Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Netherlands

2010-05-21T15:29:51Z

ErikWarmelink: /* References */ remove edit bar left-over

{{Country|
|map=Netherlands rel87.jpg
|map2=Netherlands location.PNG
|flag=Netherlandsflag.gif
|arms=
|capital=Amsterdam
|government=Constitutional monarchy
|language=Dutch
|queen=Beatrix
|president=
|chancellor=
|pm=Jan Peter Balkenende
|area=41,526 km² (18,41% water)
|pop=16,515,057
|pop-basis=2009 estimate
|gdp-year=2006 (est)
|gdp-pc=$35,078
|currency=Euro (€) (EUR)
|idd=31
|tld=.nl
}}
The '''Netherlands''' (Dutch: ''Nederland'') is a country in the [[European Union]] in northwestern Europe, north of Belgium and France. It is a part of [[the Kingdom of the Netherlands]] (''Koninkrijk der Nederlanden''). It is bordered by [[Belgium]] and [[Germany]], and has a total population of 16,5 million (2009). Its system of government is [[constitutional monarchy]]. The country is often referred to as "Holland", this was originally the name of two densely populated provinces of the country (North-Holland and South-Holland), the cities of [[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]] all lie in these provinces that have always been the most influential regions in the Netherlands. The language is [[Dutch]] and the people are referred to in English as Dutchmen or the Dutch.

The major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 94%, Surinamese 2%, Asians 2% and others 2%.
==Dike system==
The term "Netherlands" means "low country," and it is a very low-lying country. About a quarter of the land area, containing more than half of the population, is actually below sea level, and would flood if the sea were not held back by a system of [[dike]]s. The Dutch have a saying that "God created the earth, but the Dutch made Holland".

A major breach of the dikes occurred in 1953, killing 1800 people.
To avoid a repeat of the disaster the Dutch began construction of the "Delta Project" to protect the country from future inundations. Begun in 1953 and completed in 2002 the Delta Project is considered a modern wonder of civil engineering. After [[Hurricane Katrina]], a delegation of American engineers was invited by the Dutch government to see how the project works and how its technology can be applied in the United States for low-lying cities like [[New Orleans]].
==Major cities==
[[Amsterdam]], named for the Amstel river, is the largest city, and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ringed by an extensive system of concentric canals. The seat of government, however, is located for historical reasons in [[The Hague]] (''Den Haag'' or '' 's Gravenhage'' in Dutch. ).

[[Eindhoven]] is the location of the giant electronics corporation, Philips (full name: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.), with annual revenue equivalent to about $40 billion. (The U.S. corporation [[General Electric]] has revenues of about $150 billion, but much of it is from non-electronics businesses). The Eindhoven area is known for its high concetration of high-tech industires, which include ASML, the world primary producer of lithography system for the production of semiconductors, and ''Océ'', a leading producer of printers and copiers.

[[Groningen]] is home to many branches of ''KPN'', the former state company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony. It had its headquarters in Groningen when it was still state run, and move to [[The Hague]] since. ''KPN'' stands for ''Koninklijke PTT Nederland'', or ''Royal PTT Netherlands''. Groningen is also home to ''Gasunie'' (Gasunion), a public-private partnership that exploits the natural gas reseves in the province of Groningen and the adjoint [[North Sea]].
==Business==
The Netherlands is the home of the Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell, whose full name is ''Royal Dutch Shell'' or ''Koninklijke Nederlandse Shell''. Other well known Dutch or partly Dutch multinationals are ''Unilever'', a company owning many household brands, ''ING Group'', a banking group, ''Ahold'', an international chain of supermarkets, ''Reed Elsevier'', a publishing house, ''Nielsen Company'', owner of the [[Yellow Pages]], and ''Randstad Holding'', a company providing ''human resource services''. The famous ''Dutch East India Company'', known in Dutch as ''Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie'' or VOC, which dominated trade in with South-East Asia in the 17th century, is regarded as the first multinational in history.
==Customs==
The Netherlands has long been famous for its production of flowers, and also for a related economic event, the "tulip mania" of 1636-1637. A classic example of a "bubble," [[tulip]]s were traded on stock exchanges, and bid up to fantastic prices by people who understood that the prices were crazy but hoped to sell at a profit to even crazier investors. Many people mortgaged their homes for a single tulip bulb and in one case an entire brewery was exchanged for a few bulbs. As with all bubbles, when bidding began to lag people tried to sell and the bubble burst with disastrous consequences. Since then the Dutch have been renowned for their carefulness with money and have established a significant presence in the banking and financial sectors.

