5 Things That May Happen if Scotland Votes for Independence

— -- Scotland appears on the edge of what may be a very close vote that could lead to its independence from England. Though the vote itself won’t take place for another week, British politicians are so concerned, members from opposing parties have cleared their schedules and headed north in an effort to keep the historic partnership together.

If their efforts fail and Scots vote to secede, here are five changes that might be coming:

'Great Britain' and the Union Jack may cease to exist

Anglophiles know that Great Britain is the term used to refer to the collection of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but if Scotland is no longer a part of the union with Britain it formally joined in 1707, the unifying moniker is expected to change. There has been no public verdict on what the remaining group -- England, Wales and Northern Ireland -- will be called, but worried loyalists are concerned that their "great" international standing may be tarnished.

The Union Jack, the red-white-and-blue flag used to represent Great Britain, will also get a facelift. The current version incorporates a flag for England ("St. George's Cross," a white background with a red cross), a flag for Scotland ("St. Andrew's Cross," a blue background with a diagonal white cross called a saltire), and a flag originally used to represent Ireland that now serves for Northern Ireland ("St. Patrick's Cross," a white background with a red saltire). What the final iteration will look like remains up in the air.

The Queen Will Still Reign

In spite of pleas from politicians to get involved, Queen Elizabeth has purposefully remained out of the debate. And why shouldn't she: Her position is secure. Even if Scotland gains independence, Elizabeth will still be its queen and remain head of state as she has for both Canada and Australia.

Currency Exchange?

One of the most tangible concerns about possible independence is the question of what will happen to the pound currency. Scotland currently uses the pound, and while it technically has different notes than the English, the notes' value is the same and they are treated equally internationally.

Alex Salmond, the Scottish nationalist leading the charge to break free from the Brits, hopes that the independent nation would still use the pound -- which is backed by the Bank of England -- but the two main British political parties have said that they would try to stop that from happening.

Will Scotland Have Its Own Prime Minister?

While the queen’s throne will go untouched, the future isn't quite as certain for British Prime Minister David Cameron. He is expected to be forced out by his own party, the Conservatives, if Scotland gains independence.

Cameron's Conservatives are deeply unpopular in Scotland. Many independence supporters cite his government's budget-slashing policies as one reason they want to leave the United Kingdom.

In a rare display of cross-party unanimity, Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat chief Nick Clegg all pulled out of a weekly House of Commons question session in London to make a late campaign dash to Scotland as polls suggested the pro- and anti-independence sides were neck-and-neck ahead of the Sept. 18 independence referendum.

If history is any indication, Cameron's concern is valid: Lord North was the Prime Minister when America broke away from the Brits, and he was forced to resign in 1782 as a result.

Nuclear warheads

While the first reaction for many when they think of "Scotland at war" may be Mel Gibson's portrayal of William Wallace in "Braveheart," the future of the Scottish military presence is a real concern since the country plays home to a number of nuclear warheads.

According to The Guardian, the U.S. has leased 58 Trident II D5 missiles to the British government and those have long been stored at a base on the Scottish west coast.

If Scotland wins independence, Salmond has said, it is going to force the Brits to find a new home for the missiles. Because of geographic restrictions and nuclear policies, those weapons may end up in France because they are also a nuclear weapon state, or else they will be shipped back to the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.