LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Humza Yousaf was officially elected as Scotland's sixth First Minister on Tuesday, with a majority of 71 out of 128 votes.

The 37-year-old is Scotland's youngest-ever head of government, and the first from an ethnic minority background.

Yousaf said in his victory speech that he will make Scotland a "fairer and wealthier" place.

Shona Robison, the current Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, will be Yousaf's Deputy First Minister.

Yousaf will be sworn into office at a ceremony on Wednesday. He replaces Nicola Sturgeon, who announced her resignation last month.

Sturgeon formally stepped down on Tuesday morning as the longest-serving First Minister in Scotland, after more than eight years in office. She was also the first woman to hold the position.

Yousaf has pledged to push for another referendum on Scottish independence, saying that the government's priorities will be delivered more effectively when Scotland is independent.

Yousaf became the head of the Scottish National Party, Scotland's ruling Party, after winning the leadership election on Monday.