===Drug policies===
The Netherlands is noted for its low-crime rate (although comparable to other western European nations) and [[libertarian]] legislation. Examples are licensed prostitution in designated areas of major cities, such as Amsterdam's Red Light District, the legal soft [[drugs]] sold in the country's many coffee shops, [[abortion]] rights, [[same-sex marriage]]s and [[euthanasia]].

Consuming and carrying (for personal use only) the "soft drugs" ([[marijuana]], [[hashish]] and [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]]) were made legal in the Netherlands in 1976 in a final attempt to stop drug-related crime in the 1970s. Soft drugs can be legally purchased by individuals over 18 in the famed (licensed) coffee shops, that do sell coffee as well, but are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The Dutch policy regarding soft drugs (and previously prostitution) is called "gedoogbeleid" (condonement policy). This means that although certain behavior is officially prohibited by law, a condonement clause prevents law enforcement agencies from persecuting this behavior. This clause is, legally speaking, not a law and can be reverted much easier than a regular law.

The main reason for this policy is to try to split the market for "soft drugs" from the one for "hard drugs", this to avoid that users "upgrade" from soft to "hard drugs" (the latter are still illegal). So in short, the law tries to prevent citizen's exposure to hard drugs by providing a legal context in which to purchase cannabis. The policy also allows the police to focus on the war on hard drugs and criminal trade, and avoid the exhaustive bureaucratic costs associated with low-profile possession busts. In fact, most major cities in the world have similar non-prosecution policies, but the Dutch one is the only nationwide one.

Growing marijuana and hashish for commercial purposes is still officially illegal (it is legal to own up to four plants per household), causing coffee shop owners to rely on illegal homegrown products. Only two state run companies are exempted from this rule in order to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Leftist movements have stated that the government should make its mind up: "either make growing marijuana and hashish legal, or ban soft drugs altogether".

The legal status of soft drugs has had no significant adverse effects on Dutch society. This is probably due to the fact that it has become a more or less socially accepted drug like alcohol and tobacco, removing the need for dealers and effectively terminating cannabis' status as an anti-establishment symbol, and in effect diminishing its' popularity somewhat amongst youth.

==Queen's Day==

April 30th is known as Queen's Day (''Koninginnedag'') - the national holiday to mark the official birthday of the monarch. This is actually the birthday of former Queen Juliana (Queen Beatrix's mother) but has been kept as the official holiday because of the better weather (Queen Beatrix's actual birthday is 31 January). Queen's Day is the one day of the year when ordinary Netherlanders are permitted to sell goods on the streets without a license. Consequently the whole country is turned into a gigantic flea market (garage sale). The primary effect of this is that people buy goods they do not want or need, solely in order to sell them the following year. In an act of patriotism, most of the populace wear orange colored clothing (the national color) to identify with the Royal House Of Orange-Nassau.

Those not involved with selling their surplus belongings celebrate the national holiday at outdoors parties in the cities or with fine weather, spend the free day on a terrace of a pub, or cycle in the national ''Fietsen op Dijken '' tour around the nation's dikes.

==Anne Frank==
[[Anne Frank]] was a famous Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in the house of friends in Amsterdam. She wrote a diary which was later published and became a best seller. Her family left Germany in 1933 because of the Nazis, but the Nazis caught up with her and sent her to Belsen death camp where she died before end of war in 1945. Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam is now a popular tourist attraction.

==Society==

[[Same sex marriage]] has been recognized by the Dutch government since 2001.<ref>[http://marriage.about.com/cs/samesexmarriage/a/samesex.htm About.com]</ref> Furthermore, legal [[prostitution]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and its drug policy (see above) make The Netherlands the most liberal country in the world by most standards. Religion was once the dominant factor in Dutch society and politics, but since the 1970s plays a secondary role in society, with only 9% of the population being [[Protestant]] (2009) and just under 30% are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. There is, however, a rising [[Muslim]] population (4%) which has caused social strains. An overall decline in religion can be seen as of 2004. These days The Netherlands are considered one of the least churchgoing countries in Europe.

