The country takes up the northern third
of the island of Great Britain and shares a land border
to the south with England and is bounded by the North
Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and
west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west.
The country consists of a mainland area
plus several island groups. The mainland can be divided
into three areas: the Highlands in the North; the Central
Belt and the Southern Uplands in the South.
Edinburgh is the financial services centre
of Scotland, with many large financial firms.
Glasgow is Scotland's leading seaport
and is the fourth largest manufacturing centre in the
UK, accounting for well over 60% of Scotland's manufactured
exports.
Scotland also has 13 universities and
one university college, including the four ancient universities
founded in the medieval period: University of St Andrews
(1413), University of Glasgow (1451), University of
Aberdeen (1495) and University of Edinburgh (1583).
Students studing towards Bachelor's degrees at Scottish
universities study for 4 years, with the option to graduate
with an ordinary degree after 3 years or a fourth year
of study for a honours degree. Unlike the rest of the
United Kingdom, Scottish students studying at a Scottish
university do not have to pay for tuition fees. All
Scottish universities attract a high percentage of overseas
students, and many have links with overseas institutions.
