EDINBURGH — Scotland set up a historic independence referendum after its leader signed an agreement on Monday with Britain's prime minister finalizing arrangements for a vote that could lead to the demise of its three-centuries-old union with England.
Scotland's drive for sovereignty, led by its nationalist leader Alex Salmond, echoes separatist moves by other European regions such as Catalonia and Flanders which feel they could prosper as separate entities inside the European Union.