==History==
* see [[History of the Netherlands]]

== See also ==

*[[Gallery of Flemish and Dutch painting]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]

==Bibliography==
===Guides===
* DK. ''Amsterdam'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-Publishing/dp/075662441X/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]
* DK. ''Netherlands'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Holland-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Ewart/dp/0789493055/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* ''Lonely Planet the Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Netherlands-Travel-Guides/dp/1741042992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin the Green Guide Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Green-Guide-Netherlands-Guides/dp/2067123319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
===Current conditions===
* Delsen, Lei. ''Exit Polder Model? Socioeconomic Changes in the Netherlands'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/read/113099417?title=Exit%20Polder%20Model%3f%20%20Socioeconomic%20Changes%20in%20the%20Netherlands online edition]
* Mathijs, Ernest, ed. ''The Cinema of the Low Countries.'' (2004). 268 pp.
* Vuijsje, Herman. ''The Politically Correct Netherlands: Since the 1960s.'' (2000). 244 pp.
* White, Colin, et al. ''The Undutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture And Its Inhabitants'' (2005)
===History surveys===
* Arblaster, Paul. ''A History of the Low Countries.'' (2006). 298 pp.
* Blom, J. C. H. and E. Lamberts, eds. ''History of the Low Countries'' (2006) 504pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Low-Countries-J-Blom/dp/1845452720/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/1379132?title=History%20of%20the%20Low%20Countries complete edition online]
* Hooker, Mark T. ''The History of Holland'' (1999) 264pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Holland-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313306583/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209805742&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Israel, Jonathan. ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806'' (1995) a major synthesis; [http://www.questia.com/read/91981119?title=The%20Dutch%20Republic%3a%20Its%20Rise%2c%20Greatness%2c%20and%20Fall%2c%201477-1806 complete online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Republic-Greatness-1477-1806-History/dp/0198207344/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Kossmann, E. H. ''The Low Countries 1780-1940'' (1978)
* van Oostrom, Frits, and Hubert Slings. ''A Key to Dutch History'' (2007)
* Pirenne, Henri. ''Belgian Democracy, Its Early History'' (1910, 1915) 250 pp. history of towns in the Low Countries [http://www.questia.com/read/1276323?title=Belgian%20Democracy%2c%20Its%20Early%20History online free]
* Rietbergen, P.J.A.N. ''A Short History of the Netherlands. From Prehistory to the Present Day''. 5th ed. Amersfoort: Bekking, 2002. ISBN 9061094402
* Vlekke, Bernard H. M. ''Evolution of the Dutch Nation'' (1945) 382 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/82243176?title=Evolution%20of%20the%20Dutch%20Nation online edition]

==Online resources==
* [http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History (IISH)]
* [http://www.minbuza.nl/history/en/home History of the Netherlands, introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/dutchrevolt.html Dutch revolt: maps]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:European History]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]
[[Category:Dutch History]]

Sleep

2009-10-30T16:52:57Z

ErikWarmelink: /* Etymology */ Of course, then do write "schläfrig" (not "schläflig"); apologies to RandolfH

'''Sleep''' is a bodily state in which the body and [[mind]] rest. Almost all animals must sleep regularly to survive. However, sleep seems to play in important role in growth and memory processing, and sleep deprivation can lead to immune system deficiencies and a significant decrease in judgment and reaction time.

Sleep occurs in several stages, which vary in the type and intensity of the [[brain]] activity that occurs, which is measured via [[EEG]]. Stage 1 sleep is characterized primarily by an alpha and theta EEG waves. During stage 2 theta waves predominate, and the sleeper becomes less aware of the environment. Stages 3 and 4 are also referred to as ''slow-wave sleep'', and are characterized by a delta wave EEG pattern. Stages 1 - 4 are also referred to as NREM (non rapid eye movement) sleep, and account for the majority of sleep time. Following stage 4, a person enters REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which as the name suggests is characterized by rapid movements of the eyes and increased brain activity relative to the other sleep stages. Although dreams occur in other sleep stages, dreams that are remembered after waking typically occur during REM sleep. Most people cycle through the stages of sleep several times each night, with each cycle lasting about 90-120 minutes.

