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: Should Scotland be the only highlighted region or should:
 * Scotland within the British Isles / UK and potentially a small fraction of the continent
 * Within the whole continent of Europe
 * 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.