Scotland

Scotland is a country which is a constituent part of the United Kingdom.

History

Until the so-called Wars of Scottish Independence, a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, Scottish Kings paid homage to England's Kings at Westminster, Scotland being a feudal vassal state. At the end of both wars, in 1357, in the Treaty of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Scotland's status was recognized as a fully independent state.

Scotland's King James VI (from 24 July 1567) became by hereditary right King of England and Ireland as King James 1st on 24th March 1603 creating the union of the Scottish and English crowns. On 20 October 1604, King James issued a proclamation at Westminster changing his style to "King of Great Brittaine, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c."

In 1707 the Scottish & English Parliaments voted for Union which took effect on May 1st, uniting the two parliaments to form the Parliament of Great Britain, based in the Palace of Westminster in London. Parliament in Scotland was therefore dissolved, and England and Scotland once again became a single national entity.

In 1997 a Scottish devolution referendum was held to determine whether there was sufficient support for the creation of a Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom and whether there was support for such a parliament to have tax varying powers. There was a 60 per cent voter turnout of whom 75 per cent voted in favour of both proposals. As a result the United Kingdom Parliament passed the Scotland Act 1998, creating an autonomous Scottish Assembly and a Scottish Executive. The new Scottish Parliament met for the first time on 12 May 1999. It should be noted that Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom and continues to send elected members to the Westminster Parliament. Scotland is not a sovereign country.

External links

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia.com: Scotland