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Chart: How An Independent Scotland Would Impact The UK

This article is more than 9 years old.

As the Scottish independence referendum date draws ever nearer, debate is raging about the economic consequences of a "Yes" vote for the UK. Many things are far from certain, such as  the fate of Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent and shares in North Sea oil and gas stocks.

However, some numbers regarding a Scottish yes can be nailed down with a high level of certainty. If Scotland votes to leave the union, the United Kingdom would lose 32 percent of its land but just 8 percent of its population, according to figures released by the BBC. Population density would then rise from 263 people per square kilometre to 355.

Scotland's windswept landscape is ideal for green energy generation, home to a quarter of Europe's wind and tidal energy potential. This could disappear from the UK, along with a £9 billion tourism industry and a £4.3 billion whiskey industry. The "No" vote's lead has now fallen to six points in the wake of Monday night's TV debate between SNP leader Alex Salmond and Alastair Darling.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)