==Etymology==

Since sleep is a fairly basic, but abstract, concept, the morphology of the corresponding word is useful in historical [[linguistics]] for determining fine relationships between related languages. The [[noun]] ''sleep'' and its derived [[verb]] and [[adjective]] forms ''to sleep, sleepy'' in English both originate from a common Germanic root *SLAEP, as exemplified by the many cognates of the word in other Germanic languages such as the Dutch ''slaap, slapen, slaperig'' and the German ''Schlaf, schlafen, schläfrig.''

== References ==
*[http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep], National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
[[Category:Biology]]

*[http://www.sleepfoundation.org National Sleep Foundation]

Sleep

2009-10-30T16:50:00Z

ErikWarmelink: Undo revision 714562 by RandolfH (Talk); schläfrig does exist; typos in Dutch

'''Sleep''' is a bodily state in which the body and [[mind]] rest. Almost all animals must sleep regularly to survive. However, sleep seems to play in important role in growth and memory processing, and sleep deprivation can lead to immune system deficiencies and a significant decrease in judgment and reaction time.

Sleep occurs in several stages, which vary in the type and intensity of the [[brain]] activity that occurs, which is measured via [[EEG]]. Stage 1 sleep is characterized primarily by an alpha and theta EEG waves. During stage 2 theta waves predominate, and the sleeper becomes less aware of the environment. Stages 3 and 4 are also referred to as ''slow-wave sleep'', and are characterized by a delta wave EEG pattern. Stages 1 - 4 are also referred to as NREM (non rapid eye movement) sleep, and account for the majority of sleep time. Following stage 4, a person enters REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which as the name suggests is characterized by rapid movements of the eyes and increased brain activity relative to the other sleep stages. Although dreams occur in other sleep stages, dreams that are remembered after waking typically occur during REM sleep. Most people cycle through the stages of sleep several times each night, with each cycle lasting about 90-120 minutes.

==Etymology==

Since sleep is a fairly basic, but abstract, concept, the morphology of the corresponding word is useful in historical [[linguistics]] for determining fine relationships between related languages. The [[noun]] ''sleep'' and its derived [[verb]] and [[adjective]] forms ''to sleep, sleepy'' in English both originate from a common Germanic root *SLAEP, as exemplified by the many cognates of the word in other Germanic languages such as the Dutch ''slaap, slapen, slaperig'' and the German ''Schlaf, schlafen, schläflig.''

== References ==
*[http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep], National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
[[Category:Biology]]

*[http://www.sleepfoundation.org National Sleep Foundation]

Scotland

2009-10-30T16:31:53Z

ErikWarmelink: /* Government */ TOny Blair -> Tony Blair; strike #REDIRECT

{{Country
|name =''Scotland''
|map =Scotland-map.jpg
|flag =Flag of Scotland.png
|arms =Lion rampant.png
|capital =Edinburgh
|capital-raw =
|government =Devolved parliamentary democracy
|government-raw =
|language =[[English]], [[Gaelic]]
|king =
|queen =Elizabeth II
|monarch-raw =
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =Alex Salmond (''First Minister'')
|area =
|pop =
|pop-basis =
|gdp =
|gdp-year =
|gdp-pc =
|currency =
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Scotland''' is the second-largest and northern-most of the four countries in the [[United Kingdom]].
It is about three-eighths the size of its southern neighbour England, but is much less populous; most of the population lives in the ''central belt'', a band across central Scotland between the capital [[Edinburgh]] and the largest city, [[Glasgow]]. Other cities are [[Aberdeen]] and [[Dundee]].

Scottish nationalists in recent years have sought greater regional autonomy, and have been granted control over some issues, including justice and education.

