Tourists often state that they want to visit the United Kingdom (or UK, or Britain), but perhaps don't realise that there are four very different countries making up the UK. England is still the dominant "partner", but also within the Union are Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

§ Wales:

Wales was the first country to "join" the Union, though by domination rather than choice. Wales was first conquered in 1282, but wasn't legally brought into the Union until 1536 and 1542 when Acts of Parliament were passed.

The country remained subservient to England for many years until the 1900's when in 1907 a separate Welsh Secretary of Education was created. In 1957 a Minister of State for Wales was created and entered the Cabinet in 1964.

A general referendum in 1997 resulted in a small minority vote for a devolved Assembly for Wales.

§ Scotland:

Scotland and England officially negotiated a Union in 1707, although in 1603 James VI of Scotland became James I of England and was King of both countries.

Unlike Wales, the 1707 agreement was a jointly negotiated Union with advantages for both countries. Although England still remained the dominant partner, Scotland retained a separate legal system, educational system, local government and its own Church.

As early as 1885 Scotland got its own Secretary of State for Scotland with cabinet recognition in 1892. The Scottish Office (a separate department within the Government) was established in 1928.

A general referendum in 1997 resulted in a very clear majority in favour of a devolved Scottish Parliament with tax-varying powers.

§ Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland:

Although England conquered Ireland (North and South) in the late 1400's and early 1500's, opposition to the English continued. Eventually in 1800 an Act of Union brought the whole of Ireland officially into the Union. This was technically a negotiated Union, but in reality only about 10% of the Irish people could vote.

After World War I (1914-1918) civil unrest (specifically the Easter Uprising) resulted in the Irish Treaty of 1921 and thus created the current division of Ireland. The south half of Ireland became the Republic of Ireland and the northern six counties stayed with the UK and became known as Northern Ireland.

From 1922 for 50 years, Northern Ireland governed itself. However, in 1968 civil unrest between Catholics and Protestants started and in 1972 Westminster intervened, took over government, and deployed British troops.

In 1998 a general referendum was held in both halves of Ireland with a majority vote for a Northern Ireland Assembly. However at the time of writing this Assembly has been suspended.

Official Name: Scotland
Capital City: Edinburgh
Major Cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness

Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity. The "Order of Saint Andrew" or the "Most Ancient Order of the Thistle" is an order of Knighthood which is restricted to the King or Queen and sixteen others. It was established by James VII of Scotland in 1687.

Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion.

St. Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

St. Andrews bones were entombed, and around 300 years later were moved by Emperor Constantine (the Great) to his new capital Constantinople (now Istambul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk (although others describe him as an Irish assistant of St. Columba) called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) was warned in a dream that St. Andrews remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to take those of the remains which he could to the "ends of the earth" for safe-keeping. St. Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from St. Andrew's tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the know world at that time and it was here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo.

St. Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of St. Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.

Perhaps more likely than the tale of St. Rule's journey is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a reknown collector of relics, brought the relics of St. Andrew to St. Andrews in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious centre at St. Andrews at that time, either founded by St. Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731 - 761.

Whichever tale is true, the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.

There are other legends of how St. Andrew and his remains became associated with Scotland, but there is little evidence for any of these, including the legend of St. Rule. The names still exist in Scotland today, including St. Rules Tower, which remains today amongst the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral.

It is not known what happened to the relics of St. Andrew which were stored in St. Andrews Cathedral, although it is most likely that these were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. The Protestant cause, propounded by Knox, Wishart and others, won out over Roman Catholism during the Reformation and the "idolatry of catholism", that is the Saints, relics, decoration of churches, were expunged during the process of converting the Roman Catholic churches of Scotland to the harsh simplicity of Knox's brand of Calvanism.

The place where these relics were kept within the Cathedral at St. Andrews is now marked by a plaque, amongst the ruins, for visitors to see.

The larger part of St. Andrew's remains were stolen from Constantinople in 1210 and are now to be found in Amalfi in Southern Italy. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established Roman Catholic community in Scotland.

In 1969, Gordon Gray, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland was in Rome to be appointed the first Scottish Cardinal since the Reformation. Pope Paul VI gave him further relics of St. Andrew with the words "Saint Peter gives you his brother". These are now displayed in a reliquary in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh.

There is a second flag which is associated with Scotland, the "Rampant Lion", or Royal Flag of Scotland. Although based on an older Scottish flag than the St. Andrew's Cross, it should, strictly speaking, now only be used by the monarch in relation to her capacity as Queen in Scotlandč. However, it is widely used as a second national flag.

The Rampant Lion flag flies over the offices of the Secretary of State for Scotland (who is the representative of the U.K. government in Scotland); that is Dover House in London and New St Andrew's House in Edinburgh.

King George V signed a Royal Warrant in 1934 allowing the use of the Rampant Lion flag as "a mark of loyalty" because of the forthcoming Jubilee celebrations. The Lord LyonČ officially now takes the view that this permission "related to decorative ebullition", that is, it is permissable to wave the flag at football matches. It is however not allowable to fly the flag without permission, on a flag-pole or from a building. The Lord Lyon once threatened the town councillors of Cumbernauld with an Act passed in 1679 which prescribed the death penalty for mis-use of the royal arms.

Scotland has not had its own monarchy since the Act of Union with England in 1707. Queen Elizabeth II is monarch of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.