Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 58%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 9% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 26,050 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent OrganicPollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile OrganicCompounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol
Geography - note: strategic position at the crossroads betweenEurope and Asia; second-largest country in Europe
Ukraine People
Population: 48,760,474 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 4,310,158; female 4,127,677)
15-64 years: 68.57% (male 15,965,079; female 17,468,035)
65 years and over: 14.13% (male 2,275,004; female 4,614,521) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.78% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 9.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 16.43 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.15 years
male: 60.62 years
female: 71.96 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.29 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.96% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 240,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s)
adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic groups: Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%, other 4%
Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, UkrainianOrthodox - Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox,Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 100%
female: 97% (1989 est.)
Ukraine Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ukraine
local long form: none
local short form: Ukrayina
former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type: republic
Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv)
Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalities(mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka(Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi),Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k),Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv),Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy),Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka(Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka(Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Avtonomna Respublika Krym*(Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sumy),Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka(Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya),Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr); note - when using a place name with anadjectival ending 's'ka' or 'z'ka,' the word Oblast' should be addedto the place name
note: oblasts have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Independence: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991)
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Leonid D. KUCHMA (since 19 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Anatoliy KINAKH (since 29 May 2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Oleh DUBYNA (since 29 May 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council
note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council, but significantly revamped and strengthened under President KUCHMA; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Administration that helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president; and a Council of Regions that serves as an advisory body created by President KUCHMA in September 1994 that includes chairmen of the Kyyiv (Kiev) and Sevastopol' municipalities and chairmen of the oblasti
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 31 October and 14 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council
election results: Leonid D. KUCHMA elected president; percent of vote - Leonid KUCHMA 57.7%, Petro SYMONENKO 38.8%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; under Ukraine's new election law, half of the Supreme Council's seats are allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 4% or more of the national electoral vote; the other 225 members are elected by popular vote in single-mandate constituencies; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party (for parties clearing 4% hurdle on 29 March 1998) - Communist Party 24.7%, Rukh (combined) 9.4%, SPU/SelPU 8.6%, PZU 5.3%, People's Democratic Party 5.0%, Hromada Party 4.7%, Progressive Socialist Party 4.0%, United Social Democratic Party 4.0%; seats by party (as of 25 February 2000) - Communist Party 115, PRVU 36, Fatherland Party 35, United Social Democratic Party 34, People's Democratic Party 27, Trudova Ukrayina Party 27, Rukh K 27, left-center 23, PZU 18, Rukh U 17, SelPU 15, Hromada Party 14, Reforms-Congress 12, independents 14, unaffiliated 31, vacant 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Ukraine [PetroSYMONENKO]; Fatherland (Motherland) All Ukrainian Party [YuliyaTYMOSHENKO, chairperson]; Green Party of Ukraine or PZU [VitaliyKONONOV, chairman]; Hromada [Pavlo LAZARENKO]; Party of RegionalRevival of Ukraine or PRVU [Volodymyr RYBAK]; Peasant Party ofUkraine or SelPU [Serhiy DOVHAN]; People's Democratic Party [ValeriyPUSTOVOYTENKO, chairman]; People's Movement of Ukraine or Rukh U[Hennadiy UDOVENKO, chairman]; Progressive Socialist Party [NataliyaVITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party/Reforms-Congress [ViktorPYNZENYK]; Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ,chairman]; Solidarity [leader NA]; Trudova Ukrayina/Working Ukraine[Igor SHAROV, chairman]; Ukrainian Popular Movement or Rukh K [YuriyKOSTENKO, chairman]; United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine[Viktor MEDVEDCHUK]
note: and numerous smaller parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS,EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM(observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer),OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT,UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorKonstantin Ivanovych HRYSHCHENKO
chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606
consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorCarlos PASCUAL
embassy: 10 Yuria Kotsubynskoho, 254053 Kiev 53
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky
Ukraine Economy
Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence in late 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output in 1992-99 fell to less than 40% the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Now in his second term, President KUCHMA has pledged to reduce the number of government agencies and streamline the regulation process, create a legal environment to encourage entrepreneurs and protect ownership rights, and enact a comprehensive tax overhaul. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms and have threatened to withdraw financial support. GDP in 2000 showed strong export-based growth of 6% - the first growth since independence - and industrial production grew 12.9%. As the capacity for further export-based economic expansion diminishes, GDP growth in 2001 is likely to decline to around 3%.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $189.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,850 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12%
industry: 26%
services: 62% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 50% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 26.4% (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25.8% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 22.8 million (yearend 1997)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 32%, agriculture 24%, services 44% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 4.3% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers (December 1999)
Budget: revenues: $8.3 billion
expenditures: $8.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)
Industrial production growth rate: 12.9% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 157.823 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.67%
hydro: 9.65%
nuclear: 42.67%
other: 0.01% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 146.675 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 2.3 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 2.2 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk
Exports: $14.6 billion (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners: Russia 24%, Europe 30%, US 5% (2000 est.)
