22. Scotland

Component country of the UK—with England, Wales, and Northern Inland—and the most northerly ofthe 4. It occupies «b. l# of the island of GB. It is bounded by EngL in the south and on the other three sides by sea: the Atlantic Oc. on the west and north and the North Sea on the east The country was originally called Caledonia, the name Scotland deriving from Scon*—a tract settled by the tribe of Scots who had migrated from IreL After being independ. until 1707, Scassented to the Act of Union with England and became an integral part of die UK A has no separate legislature; it now has 72 seats in the UK's House of Commons. All Scottish peers are now entitled to sit in the House of Lords. Sc. has no sovereign executive or political power, yd it retains vestiges of ancient sovereignty in its own legal and educ. systems, a national church, and a separate admkiiairation. The capital is Edinburgh.

Despite their diverse origins—including Cells, Angles, and Normans—the Scots in tune have been rosed into a fairly homogeneous population. Engl. is the principal language; the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) is the established religion.

Geography

Sc. is generally hilly, and it is traditionally divided into 3 geographic regions from north to south: the Highlands, the Lowlands, and the Southern Uplands. The Highl are bisected froma-e. to s. -w. by the Guilt line of the Great Glen (or Glen More Valley, a long crack in the earth's crust, running from n. -e. to s. -w. , divides the mountains of the Highl. into 2 parts; contains 3 lakes: Loch Ness, Loch Okh, Loch Lochy). The North West Highlands He to the north of the Great Glen and the more extensive Grampian Mountains lie to the south. The LowL-s region is low by compar. with adjoining areas but is by no means flat The landscape is varied by series of hills and includes some of St's best areas for arable Gaming. The South. Uplands are not as high in elevation as the Highl. or as fractured in appear. Narrow, flat valleys separating table mountains throughout much of the region. Toward the %. -t. the Uplands open out into the Tweed Valley, which broadens into rich farmland, and to the southwest they slope toward the Galloway Peninsula.

Most of Set hills and mount are cov. with grasses and shrubs. Peat, which occupies nearly 1/10 of Sc. 's total area, is widespread in the lowlands and moors. Heather and bracken are typical large plants of the peatlands.

Many of the largest rivers in Sc. , such as the Tweed, Forth, Dee and Spray drain directly to the North Sea- Sc's longest river, the River Tay, 170 km long, also follows this course. Scotland's climate is a temperate oceanic one that is milder than might be expected given Sc. 'j northerly latitude. The Highlands have some of the most severe weather experienced in Britain. Rainfall varies greatly.

Economy & culture

Until the growth of the North Sea oil industry, development of the Sc. economy had been slow. During the 1970s and early 1980s, however, tens of thousands of jobs were created by onshore oil-related enterprises, hi the late 1980s, however, as a result of a continuing depression in world oil prices, petroleum production declined and many of these jobs were lost

Cool is Sc's chief mineral resource. Other minerals include gold, silver, lead, and chromhe. The most important industries: high tech-gy (chemicals, electr. engineering, manufacture of docks, watches, cash registers, precision instruments, and earth-moving machinery), automobile manufact, sheepbuilding, iron and steel eng-ring, forestry, textile industry, printing and brewing. Scotland's marine-fishing industry accounts for more than 2/3 of all of the UK's fish and shellfish catch.

22 Agricultural development is moving toward greater efficiency through mechanization. In the South. Uplands and the Highl. regions, hill-sheep fanning is important, while in the n. -ea. livestock rearing combined with the growing of animal-feed crops predominates. In the s. -w. , dairy farming is widespread. Wheat and barley are important crops, and specialized kinds of fanning flourish in certain areas (market gardens, raspberry fields, tomato {arming under glass, intensive cultivation of fruits). Scottish ports handle many goods—more imports than exports, with a large proportion of the former for re-export. Air transportation has grown steadily from the major airports at Glasgow, Aberdeen, Prestwick, and Edinb. . A total of 8 institutions of higher learning are found in Edinb. (the polit and cult capital), Glasgow, St Andrews, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Stirling. The annual Edinb. Internation. Festival has become 1 of the world's largest cultural events. The Scottish Nation. Orchestra and the Scott, ballet enjoy excellent reputations, while folk songs and music are popular. Scott, writers can choose among 3 I-ges: Gaelic, Scots, and Engl. —although Engl. is by far the most prevalent Sc. also boasts a Nation. Gal. , a Nat Portr. Gal, Royal Scottish Museum.

