EASTERN SCOTLAND - Geography and history
This region covers mainly the lowland east coast regions of Scotland. From north to south, it comprises the counties of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, West Lothian, the city of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and Scottish Borders and has an area of around 18, 000 square kilometres. It covers a variety of land types, including the agriculturally fertile areas of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Fife and the Lothians, which contrast strongly with the scenic mountains and glens of the north and west of Perth and Kinross and Stirling, and the hill country and rich lowland farming areas of the Borders. The region was home to 1.9 million inhabitants in 2001, or 38% of the total in Scotland.
The Stirling, Lothian and Perth and Kinross areas are generally well served with road and rail communications, with motorways for much of the way between Edinburgh and Perth, Edinburgh and Stirling, and to the city of Glasgow. Edinburgh airport provides both domestic and continental air services.
The major centre of population in the region is Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. This is an important administrative centre, providing government, legal, financial and business services. Other major concentrations of population in the region are Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, St. Andrews and the Borders towns of Hawick, Galashiels, Peebles, Kelso and Selkirk.
Growing financial and business-services sector in Lothian
The main economic strength of Lothian is in the strong and growing financial and business-services sector, coupled with the fact that Edinburgh is the centre of government in Scotland. Tourism also makes a major contribution to the economy of Edinburgh. Electronics, a key manufacturing industry in Lothian is vulnerable to reductions in defence expenditure.
Mixture of economic experience across the region
Eastern Scotland had in 2000 a GDP per capita comparable to the UK average, at around 26, 100 Euros per inhabitant. This was more than the average measured in the Scotland region. However, there are variations within Eastern Scotland.
The Lothian district is one of the wealthiest in the region, with GDP per head well above the Scottish average, with relatively low unemployment. One of the reasons is that this district comprises the capital of the region: Edinburgh. However, a number of areas within the region have suffered from the decline of traditional industries.
Within the region, Dundee City has experienced the largest population loss over the past 20 years, falling by 13.5%. Incomes are below the Scottish average, whilst unemployment in the region is also below the Scottish average.
Unemployment in Eastern Scotland in 2001 is 5.6 percent this is less than the Scottish average. Employment is 76 percent which is higher than the Scottish average.
Areas within Eastern Scotland with unemployment higher than Scotland in 2001 are Clackmannanshire and Fife (7.8%) and Falkirk (9.2). Angus and Dundee City (7.3%) also have an unemployment rate higher than Scotland as a whole. Falkirk and Clackmannanshire and Fife have employment rates which are below the Scotland average. For other NUTS areas within Eastern Scotland employment rates exceed the Scottish average.
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