Human Geography Scotland
Scotland is a European country located in the northern region of Great Britain and is also part of the United Kingdom. The climate is very different depending on the region. The summer months’ temperature averages to about 20˚ C (68˚F), and winter months’ temperature ranges from 5-7˚C (41-45˚F). The topography of this country has a high latitude and is very mountainous. Around the mountain regions, Scotland gets up to 100 days of snowfall each year. In lower regions, it receives only 15 to 20 days of snowfall. Winter days are short and summer days are very long. Some other religions you might find include: Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism. The area is 78,772 km^2 and the population totals to about 5.2 million. Also, the western regions
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are very wet, opposed to the eastern regions. The eastern regions experience much less rainfall. All facts and statistics above are explained by Scotland.org, “Scotland Economy Information”.
Scotland takes pride in being a multi-faith society.
All religions are welcome, but the majority of Scotland is Cristian. The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh. The currency used in this country is pound sterling. The primary language spoken is English, which is very helpful in doing business. Scottish people speak with a Scottish dialect of course. Depending on the area it is possible to come across British or other European dialects as well.
Industries & Markets The largest city in Scotland is Glasgow. This is followed by the cities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee. Primary industries include gas and oil, food and drink, financial and business services, renewable energy, life sciences, education, sustainable tourism, textiles, and electronics. Some large companies located here are Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life Insurance Co., Scottish Power, Scottish Media Group plc., Abbot Group, and Scottish Water. Scotland is huge for banking and financial institutions.
Government & Political …show more content…
Environment In Scotland, the government has a constitutional monarchy. They have a queen and a first minister. Their current queen is Queen Elizabeth the 2nd and their current first minister is Nicola Sturgeon. Some trends and events occurring in Scotland include floods, ocean acidification, rises in sea levels, and large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Floods tend to cause many problems with transportation. The soil is very rich in carbon. They are currently trying to reduce CO2 emissions by plants more trees and shrubs, monitoring soil and water, trying to build ecosystems, and promoting land management practices.
Business Norms
Business operations are much different in Scotland. Shifts are still around 8 hours long, but People typically work and average of 31 hours a week (Scotland.org1). This is significantly less than in the united states. The average wages are about $31 an hour converted into sterling pounds. The work week is just like in the United States except Scotland has a shorter week. Scotland employees receive 4 to 6 weeks paid vacation every year. People are also offered some form of maternity and sick pay. Scotland is considered one of best places to live and work. This is primarily due to a wide range of wage benefits and the lack of hours typically needed to work. The United Kingdom (Scotland included) requires no more than 48 hours of work in a week. Those who chose to work longer must go through procedures to opt out.
Customs, Traditions and Etiquette
Scotland has many celebrations that include Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), St Andrew’s Day, Braemar Gathering, and Whuppity Scoorie. Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Easter are very popular, just as they are in America (Traditional Scottish Festivals 1). They have many celebrations and through many festivals throughout the year. Scottish people hold onto older traditions and value them strongly. St Andrew’s Day occurs on November 30th, and is an official bank holiday. This goes to show how large their banking and financial businesses are. The royal family is highly associated with the Braemar Gathering. It is considered highland games. Whuppity Scoorie is an interesting festival. It originated back when noise was thought to scare away evil spirits. On this day people throw coins for children to pick up. They are free to shout, and they hit each other with paper balls and bonnets tied to a string. This is very far out in comparison to American traditions.
Gestures are important in Scotland.
It is okay to point a finger but not suggested. Making a “peace sign” is considered obscene. When standing in a line, avoid small talk as it is considered rude. People should walk on the left side of the walkway and pass others on the right side. Facial expressions, body language, and tone are very important in interpreting a message.
Scottish etiquette is very indirect and not at all blunt. According to gateway-to-scottish-highlands.com, if invited to a household, “it is appropriate to bring quality alcohol and chocolate”. Dinner parties are common in Scotland. When dining both hands must be visible, eating with your hands is inappropriate, never slurp, and do not arrive empty handed. You should always bring the host a gift. Also, when passing anything at the table you should never hand it to them directly, but set it down in front of them.
Meetings should be handled formally. Make sure to print out business cards in English and have enough to go around. This is a common business practice in Scotland, and is very common when exchanging business information with another business or client. Dressing formal is important, but varies with occasion. Introduction of names should be stated Mr. and Mrs. until that person is addressed informally or invited to say otherwise. Do not address anyone as sir unless it is appropriate. Sir is only for people who have been knighted by the
queen.
