Scotland, which today is part of Great Britain, was an independent kingdom until the beginning of the 18th century. It occupies the northern part of the main British island and borders England in the south. The population of Scotland was formed by the mixing of several nationalities. In the course of the centuries-old history of this part of Great Britain, the composition of the population changed, a significant number of Scots left the country.
Instructions
Step 1
The 2010 census showed that the population of modern Scotland is about 5.2 million people. If this administrative part of Great Britain was an independent state, according to this indicator, it would take 113th place in the world. More than 80% of the population is Scottish, the British live here about 7%. There are also representatives of other nationalities: Poles, Irish, Pakistanis, Indians, Chinese, as well as people from African countries.
Step 2
Numerous descendants of the Scots are scattered all over the world today. In the past, the country was a highly migratory region. Many local residents moved to the United States of America and Canada in the 18th-19th centuries. Natives of Scotland can be found in South Africa, Australia and South America. Scots often form whole diasporas in foreign countries.
Step 3
Scotland does not have one officially recognized state language. English and two varieties of Scottish, adopted by the European Charter of Languages in 1992, are traditionally spoken here. The religious composition of the population of Scotland is not particularly variegated. Most of the inhabitants consider themselves to be adherents of the national church, built according to the Presbyterian type. There are also Catholics, who, however, are half as many as atheists.
Step 4
Scotland is currently actively preparing for a nationwide referendum. The issue of the independence of this territory is on the agenda today. This topic, which is acute for broad strata of the population, has been raised more than once over the past three hundred years. But at the level of serious politicians, they started talking about autonomy and even the complete separation of Scottish territory from Great Britain only in the 30s of the last century.
Step 5
In 2007, the Scottish National Party put the issue of independence on the political agenda of the country. The leaders of the national movement believe that every Scotsman should have the right to independently determine the future of their homeland. For the overwhelming majority of local residents, giving the country the status of an independent state will mean a fundamental change in the way of life.
Step 6
The general population of Scotland is striving for such changes, although there are opponents of independence. They believe that secession from the UK could seriously worsen the socio-economic situation of Scotland. Meanwhile, the Scots are anxiously awaiting the fateful referendum scheduled for September 18, 2014.
