recently switched to tabloid format. Sunday newspapers include the tabloid ''[[Sunday Mail]]'' (published by ''Daily Record'' parent company Trinity Mirror) and the ''[[Sunday Post]]'', while the ''[[Sunday Herald]]'' and ''[[Scotland on Sunday]]'' have associations with ''The Herald'' and ''The Scotsman'' respectively. Regional dailies include ''[[The Courier and Advertiser]]'' in [[Dundee]] in the east, and ''[[Press and Journal (Scotland)|The Press and Journal]]'' serving [[Aberdeen]] and the north.
Scotland has its own [[BBC Scotland|BBC]] services which include the national radio stations, [[BBC Radio Scotland]] and Scottish Gaelic language service, [[BBC Radio nan Gaidheal]]. There are also a number of BBC and independent local radio stations throughout the country. In addition to radio, BBC Scotland also runs two national [[Scottish_television_stations|television stations]]. Much of the output of BBC Scotland Television, such as news and current affairs programmes, and the Glasgow-based soap opera, ''River City'', are intended for broadcast within Scotland, whilst others, such as drama and comedy programmes, aim at audiences throughout the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and further afield. Sports coverage also differs, reflecting the fact that the country has its own [[football (soccer)|football]] leagues, separate from those of England.
Three [[Independent Television]] stations ([[Scottish Television|Scottish TV]], [[Grampian Television|Grampian TV]] and [[Border Television|Border]]) also broadcast in Scotland. Although they previously had independent existences, Scottish TV (serving the Central Lowlands) and Grampian (serving the Highlands and Islands) now belong to the same company (The Scottish Media Group) and resemble each other closely, apart from local news coverage. "Border" has had a more complex position, as it also has to serve neighbouring areas across the border in England, as well as the [[Isle of Man]], and it now has separate news programs for each side of the border. Most of the independent television output equates to that transmitted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the exception of news and current affairs, sport, cultural and Scottish Gaelic language programming.
===Other facets of Scottish culture===
Scotland retains its own distinct sense of nationhood. Academic research consistently shows that people in Scotland feel Scottish, whilst not necessarily feeling the need to see that translated into the establishment of a fully-independent Scottish nation-state.
Scotland also has its own unique family of languages and dialects, helping to foster a strong sense of "Scottish-ness". See [[Scots Language]] and Scottish [[Gaelic]]. An organisation called Iomairt Cholm Cille (http://www.colmcille.net) has been set up to support Gaelic-speaking communities in both Scotland and Ireland and to promote links between them.
Scotland retains its own national church, separate from that of England. See [[Church of Scotland ]] and the section on "Religion" elsewhere in this article.
The [[patron saint]] of Scotland is [[Saint Andrew]], and [[Saint Andrew's Day]] is celebrated in the country on [[30 November]].
These factors combine together to form a strong, readily identifiable Scottish civic culture.
===Miscellaneous===
Scotland's iconic claims to fame include:
* [[Bagpipes]]
* [[Robert Burns]], [[Burns supper|Burns night]], [[Burns supper]]
* [[Deep fried Mars bar]]
* [[Dolly the sheep]]
* [[Golf]] and the [[Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews]]
* [[Haggis]]
* [[Hogmanay]] (New Year's Eve)
* [[Irn-Bru]]
* [[Kilt]]s
* [[Loch Ness]], said to contain the [[Loch Ness monster]] "Nessie".
* [[Scotch whisky]] and its [[distillery | distilleries]]
* [[Scottish country dance|Scottish country dancing]]
* [[Scottish Highlands]] ([[Aviemore]], [[Cairngorms]], [[Munro]]s) and islands ([[Hebrides]], [[Orkney Islands|Orkney]], [[Shetland Islands|Shetland]])
* [[Shortbread]]
* [[Tartan]]
* The [[thistle]], the country's [[national emblem]] - according to legend a Danish attacker stepped on one at night, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish castle, hence it is called the "guardian thistle"
* [[Tweed]], especially [[Harris Tweed]]
==Religion==
The [[Church of Scotland]] (often referred to as ''The Kirk'') functions as the national church. It differs from the [[Church of England]] in that it has a [[Presbyterian]] form of church governance, not subject to state control. This goes back to the Scottish experience of [[reformation]], initiated in [[1560]] by [[John Knox]]. The Scottish Reformation in essence took place at a grassroots level, and the Scots chose Presbyterianism as their method of church government. This differs from the situation in England, where [[Henry VIII of England | Henry the Eighth]] personally unleashed the English Reformation and chose the [[Episcopal]] system that survives to this day in the [[Church of England]].