Imports: $15 billion (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: energy, machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners: Russia 42%, Europe 29%, US 3% (2000 est.)
Debt - external: $10.3 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995); IMF Extended FundsFacility $2.2 billion (1998)
Currency: hryvnia (UAH)
Currency code: UAH
Exchange rates: hryvnia per US dollar - 5.4331 (January 2001), 5.4402 (2000), 4.1304 (1999), 2.4495 (1998), 1.8617 (1997), 1.8295 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Ukraine Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 9.45 million (April 1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 236,000 (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestic trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is expanding at a high rate
international: two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project which connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
Radio broadcast stations: AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 45.05 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)
Televisions: 18.05 million (1997)
Internet country code: .ua
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 32 (2000)
Internet users: 200,000 (2000)
Ukraine Transportation
Railways: total: 23,350 km
broad gauge: 23,350 km 1.524-m gauge (8,600 km electrified)
Highways: total: 273,700 km
paved: 236,400 km (including 1,770 km of expressways); note - (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)
unpaved: 37,300 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Waterways: 4,499 km
note: (1,672 km are on the Pryp'yat' and Dnistr) (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 4,000 km (1995); petroleum products 4,500 km (1995); natural gas 34,400 km (1998)
Ports and harbors: Berdyans'k, Illichivs'k, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson,Kiev (Kyyiv), Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni, Sevastopol'
Merchant marine: total: 156 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 757,582 GRT/841,755 DWT
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 110, container 3, liquefied gas 2, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 14, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 2 (2000 est.)
Airports: 718 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 114
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 50
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 26 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 604
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 52
914 to 1,523 m: 45
under 914 m: 457 (2000 est.)
Ukraine Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force,Internal Troops, Border Troops
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 12,285,623 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 9,630,184 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 390,823 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $500 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY99)
Ukraine Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey, and to Europe and Russia; drug-related money laundering a minor, but growing, problem
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@United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates Introduction
Background: The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the UAE. They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is not far below those of the leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed it to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
United Arab Emirates Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the PersianGulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 54 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total: 82,880 sq km
land: 82,880 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries: total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline: 1,318 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, HazardousWastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: strategic location along southern approaches toStrait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
United Arab Emirates People
Population: 2,407,460
note: includes 1,576,472 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.86% (male 354,298; female 340,498)
15-64 years: 68.74% (male 1,047,839; female 607,020)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 40,626; female 17,179) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.59% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 18.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 3.79 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.73 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.36 male(s)/female
total population: 1.5 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.29 years
male: 71.84 years
female: 76.86 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.18% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups: Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.2%
male: 78.9%
female: 79.8% (1995 est.)
United Arab Emirates Government
Country name: conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to theUAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah);Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah),Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution: 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)
Legal system: federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)
head of government: Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai); Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which is composed of the seven emirate rulers; the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; meets four times a year
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors) for five-year terms; election last held NA October 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president; percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice president; percent of FSC vote - NA%, but believed to be unanimous
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)
elections: none
note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto
Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF,CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorAsri Said Ahmad al-DHAHIRI
chancery: Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 955-7999
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorTheodore H. KATTOUF
embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch); note - work week is Saturday through Wednesday
telephone: [971] (2) 4436691
consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
United Arab Emirates Economy
Economy - overview: The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 33% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for more than 100 years. Despite higher oil revenues in 1999-2000, the government has not drawn back from the economic reforms implemented during the 1998 oil price depression. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private-sector involvement.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $54 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3%
industry: 52%
services: 45% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 1.4 million (1998 est.)
note: 75% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 60%, industry 32%, agriculture 8% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $6.5 billion
expenditures: $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2000)
Electricity - production: 36.7 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 34.131 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Exports: $46 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners: Japan 30%, India 7%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 4%, Oman, Iran (1999)
Imports: $34 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners: Japan 9%, US 8%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, Germany, SouthKorea (1999)
Debt - external: $12.6 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: Emirati dirham (AED)
Currency code: AED
Exchange rates: Emirati dirhams per US dollar - central bank mid-point rate: 3.6725 (since 1998); 3.6711 (1997), 3.6710 (1995-96)
Fiscal year: calendar year
United Arab Emirates Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 915,223 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1 million (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 820,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 15 (1997)
Televisions: 310,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ae
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 400,000 (2000)
United Arab Emirates Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 4,835 km
paved: 4,835 km
unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports and harbors: 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan,Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina'Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn
Merchant marine: total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,094,256 GRT/1,421,333 DWT
ships by type: cargo 16, chemical tanker 3, container 17, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 40 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 22
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)
Heliports: 2 (2000 est.)
United Arab Emirates Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 778,842
note: includes non-nationals (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 420,484 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 25,482 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.6 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.1% (FY00)
United Arab Emirates Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; boundary with Oman has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions
Illicit drugs: growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai
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@United Kingdom
United Kingdom Introduction
Background: Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside of the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. Regional assemblies with varying degrees of power opened in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 1999.
