Is it "Edinburgh Scotland"
or "Edinburgh UK"?
Here’s a question many a traveller to Scotland asks:
“Is Scotland now an independent country, or is it still part
of the United Kingdom?”
The answer is… yes, and yes.
Allow me to explain…
An
Independent Country
Scotland became an independent country in 1999, when the
first Scottish Parliament was established since the union between Scotland and
England in 1707.
It’s important to realise, however, the Scottish Parliament
shares the political responsibilities with the UK parliament in Westminster,
London.
The Scottish Parliament governs areas like: home affairs,
education, law (Scotland has its own legal system), and tourism.
The UK Parliament looks after: defence, national security,
border controls, and foreign policy - including relations with Europe.
So Scotland is an independent country that is also part of
the United Kingdom, and it’s the United Kingdom that’s the member state of the
European Union.
United Kingdom. Great Britain.
The British Isles.
Fine, you say, but what exactly is the “United
Kingdom”?
The term “United Kingdom” is an abbreviation of “The United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.
“Great Britain” comprises the individual countries of
Scotland, England and Wales.
(The other term you’ll hear banded around is “The British
Isles”. Unlike its political
counterparts, this is a purely geographical term referring to “the archipelago
off the North-West corner of Europe”.)
So much for definitions.
Summary:
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. Scotland is an independent country, keeping
its membership of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is a member state of the European Union.
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