...the Southern Uplands is much less elevated and rugged than the Highlands. It consits largely of a moorland plateau traversed by rolling hills and broken by mountainous outcroppings. Adjoining dt. angrenzend the Southern Uplands region along the boundary ith England are the Cheviot Hills.Situated off the north and est coasts of Scotland are the Islands, the main groups being the Orkneys and Shetlands off the north coast and the Hebrides off the est coasts. The largest of the other islands is Arran. All of the islands are sparsely dt. sprlich populate.Rivers and LakesScotland is charcterized by an abundance dt. Reichtum of streams and lakes, hich are called lochs. Lochs are especially common in the central and northern regions, e.g. Loch Lomond the largest or the famous Loch Ness. Many of the rivers in the est are just small streams, generally of little commercial importance. The longest river of Scotland is the Tay. Hoever, these rivers are not really impotant.The coastline of Scotland is very irregular. The estern coast in particular is deeply penetrated dt. durchdrungen by numerous arms of the sea, hich are called firths dt. Fjord. The Firth of Clyde, hich is the principal navigational stream, site dt. Platz of the port of Glasgo, the Firth of Lorne and Solay Fith are the main firths.ClimateThe climate of Scotland is influenced by the surrounding seas. Extreme seasonal variations are rare, as a ressult of the moderating influences. The outstanding climatic features are temperate inters and cool summers. In the estern coastal region, hich is subjected to the moderating effects of the Gulfstream, conditions are somehat milder than in the east. The precipition dt. Niederschlag, hich is marked by regional variation, ranges from 3800mm in the est to 635mm in certain eastern areas.Vegetation and Animal lifeThe most common species of trees in Scotland are oak dt. Eiche and conifers dt. Nadelbaum, like fir dt. Tanne, pine dt. Kiefer or larch dt. Lrche . Hoever large forrest are not idely spread. They are mainly situated in the southern and eastern Highlands. Except in these ooded areas, vegetation consits largely of heather dt. Heidekraut, ferns dt. Farn, mosses, and grasses. Nearly all of the cultivated plants of Scotland ere imported from America or the European continent.There are not many different species of animals living in Scotland. The most typical one is the deer. Both the red deer and the roe dt. Reh deer can be found in the Scottish forests. The reed deer is especially common in the Highlands. Other mammals dt. Sugetiere are the hare dt. ildhase, rabbit, otter, ermine dt. Hermelin, pine marten dt. Marder, and ildcat. The birds include grouse dt. schottische Moorschneehuhn, blackcock, ptarmigan dt. Alpenschneehuhn, and aterfol dt. asservogel. One animal, Scotland is famous for, is the salmon dt. Lachs, ho is living in the streams and lakes of Scotland. Many other species of fishes can be found in the coastal aters as ell.Natural ResourcesLike the rest of the British island, Scotland is knon for his significant reserves of coal and zinc. The soil is generallly rocky, except for that of the central Lolands. There it is possible to do some farming. In the North of Scotland you can find a great potential of hydroelectric poer. Hydroelectric poer plants are likely to see there. Population of ScotlandPopulation CharacteristicsThe people of Scotland are descendants dt. Nachkommen of various racial stocks, including the Picts, Celts, Scandinavians and Romans. Scotland has become a mixed society. Scots divide themselves into Highlanders, ho consider themselves of purer Celtic blood and retain dt. beahren a stronger feeling of clan, and Lolanders, ho are largely of Teutonic blood.Population CharacteristicsCurrently over 5 Mio. people live in Scotland. The population density is about 66 person per sq km. The highest density is in the central Lolands, here nearly three-fourth of the Scots live. This also the area, here the big cities are situated.Principal CitiesThe capital of Scotland is Edinburgh420,000 inhabitants, hich is also the administrative center. But Edinburgh is not the biggest city in Scotland, hich is Glasgo ith over 750,000 people. Furthermore Glasgo has the major impact on the Scotish industry. Together ith Clayside it forms a big conurbation dt. Ballungsgebiet, here the largest shipbuilding and engineering center is situated. Other important industrial cities are Dundee170,000 and Aberdeen190,000.LanguageEnglish is the official language, but still feer than 100,000 Scots, hich are mainly inhabitants of the northern Highlands, also speak the Scottish form of Gaelic. ReligionThe Church of Scotland is often seen as the mother church of Presbyterianism in English-speaking countries. Presbyterianism is a system of church government based on the Calvinist belief, that all church members are equal in the eyes of god. Furthermore it is a democratic society ith elections, hat means, that every church elects their minister. Also the Presbyterianism does not have bishops or archbishops. The church is governed by democratically elected groups at local, regional and national level.John Knox as the man, ho introduced the system of Presbyterianism to Scotland. He beliefed in the studies of John Calvin, ho lived in Geneva, here Knox spent several years. One major idea of the Calvinists is the idea of predestination, hich means, that God has planned that it is the destiny of some people to be saved, heras the rest is condemned to eternal damnation. Furthermore it encouraged the people to put their trusts in Gods decision. CultureBefore talking about Scotlands culture, you have to consider, that Scotland as not one country, but to the Highlands and the Lolands. The Lolands ere poorer than England, but more prosperous than the Highlands. The Highlands lived in a system of rural economy based on cattle and goats dt. Ziegen even the Highland soil and climate did not encourage the economy. It as often compared ith the ild est of America, a laless society, here murder, looting dt. plndern and the theft dt. Diebstahl of cattle and ifes ere common. The society as dominated by the clans and their chiefs, hos authority as absolute. Furthermore the Gaelic language as idely spread in the Highlands. Today still 100,000 people are able to speak Gaelic. The Highlands dress is the kilt, ith a pattern called tartan, hich consists of the colours of the clan. They ere especially orn in the military. Today also Lolanders are alloed to ear the famous kilt.The Lolands ere, compared to the Highlands, more advanced in their economy and in their agricultural structure. Presbyterianism as idely spread in this area, heras many Highlanders remained catholic.The result of this differences as animosity dt. Feindschaft and prejudice. Highlanders looked don on Lolanders as gloomy cabbage eaters dressed in dark clothes contrasting ith the heroic Highlander in his bright tartan. Lolanders considered Highl...
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