International - Scotland

           Scotland’s leading export industries include five sectors that account for almost two-thirds of total Scotland’s exports.  These are food and beverages, chemicals, business services, electronics, textiles, oil and gas.  Scotland’s top exports markets include USA, Netherlands, France, and Germany.  The total value of international exports from Scotland in 2012 is 26 billion Euros, of which 15.4 billion was from the manufacturing sector and 8.7 billion was from the services sector.  However, the main imports from Scotland to the USA include polyester, cows, paper, and cars.   The total value of imports to Scotland was 14.8 billion Euros, the only positive import growth rate of the four United Kingdom countries. 

            Scotland is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, together with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  It has its own parliament, legal and education systems, and even has its own currency.  The official currency in Scotland is the British pound sterling, consisting of 100 pence.  1 US dollar is equal to 0.6 British pound sterling.  However, when comparing the US dollar to the Euro, 1 dollar is equal to 0.72 Euros.  This goes to show an individual how weak the dollar currency actually is in today’s day and age.

            Historically, Scotland has been a country where more people are leaving to live elsewhere than moving to live in Scotland. However, since the 1960s, emigration has greatly reduced and, in some years during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Scotland experienced more immigration. Scotland has now entered a period of immigration. The highest rates of migration from outside Scotland were in the areas of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Stirling. The highest rates of migration outside of Scotland were in East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire.   

            Scotland has the same allies and enemies with that of the rest of the United Kingdom.  Scotland’s allies include Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Japan, and the US.  There aren’t any countries that are enemies, but countries that are considered neutral include Spain and France.