History

Evidence of human settlement in the area later known as Scotland dates from the 3rd millennium Be. By the time of the birth of Christ, the inhabitants were organized into many tribes of diverse origin. Between AD 82 and AD 208 the Romans invaded the region several times but failed to establish a lasting foothold there.

By the middle of the 9th century the separate kingdoms of the region became united into a largely Celtic monarchy that lasted until the end of the reign of Macbeth in 1057. Under Malcolm III, who followed Macbeth, and his successors, English influence was introduced into the country. In 1296 King Edward I of England conquered Sc. and took their most important treasure - the Stone cf Destiny (of Scone). It was placed in Sc at the Abbey of Scone. All Scottish kings were crowned tbere. (In 1996 the stone was returned to Sc. ) But when Edw. I attempted to impose direct English rule over Scotland in 1296, a revolt for independence broke out, which ended in 1328, when the English King Edward HI recognized Robert Bruce, a leader of the revolt, as King Robert I of Scotland

The Stuart (Stewart) monarchs who followed Bruce's son, David II, maintained dose ties with France, England's enemy. With the onset of the Scottish Reformation led by John Knox, however, French influence and the Catholic church came under attack, and in 1567 the Catholic monarch, Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced to give up the Scottish throne in favour of her infant son, James VI. Thereafter the Presbyterian Church became established as Scotland's national church.

When Elizabeth J, Queen of England, died in 1603, James VI of Scotland, a relative of Elizabeth, succeeded her on the English throne as King James I. Scotland and England remained separate kingdoms under a single monarch—except for the brief period during the English Civil Wars when the monarchy was deposed—until 1707, when the parliaments of both countries passed the Act of Union, which, together with Wales, joined the countries into the Kingdom of Great Britain. As a result of the Act, Scotland dissolved its parbamett and sent representatives to the Westminster Parliament, after receiving guarantees of autonomy for Scottish laws and courts and the Presbyterian established church.

22 When Queen Anne, the last monarch of the house of Stuart, died in 1714, die house of Hanover came to the British throne. Many Highland Scots remained loyal to the Stuart line, however, and rebelled twice, in 1715 and 1745, to attempt to restore various Stuart pretenders to the British throne. Known as the Jacobites, after the Latin mine of their leader, Junes Edward Stuart, the rebels were defeated both times by government forces. The second Jacobite rebellion was the last effort to resist English control, and thereafter the history of Scotland became part of the history of Great Britain.

From the 1820s onward the Industrial Revolution was in full swing in Scotland, and with it came a dramatic increase in the country's population. The Liberal Parry (from the mid-19th century) and then the Labour Party (from the early 20th century) tended to dominate modem Scottish politics. The late 20th century saw a decline in Scotland's traditional heavy industries as the country became a centre of electronics manufacturing and a base for the offshore extraction of petroleum from the North Sea fields. Area 30, 41 g square miles (78, 783 square km).

Wales

Welsh Cymrv, component country of the UK—with Engl. , Sc, and NI. It occup. a peninsula jutting westward from Engl. into the Irish Sea. On 3 sides the boundaries of W. are natural, with the shores of Liverpool Bay and the River Dee's estuary to die n. , die Irish Sea and St George's Channel to the w. , and the coastline of Bristol Channel and die River Severn's estuary on die s. The eas. boundary—that with Engl. —is an administrative frontier created in 1536 as part of die Act of Union that linked England wh* Wales. Geography

W. is dominated by the Cambrian Mountains, a region of plateaus and hills that is dissected by deep valleys and accentuated by die peaks of Snowdonia (Snowdon Mountain) in die n-w. and, in the s, the ranges of die Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. The highest peak in the country, 3, 560 feet (1, 085 m% is found in Snowdonia. Toe Cambrians largely comprise die upland areas, generally and collectively described as the Welsh Massif. 2 relief divisions - in South W. : a coastal plain which in die s. -e. part around Cardiff becomes up to 16 km wide, and the upland areas of die coalfield proper. The larger river valleys originate in die central upland mass and broaden as they descend either westward to die sea or eastwaid into die lowland plains of die English border, the Dee, Sevan, and Wye are die longest rivers in the country.