Scotland has a high proportion of [[irreligious]] / [[atheists]], the second highest type of (un)belief in the population.
A number of other [[Christianity|Christian]] [[religious denomination|denomination]]s exist in Scotland, amongst them [[Roman Catholic|Roman Catholicism]], which made a comeback through immigration from Ireland, after Protestants brutally repressed it during the 16th to late 18th centuries. It has now become the largest faith after ''The Kirk''. As well as ''The Kirk'' we find various other [[Protestant]] churches, including the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]], which forms a full part of the [[Anglican]] Communion, and the [[Free Church of Scotland]], a Presbyterian off-shoot from the established Church of Scotland.
[[Islam]] is the largest non-Christian [[religion]] in Scotland, although its numbers remain very small.
Much of Scotland (particularly the West Central Belt around Glasgow) has experienced problems owing to the religious divide between Presbyterians and Catholics. Many Scottish Catholics maintain that, because many Establishment and business figures have links to the [[Orange Order]], sectarianism is deeply rooted in Scottish society. This problem has historically manifested itself in a number of ways, particularly in employment and in football fanaticism. The problems associated with [[sectarian|sectarianism]] in Scotland have diminished markedly compared with the past, although issues do remain to a certain degree. Scottish police have recently moved to restrict the number of Orange parades.
{| border="2" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="300px" align="center"
|+
'''Figures from the 2001 Census on Religion in Scotland:'''
|-
!colspan="1" style="background:#ffdead;"|Religion
!colspan="1" style="background:#ffdead;"|Percentage of Population
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Church of Scotland || align="center" | 42%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | No Religion || align="center" | 28%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Roman Catholic || align="center" | 16%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Other Christian || align="center" | 7%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | No Answer || align="center" | 5%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Islam || align="center" | 0.8%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Buddhism || align="center" | 0.1%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Sikhism || align="center" | 0.1%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Judaism || align="center" | 0.1%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Hinduism || align="center" | 0.1%
|-
|style="background:#efefef;" align="center" | Other Religions || align="center" | 0.5%
|-
|}
==Politics==
''See main article: [[Politics of Scotland]], also [[Politics of the United Kingdom]]''
Historically the politics of Scotland have reflected those of the UK as a whole, although with some differences. For example, besides the main UK-wide political parties ([[The Labour Party (UK)|Labour]], [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] and the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]) a number of Scottish-specific parties operate. These include the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP), the [[Scottish Socialist Party]] (SSP) and the [[Scottish Green Party]]. These parties became more of a force in Scottish politics after the establishment of the [[Scottish Parliament]] in [[1998]].
The traditional political divides of [[Left-Right politics | left and right]] have also intersected with arguments over devolution, which all the UK-wide parties have supported to some degree throughout their history (although both Labour and the Conservatives have swithered a number of times between supporting and opposing it). However, now that devolution has occurred, the main argument about Scotland's constitutional status remains between those who support [[Scottish independence]] and those who oppose it. Recent trends indicate, according to the State of the Nation Poll [[2004]], that 66% of Scots would like the [[Scottish Parliament]] to have more powers, while only 2% would like to see the powers returned to [[Westminster]].
==The Scottish economy==
Most Scottish industry and commerce is concentrated in a few large cities on the waterways of the central lowlands. Edinburgh, on the Firth of Forth, is a cultural centre, the capital of Scotland, and a centre of paper production and publishing. Glasgow, one of the largest cities in the UK, lies on the Clyde; it is Scotland's leading seaport and was once a centre of shipbuilding and it supports numerous light industries. Although heavy industry has declined, the high-technology [[Silicon Glen]] corridor has developed between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Tourism is also very important.
