Scotland is not England.?

Question

Why do so many people think that Scotland is in England?

My husband was born and raised in Scotland and he truly does not like the English (with good reason - even in today's times). I am surprised how many people think that Scotland is part of England. Didn't anyone ever learn geography?

Answer 1

Much of the problem stems from the fact that the British media is almost exclusively based in London and is hugely biased in favour of London and England. Unlike England, Scotland is rarely mentioned in it's own right and when it is, it's usually in the context of being British.

For example - Tim Henman is an English tennis player, Andy Murray is a Scottish tennis player. The media refer to Henman as being English and usually refer to Murray as being British this failing to make any distinction between Scotland and England.

Contrary to one of the previous answers, Scotland is a country in it's own right and is one of four countries that make up Great Britain and one of the three countries that make up the UK (Northern Ireland is part of Britain but not part of the UK).

Saying Scotland is part of England is like saying Canada is part of the US.

If you really want to annoy a Scot then tell them Scotland is part of England, tell them they're Scotch instead of Scottish (Scotch is whiskey) and mispronounce Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland, something Americans are very good at (ed-in-bur-a not ed-in-burj or ed-in-burg or ed-in-bur-owe).

Answer 2

I think people assume Scotland is England because they are both part of the UK, they both share the same island, they both speak the same language, they both use the same currency and they both have the same queen.

The Welsh have even less national recognition ;)

Answer 3

Because they get the United Kingdom and England itself mixed up.

I guess it's easy enough to do if you aren't that aware of other countries and their history. Although a look at a map would set them straight I'd think.

Answer 4

The United Kingdom, or UK, includes Scotland. But Scotland is not actually a country. I know this because my boyfriend tells me so. I find it hard to believe, but there you have it. Scotland is not a separate country, but then I can't imagine what it is. For instance, I don't think it produces its own stamps, it uses British stamps, and participates in the British govt. Rather messy, this.

Answer 5

No it's not England, it is however part of the UK (at least for now).
Many people will say, "England" when they really mean the UK.
Or perhaps people are simply uneducated, ignorant, or just plain stupid

Answer 6

The feeling is mutual, most English people I know hate the Scottish people, also for good reason! Scottish people in England take up all our park benches and brown paper bags.

Answer 7

I've had worse than that, some people think London is a country...honest, not joking!