Located in the south east of Scotland and created in the administrative reshuffle in 1975 this region has Edinburgh as the seat of the regional authority. The area is endowed with both fertile soil and rich seams of coal which allow it to prosper both in terms of agriculture and industry. The demand of the whisky industry ensure that barley is an important crop but the populousness of both Edinburgh and Glasgow mean that dairy farming and market gardening are also prevalent.
Coal is less important than it was to the region but there are still several state owned collieries in use. The industrial base is now largely in modern industries such as electronics which is thanks, in part, to the research carried out in Edinburgh’s academic institutions. Many people are also employed in service industries as Edinburgh is a centre for medical and legal matters as well as the newly formed Scottish Parliament.