Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, spoke on Friday about a possible independence vote.  Credit Oli Scarff/Agence France-Presse

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, spoke on Friday about a possible independence vote.
Credit Oli Scarff/Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — When people discuss the stakes of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, they often talk about implications for the “European project,” the continuing post-World War II effort to unify the Continent politically and economically. But within hours of the polls’ closing on Thursday, it appeared that something much more basic could be at risk: Britain as a multinational state.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as it is formally known, is one of only a handful of countries that consist of multiple nations, politically and legally distinct […]

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