Wales has an Atlantic maritime climate of mild winters, cool summers, and persistent rainfall throughout die year. There are, however, considerable variations in weather. From die 3rd millennium BC onward, Wales was settled by Mediterranean peoples immigrating by sea. This western entry was paralleled on die east by die migration of peoples with links to lowland Britain and continental Europe who brought a Celtic language that formed die basis of modern Welsh. Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman penetrations from the English border subsequently dominated die ethnic and linguistic evolution of the country. About 2/3 of Wales's population lives in die south. The principal cities are die capital, Cardiff and the seaports and industrial centres of Swansea and Newport. Wales is predominantly nonconformist in religion, with Methodism die most widespread denomination, but secularism greatly limits church influence.

22 Wales depended historically upon mtntng aidheavy Industry, the decline of which has led to lower incomes and higher levels of unemployment man in the rest of Britain. Coal - a minor factor in the economy. The atmtrys principtJ manufactures are now consumer electronics, steel and tinplate, automotive engines, home appliances, paper, and food products. Milford Haven and Pembroke are two of the major petroleum-importing and refining centres in Britain, accounting for about one-fifth of total refining. Farming, forestry, and tourism are the most important occupations in the rural areas of Wales, with most small farms raising cattle and sheep. The increasingly important tourism industry depends on a siring of flourishing coastal resorts and the scenery in Wales's three national parks. Cardiff Airport handles bom international and domestic traffic.

By the late 20th century less than one-fifth of the population can speak Welsh, and they are concentrated in the north. , west, and south, highland areas of the country. Coastal southern and eastern Wales are, by contrast, heavily Anglicized.

Culture

Much effort is now being devoted to preserving the Welsh language and culture, with bilingual education, Welsh-language broadcasting, and attempts to maintain Wales's long literary tradition. In the traditional culture of Wales, great stress was laid on the spoken and written word in poetry and in prose, and vocal music—particularly choral singing—was also very important The University of Wales is a federal university with constituent colleges, schools, or universities at Cardiff Aberystwyth, Bangor, Swansea, and Lampeter. The Royal National Eisteddfod is an annual competitive festival that is held for a week each August and consists of competitions in all aspects of music, literature, drama, and art, all presented in the Welsh language.

History

The Romans had subdued the Brythonic Celts of Wales by the 1 st century AD. After the end of Roman rule in die 4th-5th century, the Welsh Celts fought off incursions from die Anglo-Saxons to the east. A number of kingdoms arose in Wales and over the next several 100 years various rulers attempted unsuccessfully to unite them under one kingdom. The Norman conquerors of England brought all of southern Wales under their suzerainty in 1093 as the March of Wales. The three kingdoms in northern and central Wales remained autonomous for a time, but by the late 13th century they too had come under English sovereignty. W. was conquered by Edward I of Engl. He was asked to choose his representative in W. from their society. At that time die 1" son of Edw. was born. He took the baby out and said he would be his representative. Since then the elder sons of the Engl. Kings received me title of Prince of Wales.

By the acts of 1536 and 1543, Wales was incorporated within the realm of England, and English became the official language of the country. Over the next few centuries toe Welsh people struggled to preserve a native culture threatened by progressive Anglwizatkm. Wales's tradition of nonconformist religion had parallels in political militancy and industrial unrest and in the popularity of first the Liberal and then the Labour parties. The Welsh Nationalist Party (Plaid Cymru) was founded in 1925, but its influence was not reflected in parliamentary ejection successes until the 1960s. Area 8, 019 square miles (20, 768 square km).