Scotland Overview Flag-Saltire Royal Standard of Scotland Edinburgh, Glasgow First Minister Alex Salmond 78,387km² 5,222,100 St Andrew History Picts (Celtic tribe) Romans named scotland Caledonia The Scots Queen Mary was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne in 1567. National Symbols Thistle Declaration of Arbroath Tartan Bagpipes Kilt Honours of Scotland Crown, Sword and sceptre are from late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. Crown was made in 1540.
Other Ministers are also appointed by the Queen on the nomination of the Parliament and together with the First Minister they make up the Scottish Government, the executive arm of government. The Royal Coat of Arms of Queen Elizabeth II as used in Scotland. In the 2007 election, the Scottish National Party (SNP), which campaigns for Scottish independence, won the largest number of seats of any single party and the leader of the SNP, Alex Salmond, was elected First Minister on 16 May 2007 as head of a minority government. The Labour Party became the largest opposition party, with the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party are also represented in the Parliament. Margo MacDonald is the only independent MSP sitting in Parliament. Scotland is represented in the British House of Commons by 59 MPs elected from territory-based Scottish constituencies