Scotland (Gaelic: Alba) is a country that occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is part of the United Kingdom, and shares a land border to the south with England. It has a population of 5,117,000 and an area of 78,800 km²
Scotland shares a 60 mile (96 km) land border to the south with England, and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. Scottish waters border those of Norway, the Faeroes, Iceland and Ireland. Apart from the mainland, Scotland consists of over 790 islands, giving it a coastline of approximately 6200 miles (9,900 km). The Kingdom of Scotland was united in 843, by Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots, and is thus one of the oldest still-existing countries in the world. Scotland existed as an independent state until the Act of Union, 1 May, 1707.
The flag of Scotland – the Saltire or St Andrew’s Cross – is thought to be the oldest national flag still in use. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and Saint Andrew’s Day, on 30 November, is Scotland’s national day. Scotlandis the land of the classicHighland kilt and the tartan that are emblems that have set the Scottish people apart the world over. Most people are at least somewhat familiar with the clan tartans. The great Highland clans represent one culture from a particular era and region in Scotland but not everyone in Scotland has allegiance to a clan or other noble family. In Gastronomy you will find a wide range from haggis to Scotch whisky, Scotch Broth, porridge, scones, oatcakes, shortbread and sporrans with oatmeal , all rich in in a traditionalspecific flavour.
For a small country, Scotland has produced some of the greatest minds and the most astonish inventions to shape the modern world as we know it today. The Scots have a lot to be proud of, here are just a few…
Adhesive Postage Stamps , Anaesthetics, Antisepsis, Artificial Diamonds, Reaping Machine, Bank of England, Latent Heat, Brownian movement , Buicks , Cloud Chamber, Chemical Bonds , Penicillin (1928), The Decimal Point , Documentary Films, Economics, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Engineering Sciences, Fax Machines (early 19th Century), First Cloned Mammal ‘Dolly’ The Sheep, Flailing Machines (1784), Geosciences (1785), Golf (15th Century), Hypodermic Syringes, Kelvin Scale, Percussion Powder (1809), Logarithms (1615), Maxwell’s Equations, Marmalade, Mackintosh Raincoats, Macadamized Roads, Microwave Ovens (1940’s), Colloid Chemistry, Breech-Loading Rifle, Tubular Steel, Pneumatic Tyres (1888):Hollow Pipe Drainage, Peter Pan, Radar, Paleobiology (1815), Polarization (1828), Cure for Scurvy, Halloween, Refrigerators (1876), Iron Bridges,Sociology Steam Engine,Telephones (1876),The Telegraph, Television, Stereotype (1727), Sulphuric Acid, Steam-Hammer (1839), Cure for Insomnia (1998), Paraffin, Sherlock Holmes,Harry Potter, Whisky and many others.