Scottish independence vote: will referendum spell the end of the United Kingdom?
- 9 years ago
The referendum on Scottish independence, scheduled for September 18, will decide the fate of the three-century-old United Kingdom, one of the most successful unions in history.
Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom for more than three hundred years, but under an agreement passed in October 2012, the Scottish people will vote on whether Scotland should secede from the union.
In 2013, the United Kingdom’s total population reached 64.1 million, with Scotland making up about 8.3 percent. The United Kingdom’s GDP in 2013 was around 1.55 trillion pounds. With a GDP of 130 billion pounds, Scotland contributed about 9.5 percent. Services, especially financial, account for a large proportion of Scotland’s GDP, while exports of Whisky and North Sea oil are also important drivers of the Scottish economy.
One of the main issues in the independence debate are Scotland’s North Sea oil reserves. Production peaked in 1999, when 4.6 million barrels were extracted per day; production has since dwindled. Estimates of North Sea oil reserves vary greatly. Scottish nationalists say there are 24 billion barrels of untapped oil, while unionists have cited a much lower figure.
The Scottish government has been running a deficit, which rose from 7.6 billion pounds in 2011/12 to 12.1 billion pounds in 2012/13.
First Minister Alex Salmond says an independent Scotland would continue to use the pound under a currency union with England. But England has warned this may not be an option.
If Scotland breaks away from the UK, it will have to decide whether or not to join the European Union. An independent Scotland would also have to apply for NATO membership.
The pro-independence camp has also vowed to remove Trident submarines within five years of independence. An independent Scotland would have to build up its own armed forces of at least 15,000 permanent military personnel. It would also need to purchase new submarines and frigates.
Earlier polls indicated the majority of Scottis
Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom for more than three hundred years, but under an agreement passed in October 2012, the Scottish people will vote on whether Scotland should secede from the union.
In 2013, the United Kingdom’s total population reached 64.1 million, with Scotland making up about 8.3 percent. The United Kingdom’s GDP in 2013 was around 1.55 trillion pounds. With a GDP of 130 billion pounds, Scotland contributed about 9.5 percent. Services, especially financial, account for a large proportion of Scotland’s GDP, while exports of Whisky and North Sea oil are also important drivers of the Scottish economy.
One of the main issues in the independence debate are Scotland’s North Sea oil reserves. Production peaked in 1999, when 4.6 million barrels were extracted per day; production has since dwindled. Estimates of North Sea oil reserves vary greatly. Scottish nationalists say there are 24 billion barrels of untapped oil, while unionists have cited a much lower figure.
The Scottish government has been running a deficit, which rose from 7.6 billion pounds in 2011/12 to 12.1 billion pounds in 2012/13.
First Minister Alex Salmond says an independent Scotland would continue to use the pound under a currency union with England. But England has warned this may not be an option.
If Scotland breaks away from the UK, it will have to decide whether or not to join the European Union. An independent Scotland would also have to apply for NATO membership.
The pro-independence camp has also vowed to remove Trident submarines within five years of independence. An independent Scotland would have to build up its own armed forces of at least 15,000 permanent military personnel. It would also need to purchase new submarines and frigates.
Earlier polls indicated the majority of Scottis