The Scottish government damaged its relationship with the USA in August, 2009, when it released convicted terrorist Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahl, the only man convicted in the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. He had served only 8 years of his term when he was released on grounds of compassion because he had terminal cancer. He was welcomed home in Libya as a national hero, to the disgust of the civilized world.
==Symbol==
The symbol of Scotland is the [[thistle]]. The Scottish flag is the Cross of St. Andrew, a white diagonal cross on a dark blue background. The design originated in the 9th century.
Scotland's motto is ''Nemo Me Impune Lacessit'' ("No one provokes me with impunity")<ref>http://www.scotland-guide.co.uk/ALL_AREAS_IN_SCOTLAND/Glasgow/Areas/Centre/Mercat_Cross.htm </ref>

==Geography==
Scotland is split into three distinct geographical regions; the mountainous Highlands to the north, the rolling countryside of the Central Lowlands (where the major urban centres are located) and the hilly Southern Uplands that lie next to the English border. Scotland also includes the island groups of [[Orkney]], [[Shetland]], the [[Inner Hebrides|Inner]] and [[Outer Hebrides]], the islands of the [[Firth of Clyde]] including [[Arran]], [[Bute]], [[Cumbrae]] & [[Wee Cumbrae]], the [[St. Kilda]] archipelago, [[Rockall]] and various other smaller islands.

[[Ben Nevis]], the highest mountain in the [[United Kingdom]], is in the Scottish [[Highlands of Scotland|Highlands]], as are most of the nation's highest mountains. Those with heights above 3000 feet are eponymously named [[Munro| Munros]] after Sir Hector Munro, the first person to compile a list of such mountains.<ref> for a complete list of Munros see http://www.sol.co.uk/d/dickwall/munroes.htm</ref>

Scotland has some 2,300 miles of coastline, including numerous estuaries called ''firths'' and sea lochs. Major rivers include the Spey, Tweed, Clyde, and Forth with the Tay being Scotland's longest river. Lakes, called ''lochs'' in the region, are abundant, with the name applied both to freshwater lakes and to sea inlets; Lochs Lomond, Morar, and Ness are the largest in the British Isles and well-known for their picturesque beauty, with Loch Ness having additional fame as the home of a legendary monster.

==People==

====Religion====
* see [[Church of Scotland]]

Scotland is historically Christian; the national church is the [[Church of Scotland]].

Scotland was a Catholic nation until the time of the [[Reformation]], when [[John Knox]] (1510-1572), George Wishart(1513-46) and other scholars returned from their travels in Germany excited by the works of [[John Calvin]] and to a lesser extent [[Martin Luther]].

Many of the lords became Protestant and in 1560, the Scottish Parliament formally rejected Papal jurisdiction. The Protestants ousted the Catholic queen, Mary Stuart ('Mary, Queen of Scots') and replaced her with her son, [[James VI]] (later to become [[James I]] of England).

Scotland became overwhelmingly Protestant with Catholicism surviving only in the remote and sparsely populated Highlands. About a third of the Presbyterians split off in the "Disruption of 1843" to form the Free Church of Scotland. After various other splits most of the Free Church reunited with the Church of Scotland in 1929. The Church of Scotland had about 960,000 adult members in 1980 but only 600,000 in 2006.

From the mid 19th century until the interwar period, there were large scale immigrations of Irish Catholics to Scotland's industrial urban centres and this changed the religious demography. Today there are a similar number of communicants of both the Roman Catholic Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland although both religions have suffered considerable declines in church going attendances. The Anglican (Episcopalian) Church is predominant in the north-east. Recent immigration has produced significant populations of Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Sikhs in Scotland's major cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee).

====Culture and sports====

Scotland has given the English speaking world many of the language's finest writers, poets and philosophers. Among these are Adam Smith, David Hume, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Frances Hutcheson, James Hogg, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.M Barrie and Hugh MacDiarmid. The Scottish intellectual and cultural tradition can be traced back to the Scottish Enlightenment, a remarkable period in the 18th century characterized by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. Indeed it was Voltaire who said "we look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation." Scotland is also famous for its disproportionate amount of inventors and scientists such as Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), Lord Kelvin (the Kelvin si unit of temperature), James Watt (condensed steam power), John Napier (logarithms and the decimal point), Joseph Lister (pioneer of antiseptics), Alexander Fleming (penicillin) James Clark Maxwell (electro-magnetism), Robert Watson Watt (radar) and John Logie Baird (television). It is home to ancient world class universities including the three Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews and being one of the first industrialised and urbanised nations in the world.