The significance of coal, once Scotland's most important mineral resource, has declined. Oil, however, gained prominence in Scotland's economy during the 1970s, with the growth of North Sea oil extraction companies. Natural gas is also abundant in the North Sea fields. Aberdeen is the centre of the oil industry. Other important industries are textile production (woollens, worsteds, silks, and linens), distilling, and fishing. Textiles, beer, and whisky, which are among Scotland's chief exports, are produced in many towns. Salmon are taken from the Tay and the Dee, and numerous coastal towns and villages are supported by fishing from the North Sea. Only about one quarter of the land is under cultivation (principally in cereals and vegetables), but sheep raising is important in the mountainous regions. Because of the persistence of feudalism and the land enclosures of the 19th cent. (see History, below), the ownership of most land in Scotland is concentrated in relatively few hands (some 350 people own about half the land). In 2003, as a result, the Scottish Parliament passed a land reform act that empowered tenant farmers and communities to purchase land even if the landlord did not want to sell.
==Transport==
Public transport information covering the whole of Scotland is available from [http://www.travelinescotland.com Traveline Scotland].
The [[British road numbering scheme|road network]] in Scotland is divided into five zones with four major roads centred on [[Edinburgh]] marking the zone boundaries, these are the [[A1 road|A1]], [[A7 road|A7]], [[A8 road|A8]], and [[A9 road|A9]].
==See also==
{{pic}}
* [[History of Scotland]]
* [[Caledonia]]
* [[Subdivisions of Scotland]]
* [[National parks (Scotland)]]
* [[Traditional music of Scotland]]
* [[Flower of Scotland]]
* [[Wars of Scottish Independence]]
* [[National Trust for Scotland]]
* [[Historic houses in Scotland]]
* [[Castles in Scotland]]
* [[Museums in Scotland]]
* [[Abbeys and priories in Scotland]]
* [[Gardens in Scotland]]
* [[List of Universities in Scotland]]
* [[Scots Law]]
* [[List of Scots]]
* [[List of Scottish writers]]
* [[Scottish Term Day]]
* [[List of United Kingdom topics]]
* [[List of Monarchs of Scotland]]
* [[Scottish monarchs family tree]]
* [[List of British monarchs]]
* [[Flags of non-sovereign nations]]
* [[United Kingdom]]
==External links==
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/ BBC Scotland] - Scottish history, news and travel pages from BBC
* [http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/ General Register Office for Scotland] - responsible for the registration of births, marriages, deaths, divorces and adoptions in Scotland
* [http://www.scotlanddirectory.co.uk/ Scotland Directory] - comprehensive directory of sites focused on Scotland
* [http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ Scotland's People] - official government source for Scottish genealogy
* [http://www.scrol.gov.uk/ Scottish Census Results On Line] - official government site for Scotland's census results
* [http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ Scottish Executive] - official site of the Scottish Executive
* [http://www.sns.gov.uk Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics] - Scottish Executive's programme of small area statistics in Scotland
* [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/ Scottish Parliament] - official site of The Scottish Parliament
* [http://www.visitscotland.com/ Scottish Tourist Board] - official site of Scotland's national tourist board
* [news:soc.culture.scottish soc.culture.scottish usenet newsgroup] - Usenet newsgroup for discussions related to Scotland
* [http://www.siliconglen.com/ Silicon Glen, Scotland guide] - Home of the Frequently Asked Questions for the soc.culture.scottish newsgroup, the first online guide to Scotland.
{{United_Kingdom}}
[[Category:Scotland]]
[[Category:British Isles]]
[[Category:Monarchies]]
[[Category:Home Rule in the United Kingdom]]
[[ast:Escocia]]
[[ca:Escòcia]]
[[cy:Yr Alban]]
[[da:Skotland]]
[[de:Schottland]]
[[et:Šotimaa]]
[[es:Escocia]]
[[eo:Skotlando]]
[[fr:Écosse]]
[[ga:Alba]]
[[gd:Alba]]
[[he:סקוטלנד]]
[[id:Skotlandia]]
[[ia:Scotia]]
[[it:Scozia]]
[[kw:Alban]]
[[la:Scotia]]
[[lt:Škotija]]
[[nl:Schotland]]
[[ja:スコットランド]]
[[no:Skottland]]
[[pl:Szkocja]]
[[pt:Escócia]]
[[ro:Scoţia]]
[[simple:Scotland]]
[[sl:Škotska]]
[[fi:Skotlanti]]
[[sv:Skottland]]
[[zh:蘇格蘭]]
| 