Scotland's...
Geography
Scotland is located on the northern part of the British Isles. It is part of the United Kingdom, north of England. The total area is around 78,722 sq. km. (30,414 sq mi.). There is about 10,000 km of coastline. About 3,900 km of that is mainland coastline. The rest of the coastline makes up the 800 Scottish islands.
Weather
Although January and February are the coldest months in Scotland, it is not much warmer from October to December. It is a very wet season with 21 days out of the month being rainy. There is around 70 mm (about 3 inches) of rainfall. On an average day it is around 6 degrees celsius (43 degrees fahrenheit) and there is about 1 good hour of sunshine a day.
Currency
In Scotland they use the British Pound. The exchange rate as of today (9/9/15) is £1 = $1.54.
Political Structure
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom with a Devolved Government. This means that the Scottish and English parliaments combined to create the Parliament of Great Britain. However, Scotland still has a its own Parliament that is in charge of all matters except those that are reserved for the Parliament of Great Britain. Along with Parliament there is the Scottish Cabinet. The Cabinet is made up of the Scottish Ministers. These are appointed officials who make up the decision-making body of the Scottish government. There are 4 different levels of ministers. The government is run by the First Minister, currently Nicola Sturgeon. The Fist Minister is nominated by the Scottish Parliament and then appointed by the Queen. The First Minister appoints Cabinet Secretaries (ministers) with approval from Parliament. These Cabinet Secretaries are assisted by Junior Scottish Ministers that the Secretaries appoint. The law officers of Scotland, Lord Advocate and Solicitor General, are also appointed.
*On the 18th of September, 2014 Scottish voters, voted against independence. This meant that they would stay in the United Kingdom. Due to this referendum the then First Minister, Alex Salmond, resigned.
*On the 18th of September, 2014 Scottish voters, voted against independence. This meant that they would stay in the United Kingdom. Due to this referendum the then First Minister, Alex Salmond, resigned.
Population
As of 2011 the population is 5.295 million people.
capital
Scotland's capital city is Edinburgh.
Airports
There are 4 main airports in Scotland and 5 regional airports. Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen are the four main airports. Inverness, Dundee, Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland are the 5 regional airports.
Culture and Holidays
Scottish culture began with its clans in the 12th century. Many of the traditions can still be seen today from the Highland Games, to traditional Scottish dancing and food. A popular image when one thinks of Scotland is the man in a kilt with a bagpipe. This can still be seen in Scotland in August at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an impressive display of piping. November 30th is St. Andrew's day and also Scotland's National Day. The First Minister makes an address and families gather together to eat traditional Scottish foods such as lamb and haddock. Hogmanay is the Scottish word for "the last day of year" and is celebrated like New Years. Scotts gather together to exchange gifts and well wishes for the year. At "The Bells" or midnight everyone joins hands and sings "Auld Lang Syne" to welcome in the New Year. On January 25th, Scotts celebrate Burns Night, a tribute to the famous author and poet. On this night they eat Scottish Cullen Skink, a leek soup, and Haggis.
Language
Scotland's national language is English. There are many different dialects in Scotland; the most famous is brain Scots or Scottish Broad. The traditional language is Gaelic.
Diversity
In 2011 only about 4% of the total population was of a minority ethnic group. The largest minority ethnic group is Asian Pacific Islander with 2.7% of the total population.
Sources:
www.scotland.org
http://www.scotlandinfo.eu/scotland-government-and-politics/
http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us/travel/around-scotland/air
http://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/scottish-culture-and-traditions/
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Equality/Equalities/DataGrid/Ethnicity/EthPopMig