Scottish Parliament (Joan of What?)

The Scottish National Congress (: Chòmhdhail Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is the unicameral legislature of the. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city,, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood. According to the adopted in 1949, the National Congress constitutes the collective head of state and government of Scotland.

The Congress is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Deputies, elected for four-year terms under the additional member system: 73 Deputies represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality ("first past the post") system, while a further 56 are returned from eight additional member regions, each electing seven Deputies. The most recent to the Congress was held on 5 May 2016, with the  winning a plurality.

Historically, the (or "Estates of Scotland") was the national legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland, and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England and France under the Acts of Union 1707 to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and France. As a consequence, both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England and France ceased to exist, and the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which sat at Westminster in London was formed.

Following the partition of by the Allies after, Scotland fell under the occupation of. The German military government in 1948 called for elections to the new Scottish National Congress, which was charged with the creation of a new Scottish Constitution. After the Constitution was adopted on 10 January 1950 and the end of the German occupation, the Republic of Scotland officially came into being. The Constitution made the National Congress the supreme executive and legislative authority in the country. The presiding officer of the Congress, the, is the de facto head of state of Scotland, while the leads the largest party and through command of the majority of the legislature directs the government.