The main difference between Scotland and Ireland is that Scotland is located in the northern part of the island of Great Britain, while Ireland is located as a separate island west of the island of Great Britain and also refers to the sovereign state of the Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain are the three countries that make up the United Kingdom as they share the same system of government. Hence, many people tend to view Scotland and Ireland as similar countries. However, the geographic location of Scotland and Ireland serves to make a clear distinction between them.
Key areas covered
1. Scotland - geography, politics, facts 2. Ireland - geography, politics, facts 3. What is the similarity between Scotland and Ireland - overview of the similarities 4. What is the difference between Scotland and Ireland - comparison of key differences
key terms
Countries, geography, politics, Ireland, Great Britain, Scotland
Scotland - geography, politics, facts
Scotland is the country in the northern part of the island of Great Britain. In addition, Scotland covers a third of the island of Great Britain. Apart from that, Scotland also has over 790 islands under its jurisdiction such as the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Although Scotland, or the Kingdom of Scotland, was originally a sovereign independent state with its own system of government, in 1707 it decided to join the government of Great Britain, creating the British Parliament and eventually becoming part of the United Kingdom.
Although Scotland shares the same British Parliament, it retains its cultural and national identity as its legal, educational and religious institutions are still different from the rest of the UK.
With Scotland making up a third of the land area of Great Britain, Scotland is rich in diversity of flora and fauna. Scotland's longest river, the Tay, runs for 190 km and feeds this rich land mass of greenery. In addition, Scotland is also rich in ancient rocks and natural resources, in addition to its volcanoes, coal and iron rocks. In addition, the climate in Scotland is temperate and oceanic, which is very changeable in several regions with much milder winters to cooler, wetter summers. Overall, Scotland's geography is a large part of its appeal to tourists.
Some quick facts about Scotland
Area: 77,933 km 2
Status: Country under UK
Capital: Edinburgh
Largest city: Glasgow
Currency: pound sterling
Languages: English, Scottish Gaelic
What is ireland
Ireland, the third largest island in Europe, is located in the North Atlantic west of the island of Great Britain. Hence it is separated to the west from Great Britain and to the east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea and the St. George's Channel.
After the Irish War and Ireland's independence from Great Britain, conflicts arose between Northern and Southern Ireland over an independent system of government. However, Northern Ireland, made up of six counties, chose to remain as part of Great Britain and so became part of the United Kingdom with Scotland and Great Britain. On the contrary, the remaining counties that made up the southern part of Ireland voted for an independent Ireland and established the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) as an independent sovereign state.
Therefore, one should not consider the entire geographic island of Ireland as one state, as it is made up of two states with two different administrative systems or governments: one part stands as an independent sovereign state while the other part forms the United Kingdom along with Scotland, England and Wales. Hence the name "Ireland" refers to the Republic of Ireland while the northern part of Ireland along with the United Kingdom is known as "Northern Ireland".
The island of Ireland has a temperate climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, with milder winters, although summers are cooler than in continental Europe. When it comes to flora and fauna, there are few land animal and plant species in Ireland.
Most Irish are Catholics, but there are also significant numbers of Protestants (especially in the Republic of Ireland). Ireland is also known for spreading pub culture around the world, where pubs are used not only as places to drink but also as places to get to know and enjoy. Famous products that are traded internationally by Ireland include Irish whiskey and stout, a dark beer made by a number of companies such as Guinness.
Some quick facts about the Republic of Ireland
Area: 70,273 km 2
Status: Sovereign State
Capital: Dublin
Largest city: Dublin
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Languages: Irish, English
Northern Ireland
Area: 14,130 km 2
Status: Country under UK
Capital: Belfast
Largest city: Belfast
Currency: pound sterling
Languages: English, Irish
Similarity between Scotland and Ireland
- Both Scotland and Ireland, particularly Northern Ireland, share the same administration as Great Britain and thus form the United Kingdom together with England and Wales.
Difference Between Scotland and Ireland
definition
Scotland is a country in the northern part of the island of Great Britain. Ireland, on the other hand, is a separate island west of the island of Great Britain. However, the name Ireland usually refers to the Republic of Ireland which is in the southern part of the island while the northern part of the island is known as Northern Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom.
geography
Scotland covers a third of the area of the island of Great Britain, while Ireland is an island as a whole, but is divided into two different states due to two different administrative systems.
Limits
Scotland borders England to the south and is surrounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Irish Sea to the southwest. In contrast, the island of Ireland is surrounded by the Celtic Sea, Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
government
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales) and thus has the UK's parliamentary and administrative system. Ireland, on the other hand, is made up of two states with two governments or administrative systems: Northern Ireland under the British Parliament (part of the United Kingdom) and the Kingdom of the Republic with the democratic form of government.
capital city
The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, the capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.
diploma
Because of the political overlap between Scotland and Ireland, most people find it confusing to distinguish the two countries. The main difference between Scotland and Ireland is that Scotland is located in the northern part of the island of Great Britain, while Ireland is located as a separate island west of the island of Great Britain. However, part of Ireland (Northern Ireland) has joined forces with the British Parliament, like Scotland, to collectively form the United Kingdom.
Reference:
1. "Ireland." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, July 10, 2018, available here. 2. "Scotland". Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, July 13, 2018, available here . 3. "Republic of Ireland". Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, July 12, 2018, available here .
Image courtesy:
1. "Kingdom of Scotland Map -2" By Rab-k (talk) 11:11, April 1, 2008 (UTC) - Image: UK map scotland.png (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia 2. "540122" (CC0) via Pixabay 3. "Map Of Ireland" by Michael 1952 (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr 4. "Pub In Dublin, Ireland" (CC0) Public Domain Pictures
