[20140915]IN10150_苏格兰独立公投.pdf

CRS Insights Scotlands Independence Referendum Derek E. Mix, Analyst in European Affairs (dmixcrs.loc.gov, 7-9116) September 15, 2014 (IN10150) Introduction Should Scotland be an independent country? Residents of Scotland will answer this question in a referendum on September 18. The No campaign had a 22-point lead in August, but after a shift in favor of independence the referendum appears headed for a close finish. The latest poll numbers indicate that the race is too close to predict. Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are the four nations that comprise the United Kingdomthe worlds sixth-largest economy and fifth-largest military power (by expenditure), and the country often considered the United States closest ally. Scotlands population, about 5.3 million, is over 8% of the U.K. total, and Scotlands gross domestic product (GDP) is nearly 10% of the U.K. total. The crowns of England and Scotland were joined in 1603 and their parliaments merged in 1707. In 1998, the British Parliament passed an act creating a Scottish Parliament with powers over regional issues. The Scottish National Party (SNP) won a majority in the Scottish Parliament in 2011 and intensified its pus