Why Do Scots Want Independence, and What Does That Even Mean? (Video.)

How It Works
Sept. 11 2014 5:01 PM

What Does Scotland Want Independence From, Exactly?

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GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 20: A shop worker holds independence vote tee shirts in a Glasgow shop on May 20, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country will take place on September 18, 2014. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

With a referendum scheduled for Sept. 18, Scotland may be set to dissolve more than 300 years of political unity with the United Kingdom. Who wants independence, why now, and how does the United Kingdom work anyway? Watch the video above to find out.

Chris Wade is a video and podcast producer for Slate and occasional contributor to Brow Beat. Follow him on Twitter.