Above all else the national preoccupation is [[football (soccer)]]. Other popular pastimes include [[rugby]], [[lawn bowls]], [[motorsports]], [[horseracing]], [[shinty]] (similar to hockey), [[curling]], sports of the [[Highland Games]] - such as tossing the [[caber]]- and, of course, [[golf]]. Scotland is the home of golf. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at [[St Andrews]] is the governing body of world golf.

Other things associated with the country are [[kilt]]s ([[tartan]] skirt-like garments worn traditionally worn by Scotsmen), and the haunting music of the [[bagpipes]]. Famous Scottish products include [[pie]]s, [[haggis]] and Scotch [[whisky]].

==Government==
Scotland has its own [[Scottish Parliament]] comprising 129 members (MSPs) as well as sending 59 Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent its interests in the [[United Kingdom]] parliament which sits in [[London]]. Scottish MPs have historically been recognized for their political skills and appointed to the Cabinet in larger numbers than is proportionate. The current Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]], is Scottish, and formerly he was [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]. Indeed, even [[Tony Blair]] the Prime Minister prior to Brown, was born in Scotland.

The '''Scottish Government''' (formerly known as the Scottish Executive) is the government in Scotland for devolved matters. Responsibility for all devolved matters was passed to the Scottish Executive from the
'''Scottish Office''' and other UK Government departments in 1999. The members of the Scottish Government are chosen from the party or parties holding most seats in the Parliament. The Scottish Government is led by the First Minister, who forms a ministerial team of Cabinet Secretaries. In the election on May 3 2007, the [[Scottish National Party]] won the largest number of seats, but not enough for an absolute majority. At the moment the party forms a minority government.

The Government of Scotland has recently come under global scrutiny for its decision, led by Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill, to release the terrorist responsible for the 1998 [[Lockerbie]] bombing. A majority of the victims were American, and this decision received strong criticism from many Americans as well as the FBI Director Robert Mueller.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/22/fbi-director-slams-scotland-lockerbie-bomber-release/</ref> Libyan ruler Qaddafi profusely thanked British officials, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, for helping secure the release of the terrorist back to Libya. British Prime Minister Brown replied with a confusing set of denials, a disapproval of the hero's welcome that the terrorist received upon return to Libya, and a partial release of voluminous communications leading up to the release.<ref>http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14376240</ref>

===Principal Government Officials===

The Government of Scotland has a number of departments within the cabinet, headed up by a cabinet secretary, as follows:

First Minister - Alex Salmond 
Deputy Firt Minister and Health Secretary - Nicola Sturgeon 
Finance Secretary - John Swinney 
Education Secretary - Fiona Hyslop 
Justice Secretary - Kenny MacAskill 
Environment Secretary - Richard Lochead

These secretaries are aided in their work by "ministers", working within the cabinet departments, and each having their own specific area of devloved responsibility.

<ref>http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/Scottish-Cabinet</ref>

===Relations with England===
Relationships between Scottish and English MPs before [[devolution]] were sometimes tense because of what the former [[Conservative|Conservative Party]] MP, by then an [[Ulster Unionist]], [[Enoch Powell]] dubbed ''The West Lothian question''. The name arose in 1977 after [[Tam Dalyell]], Labour MP for West Lothian in Scotland, asked during a debate in the [[Houses of Parliament]] over Scottish and Welsh [[devolution]]:

<blockquote>''For how long will English constituencies and English Honourable members tolerate... at least 119 Honourable Members from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exercising an important, and probably often decisive, effect on British politics while they themselves have no say in the same matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?''</blockquote>

He pointed out that he as MP for West Lothian could vote on matters affecting English constituencies but not his own constituency.

