Scotland is a primarily English-speaking country due to the Acts of Union of 1707 when Scotland and England were joined under the banner of the United Kingdom. The act declared that English would be the official language of Scotland from the date the act was passed, and would be the standard language of religion, education, and government. However, the Scots dialect and the Scottish Gaelic language continued to be used throughout Scotland after 1707, and they are still used in many regions of the country today.