Scotland

A presentation by Bianka Chladek

Land & PeopleScotland has three officially recognised

languages: English, Scots and Scottish GaelicScottish surnames are divided in two main

categories : Gaelic names (starting with "Mac-" or "Mc-") and Germanic names (Barclay, Blair, Brown, Cumming, Hamilton, Howard, Melville, Stewart...)

Scotland has about the same land area as the Czech Republic, the Panama, the US state of Maine, or the Japanese island of Hokkaido

Robert Burns• He was a Scottish poet and a lyricist, national poet of Scotland• Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland• Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year)•A Red, Red Rose; A Man's A Man for A' That; To a Louse; To a Mouse; The Battle of Sherramuir; Tam o' Shanter, and Ae Fond Kiss

Scotland has 790 islands, 130 of which are inhabited

At least 6 US Presidents were of Scottish descent : Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, James Knox Polk, William McKinley, Woodrow (Thomas) Wilson

Edinburgh was the first city in the world with its own fire-brigade

The Bank of Scotland, founded in 1695, is the oldest surviving bank in the UK. It was also the first bank in Europe to print its own banknotes

Food & DrinksScotland is reputed for its whiskyShortbread is Scotland's most famous biscuitThe most infamous Scottish dish is haggis,

normally made with sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately an hour

Culture & SciencesNotable Scottish inventions include the

method of logarithms, tarmac (dechtový makadam), the waterproof raincoat (plášť do dažďa) and the pneumatic tyre

Just like whisky, kilts, tartans and bagpipes aren't Scottish inventions. Kilts originated in Ireland. Tartans were found in Bronze-age or Iron-age Central Europe & Central Asia. Bagpipes might also be an ancient invention from Central Asia

Famous Scottish actors include Sean Connery, Gerard Butler and Ewan McGregor

Icons of ScotlandThe ThistleThe BagpipesThe KiltTartan St. AndrewThe Stone of DestinyThe Saltire

Scotland is also famous for itsTheatresOperasCeilidh, country dancing and Highland

dancingBallet and Contemporary DanceArchitecture