Guest Author - Susan Keeping

While Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, it has some things that set it apart from the rest of the union. Here are some fast facts about Scotland that might help you win a trivia contest or two at your local pub,

- According to Scotland.org, Scotland has a population of 5,062,011.

- The national anthem is widely accepted to be The Flower of Scotland.

- The official languages spoken in Scotland are English, Scots, and Gaelic.

- Scotland has over 790 islands; less than a quarter of them are populated.

- The Church of Scotland is the national church. It belongs to the Protestant denomination, Presbyterian to be exact.

- The national motto is In my defens God me defend.

- Edinburgh is the capital city; Glasgow is the largest city with a population of over 500,000 people.

- The patron saint of Scotland is Saint Andrew. His feast day is on November 30th.

- Scotland had its own monarchy until 1707 when the union of Great Britain was formed. Queen Anne was the last to rule Scotland when it was an independent state.

- The Scottish thistle is a national emblem.

- Alex Salmond is the First Minister of Scotland.

- Scotland's form of government is a constitutional monarchy.

- The currency of Scotland is the pound sterling. Three Scottish banks are allowed to print the bank notes.

- Robert Burns Day is celebrated on January 25th which was his birthday.

- Ben Nevis is the highest point in the country at 1,345 meters.

- The largest loch in area is Loch Lomond; Loch Ness is larger in volume.

- The average temperature in July is 15 degrees Celsius; in January it is 3 degrees Celsius.

- Scotland's area is 78,772 km. It is the 112th largest country in the world by size.

- Scotland has its own Parliament and has limited self-government.

- Chef Gordon Ramsay was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He also played briefly for the Glasgow Rangers football club from the ages of 15 to 18.

- Attending school was made compulsory in 1496 and was controlled by the church until 1872.

- The animal symbol of Scotland is the unicorn.