READING

__**EDINBURGH, Scotland** __

**Edinburgh** is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea.

Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Parliament. The city was one of the major centres of the Enlightenment, led by the University of Edinburgh, earning it the nickname //Athens of the North//. The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. There are over 4,500 listed buildings within the city. In May 2010, it had a total of 40 conservation areas covering 23% of the building stock. In the 2009 mid year population estimates, Edinburgh had a total resident population of 477,660.



Edinburgh is the most competitive large city in the UK. It also has the highest Gross value added per employee figure of any city in the UK outside London. Education and health, finance and business services, retailing and tourism are the largest employers. The economy of Edinburgh is largely based on the services sector -- centred on banking, financial services, higher education, and tourism.

Banking has been a part of the economic life of Edinburgh for over 300 years, with the establishment of the Bank of Scotland -- now part of the Lloyds Banking Group -- by an act of the original Parliament of Scotland in 1695. Today, together with the financial services industry, Edinburgh is the UK's second financial centre after London and Europe's fourth.

 Tourism is an important economic mainstay in the city. As a World Heritage Site, tourists come to visit historical sites such as Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holy Roodhouse and the Georgian New Town. This is augmented in August of each year with the presence of the Edinburgh Festivals, which bring in over 4.4 million visitors.

As the centre of Scotland's government, as well as its legal system, the public sector plays a central role in the economy of Edinburgh with many departments of the Scottish Government located in the city.

[[image:http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQf_CGhr43_oVjXb4-oErz19tzPplC0V9vvqaJv-1TxmGLg-jBL width="161" height="95" caption="ACTIVITIES TO DO"]]
Questions to answer:
 * About Edinburgh:
 * 1) Where is Edinburgh located?
 * 2) Why did it earn the nickname //Athens of the North//?
 * 3) How many buildings are listed as World Heritage Sites?
 * 4) How many people lived in Edinburgh in 2009?
 * 5) Which areas are the larger employers in this city?
 * 6) How long has banking been a part of economic life in Edinburgh?
 * 7) How many visitors does Edinburgh receive during the Festivals?


 * About vocabulary and concepts:
 * 1) On a map, situate Scotland and point out the geographical points indicated in the text.
 * 2) Explain what the Parliament consists of and which are its functions.
 * 3) Say at least 2 examples of well-known people who have a nickname.
 * 4) What is the building stock of a city?

To know a bit more about Edinburgh,
 * move to the Writing Page of the Wiki and see where to find information to write about the following topics:
 * 1) Why is higher education an important economic source for Edinburgh?
 * 2) Which festivals are held in Edinburgh and why do they attract so many visitors every year?
 * move to the Students' Works page and choose one topic to make a Slideshare presentation on this wiki.