Photo
credit : National geographic
Now the World attention is
on ‘Scotland’ – the country that covers the northern third of the island of
Great Britain and is part of the United Kingdom. It shares a border with England too. In addition to the mainland, the country is
made up of more than 790 islands. Edinburgh,
the country's capital and second-largest city, was the hub of the Scottish
Enlightenment of the 18th century, which transformed Scotland into one of the
commercial, intellectual, and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow, where
the Commonwealth games were held recently is its largest city. The Kingdom of
Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages; Scotland subsequently entered into a political
union with England in 1707 to create a
single Kingdom of Great Britain. Scotland's
legal system has remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern
Ireland, and Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in public and private
law.
Today is an
important day as people in Scotland have begun voting on whether the country
should stay in the UK or become an independent nation. Voters will answer
"Yes" or "No" to the referendum question: "Should
Scotland be an independent country?" With 4,285,323 people - 97% of the
electorate - registered to vote, a historically high turnout is expected. Votes will be cast at 2,608 polling places
across the country until 22:00 on Thursday. The result is expected early on
Friday morning. Ballot papers will be counted in each of Scotland's 32 local
authority areas.
In 1999, the parliament in
London started to transfer some powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In 2009, Scotland's parliament decided to go a giant step further by pushing
for an independence vote. Two years ago, British Prime Minister David Cameron
agreed to allow the referendum to take place because the case for independence
seemed weak at the time. Supporters of
independence want direct control over their affairs. Scots tend to be
left-leaning and chafe at the policies embraced by the ruling Conservative
Party in London. In the most recent general election, just a single
Conservative Party member was elected in Scotland.
Pro-unity advocates say
being part of the United Kingdom gives Scotland a bigger say in world affairs
through major alliances such as the European Union and NATO, in which a united
nation has more clout. They also say continued union means more jobs, stronger
financial services, continued use of the British pound and a tradition of
partnership that goes back three centuries. Leaders of the U.K.'s three main
political parties have been campaigning at a furious pace in recent weeks to
persuade Scots to vote "No." Cameron of the Conservative Party,
Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and opposition Labor leader
Ed Miliband have all been making speeches and attending rallies in Scotland.
Cameron wrote in an opinion piece last week in the Daily Mail: "Let no one
in Scotland be in any doubt: we desperately want you to stay; we do not want
this family of nations to be ripped apart." Cameron has said he
"emphatically" will not resign if Scotland votes to leave the U.K.
His Conservative Party, which has a general election planned for next year,
could start re-evaluating its leadership if Cameron is viewed as the man who
lost Scotland.
Many families living in
the U.K. have relatives who live and work in Scotland and England. Under an
independent Scotland, travel between the two could become more difficult and involve
border checks, passports and even visas. That scenario is unlikely if Scotland
is allowed immediate membership in the EU, which permits free movement across
member countries.
South Sudan the landlocked country in northeastern Africa
gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. Born in 9th July 2011,
it is the newest Country and whether that status is set to change remains to be
seen.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
18th Sept. 2014.