When giving a presentation, leave pauses for people to ask questions. In return, be ready to answer any questions they come up with. It is very rude to interrupt; Scotland has a reserved culture. In addition, presentations go over much better when using a variety of visuals. It is important to be on time, given their monochromic culture. Small talk is common during meetings along with humor, but this does not make them an expressive culture. Negotiating price is rare, and coming up with decisions can take a lot of time. Scotland is deal focused. Only people who are invited should attend a meeting, so this varies with companies.
are very wet, opposed to the eastern regions. The eastern regions experience much less rainfall. All facts and statistics above are explained by Scotland.org, “Scotland Economy Information”.
Scotland takes pride in being a multi-faith society.
All religions are welcome, but the majority of Scotland is Cristian. The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh. The currency used in this country is pound sterling. The primary language spoken is English, which is very helpful in doing business. Scottish people speak with a Scottish dialect of course. Depending on the area it is possible to come across British or other European dialects as well.
Industries & Markets The largest city in Scotland is Glasgow. This is followed by the cities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee. Primary industries include gas and oil, food and drink, financial and business services, renewable energy, life sciences, education, sustainable tourism, textiles, and electronics. Some large companies located here are Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life Insurance Co., Scottish Power, Scottish Media Group plc., Abbot Group, and Scottish Water. Scotland is huge for banking and financial institutions.
Government & Political …show more content…
Environment In Scotland, the government has a constitutional monarchy. They have a queen and a first minister. Their current queen is Queen Elizabeth the 2nd and their current first minister is Nicola Sturgeon. Some trends and events occurring in Scotland include floods, ocean acidification, rises in sea levels, and large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Floods tend to cause many problems with transportation. The soil is very rich in carbon. They are currently trying to reduce CO2 emissions by plants more trees and shrubs, monitoring soil and water, trying to build ecosystems, and promoting land management practices.
Business Norms
Business operations are much different in Scotland. Shifts are still around 8 hours long, but People typically work and average of 31 hours a week (Scotland.org1). This is significantly less than in the united states. The average wages are about $31 an hour converted into sterling pounds. The work week is just like in the United States except Scotland has a shorter week. Scotland employees receive 4 to 6 weeks paid vacation every year. People are also offered some form of maternity and sick pay. Scotland is considered one of best places to live and work. This is primarily due to a wide range of wage benefits and the lack of hours typically needed to work. The United Kingdom (Scotland included) requires no more than 48 hours of work in a week. Those who chose to work longer must go through procedures to opt out.
Customs, Traditions and Etiquette
Scotland has many celebrations that include Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), St Andrew’s Day, Braemar Gathering, and Whuppity Scoorie. Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Easter are very popular, just as they are in America (Traditional Scottish Festivals 1). They have many celebrations and through many festivals throughout the year. Scottish people hold onto older traditions and value them strongly. St Andrew’s Day occurs on November 30th, and is an official bank holiday. This goes to show how large their banking and financial businesses are. The royal family is highly associated with the Braemar Gathering. It is considered highland games. Whuppity Scoorie is an interesting festival. It originated back when noise was thought to scare away evil spirits. On this day people throw coins for children to pick up. They are free to shout, and they hit each other with paper balls and bonnets tied to a string. This is very far out in comparison to American traditions.
Gestures are important in Scotland.
It is okay to point a finger but not suggested. Making a “peace sign” is considered obscene. When standing in a line, avoid small talk as it is considered rude. People should walk on the left side of the walkway and pass others on the right side. Facial expressions, body language, and tone are very important in interpreting a message.
Scottish etiquette is very indirect and not at all blunt. According to gateway-to-scottish-highlands.com, if invited to a household, “it is appropriate to bring quality alcohol and chocolate”. Dinner parties are common in Scotland. When dining both hands must be visible, eating with your hands is inappropriate, never slurp, and do not arrive empty handed. You should always bring the host a gift. Also, when passing anything at the table you should never hand it to them directly, but set it down in front of them.
Meetings should be handled formally. Make sure to print out business cards in English and have enough to go around. This is a common business practice in Scotland, and is very common when exchanging business information with another business or client. Dressing formal is important, but varies with occasion. Introduction of names should be stated Mr. and Mrs. until that person is addressed informally or invited to say otherwise. Do not address anyone as sir unless it is appropriate. Sir is only for people who have been knighted by the
queen.
When giving a presentation, leave pauses for people to ask questions. In return, be ready to answer any questions they come up with. It is very rude to interrupt; Scotland has a reserved culture. In addition, presentations go over much better when using a variety of visuals. It is important to be on time, given their monochromic culture. Small talk is common during meetings along with humor, but this does not make them an expressive culture. Negotiating price is rare, and coming up with decisions can take a lot of time. Scotland is deal focused. Only people who are invited should attend a meeting, so this varies with companies.