Talk:Scotland/Infobox Map Workshop

Dispute

The locus of the dispute is the map to be used in the infobox.

Matters with consensus

Scotland is a country in western Europe, comprising the northern part of Great Britain plus numerous islands. Scotland is not a sovereign state; it is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Scotland is styled a "constituent country of the UK". Only the UK has membership of international bodies such as the UN, the EU and NATO. However, certain powers are devolved to a Scottish Parliament; hence Scotland has some self-governance.

The question

What scale and what colours should be used in the map in the infobox? Should the map be scaled to show either of the following context:

• Scotland within the British Isles / UK and potentially a small fraction of the continent
• Within the whole continent of Europe

Should Scotland be the only highlighted region or should:

• The rest of the UK be highlighted in another colour
• The rest of the EU be highlighted in another colour
• The UK and the EU be highlighted in different colours respectively

Possible solutions

Recent discussion has reduced the number of maps that are likely to find consensus to four:

• Option B

Scotland (colour 1) within the UK (colour 2) within the continent of Europe (colour 3) & RoW (colour 4)

• Option C

Scotland (colour 1) within the continent of Europe (colour 3) & RoW (colour 4).

• Option D

Scotland (colour 1) within the UK (colour 2) alongside Ireland and a small part map of continental Europe (colour 3)

• Option H

Use two maps, B/C and D

However other possibilities exist.

History of the dispute

This issue has occurred multiple times in the past, as can be seen in the talk page archives. Option C (highlighting Scotland alone in Europe) has been used in the recent past. Several attempts to change the map have been made, which have been quickly reverted. These edit/reverts have prompted discussion on the talk page; discussion has often broken down with accusations of ownership, failure to observe good faith, failure to observe consensus, and incivility. Arguments over the four options include:

• Option C

Pro: Had consensus. Highlights Scotland as a geographical entity, there is no attempt or intention to show political status. There is an attempt or intention to show political status and Scotland should be highlighted alone.

Anti: WP:CCC the claimed consensus is false and extensive research of other subdivisions in Wikipedia has shown that only sovereign states use this format.

• Option B

Pro: Highlights Scotland as a geographical entity and shows its relationship to the UK. Gives the reader more information.

Anti: There is no need to show the UK.

• Option D

Pro: Most maps in Wikipedia use this format

• Option H

Pro: Using both maps, preferring neither one.

Anti: Adds complexity and potential confusion to the infobox.

• Options B, C, D (+ other multi-highlight maps)

The highlighting of anything other than Scotland (be it the rest of the UK, EU or Europe) detracts from the main point of the map - for somebody unaware of its location to locate the country.