==Economy==
Scotland's position at the forefront of the industrial revolution in the 19th century bequeathed a legacy of heavy engineering and manufacturing that lasted well into the 20th century. However with de-industrialisation from the 1970s onwards and latterly the relocation of manufacturing jobs to countries with lower labour costs (eg. Eastern Europe) the Scottish economy is now heavily dependant on tourism, the oil industry, agriculture, the service industry and public sector jobs.

==History==
* see [[History of Scotland]]

Scotland has been inhabited since the first [[Mesolithic]] hunter-gatherers are thought to have migrated to Scotland.<ref>At least 8500 years before recorded history dealt with Britain, according to the uniformitarian timescale. [http://www.scotlandhistory.net/ Scotland History], Wormland, Jenny. Scotland: a History. 2005, Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.1</ref>
These inhabitants showed advanced knowledge of astronomy, creating several [[Stonehenge]]-like monuments.

At the time of the [[Roman]]s the tribes in what became Scotland were similar to those further south, and can be considered to be [[Celtic]] peoples. Those from the North-East were called ‘Picti’ (Picts) by Roman writers, which could mean ‘painted people' and refer to tattoos. The Romans never subdued these northern tribes, and after a brief period when the Antonine Wall between the Firths of Forth and Clyde was the Roman Empire’s northern frontier, they drew back and had [[Hadrian’s Wall]] as the frontier. They did try to influence the tribes between the two Walls, and when kingdoms like Strathclyde emerged in the early [[Dark Ages]], their rulers often bore Roman names or titles, the dynasties having been founded by Roman officials. The Scots themselves began arriving as settlers in the West of Scotland at this time (AD 400-500). They were from a part of the north of [[Ireland]] and spoke Old Irish, which changed to become Scottish [[Gaelic]], and eventually replaced Pictish. They sometimes warred with the Picts and [[Briton]]s and sometimes allied with them, but a unified kingdom under the Scottish king Kenneth Mac Alpin was established in AD 843, called ‘Alba’ (still the [[Gaelic]] name for Scotland). This kingdom took over Strathclyde in the early 11th century to form the basis of Mediaeval Scotland. [[Normans]] and their descendants such as Robert the Bruce ('de Brus' was a Norman surname) became important nobles in Scotland.

====Union with England====
After the death of Queen [[Elizabeth I]] of England in 1603, James VI of Scotland ascended to the Throne of England, becoming [[James I]] of England. He was the first monarch to call himself King of Great Britain. This is referred to as the Union of the Crowns. James was also at this time King of [[Ireland]].

The Parliaments of Scotland and [[England]] were not united until 1707 and it is this date that is recognized as the formation of [[Great Britain]]. This is referred to as the Union of the Parliaments. (The [[United Kingdom]] was to come into being with the addition of [[Ireland]] in 1801.) The formation of the Irish Free State in 1922 resulted in the current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

====Monarchs of Scotland====
(the years in brackets are the years during which the monarch ruled)
*[[Malcolm II (1005-1034)]]
*[[Duncan I (1034-1040)]]
*[[Macbeth (1040-1057)]]
*[[Malcolm III (1057-1093)]]
*[[Donald Bane (1093-1094)]]
*[[Duncan II (1094)]]
*[[Donald Bane (1093-1097)]]
*[[Edgar (1097-1107)]]
*[[Alexander I (1107-1124)]]
*[[David I (1124-1153)]]
*[[Malcolm IV (1153-1195)]]
*[[William (The Lion) (1165-1214)]]
*[[Alexander II (1214-1249)]]
*[[Alexander III (1249-1286)]]
*[[Margaret of Norway (1286-1290)]]
*[[John Baliol (1292-1296)]]
*[[Robert I (1306-1329)]]
*[[David II|David II (1329-1371)]]
'''House Of Stuart'''
*[[Robert II|Robert II (1371-1390)]]
*[[Robert III (1390-1406)]]
*[[James I (1406-1437)]]
*[[James II (1437-1460)]]
*[[James III (1460-1488)]]
*[[James IV (1488-1513)]]
*[[James V (1513-1542)]]
*[[Mary Queen of Scots]] (1542-1567)
*[[James VI (1567-1625)]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.n-cyclopedia.com/scottish-history/index.htm A Brief History of Scotland]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Scotland]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Scottish Culture]]