United Kingdom Geography
Location: Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 244,820 sq km
land: 241,590 sq km
water: 3,230 sq km
note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 360 km
border countries: Ireland 360 km
Coastline: 12,429 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over theNorth Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Fenland -4 m
highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land
Land use: arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 10%
other: 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,080 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has meet Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and hopes to reduce even more); small particulate emissions, largely from vehicular traffic, remain a problem; solid waste continues to rise and recycling is very limited
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, AirPollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-EnvironmentalProtocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, NuclearTest Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
United Kingdom People
Population: 59,647,790 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.89% (male 5,778,415; female 5,486,114)
15-64 years: 65.41% (male 19,712,932; female 19,304,771)
65 years and over: 15.7% (male 3,895,921; female 5,469,637) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.23% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 11.54 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 10.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.82 years
male: 75.13 years
female: 80.66 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.11% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 31,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 450 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
adjective: British
Ethnic groups: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%,Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Religions: Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.)
Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales),Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 99% (1978 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
United Kingdom Government
Country name: conventional long form: United Kingdom of GreatBritain and Northern Ireland
conventional short form: United Kingdom
abbreviation: UK
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: London
Administrative divisions: England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties*, 29London boroughs**, 12 cities and boroughs***, 10 districts****, 12cities*****, 3 royal boroughs******; Barking and Dagenham**,Barnet**, Barnsley, Bath and North East Somerset****, Bedfordshire*,Bexley**, Birmingham***, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton,Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Bradford***, Brent**, Brighton andHove, City of Bristol*****, Bromley**, Buckinghamshire*, Bury,Calderdale, Cambridgeshire*, Camden**, Cheshire*, Cornwall*,Coventry***, Croydon**, Cumbria*, Darlington, Derby*****,Derbyshire*, Devon*, Doncaster, Dorset*, Dudley, Durham*, Ealing**,East Riding of Yorkshire****, East Sussex*, Enfield**, Essex*,Gateshead, Gloucestershire*, Greenwich**, Hackney**, Halton,Hammersmith and Fulham**, Hampshire*, Haringey**, Harrow**,Hartlepool, Havering**, Herefordshire*, Hertfordshire*,Hillingdon**, Hounslow**, Isle of Wight*, Islington**, Kensingtonand Chelsea******, Kent*, City of Kingston upon Hull*****, Kingstonupon Thames******, Kirklees, Knowsley, Lambeth**, Lancashire*,Leeds***, Leicester*****, Leicestershire*, Lewisham**,Lincolnshire*, Liverpool***, City of London*****, Luton,Manchester***, Medway, Merton**, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes,Newcastle upon Tyne***, Newham**, Norfolk*, Northamptonshire*, NorthEast Lincolnshire****, North Lincolnshire****, North Somerset****,North Tyneside, Northumberland*, North Yorkshire*, Nottingham*****,Nottinghamshire*, Oldham, Oxfordshire*, Peterborough*****,Plymouth*****, Poole, Portsmouth*****, Reading, Redbridge**, Redcarand Cleveland, Richmond upon Thames**, Rochdale, Rotherham,Rutland****, Salford***, Shropshire*, Sandwell, Sefton,Sheffield***, Slough, Solihull, Somerset*, Southampton*****,Southend-on-Sea, South Gloucestershire****, South Tyneside,Southwark**, Staffordshire*, St. Helens, Stockport,Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent*****, Suffolk*, Sunderland***,Surrey*, Sutton**, Swindon, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin****,Thurrock, Torbay, Tower Hamlets**, Trafford, Wakefield***, Walsall,Waltham Forest**, Wandsworth**, Warrington, Warwickshire*, WestBerkshire****, Westminster***, West Sussex*, Wigan, Wiltshire*,Windsor and Maidenhead******, Wirral, Wokingham****, Wolverhampton,Worcestershire*, York*****; Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2cities*; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,Belfast*, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown,Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn,Derry*, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, NorthDown, Omagh, Strabane; Scotland - 32 council areas; Aberdeen City,Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders,Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire,East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City ofEdinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde,Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, OrkneyIslands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, SouthAyrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, EileanSiar (Western Isles), West Lothian; Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9counties*, 2 cities and counties**; Isle of Anglesey*, BlaenauGwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff**, Ceredigion*,Carmarthenshire*, Conwy, Denbighshire*, Flintshire*, Gwynedd,Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire*, Neath Port Talbot, Newport,Pembrokeshire*, Powys*, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea**, Torfaen, TheVale of Glamorgan*, Wrexham
Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, SaintHelena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks andCaicos Islands
Independence: England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284; in the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
National holiday: Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, celebrated on the second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
head of government: Prime Minister Anthony C. L. (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons (assuming there is no majority party, a prime minister would have a majority coalition or at least a coalition that was not rejected by the majority)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
elections: House of Lords - no elections (some proposals for further reform include elections); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29
note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and was rescinded in February 2000); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly
Judicial branch: House of Lords (highest court of appeal; severalLords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life);Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprisingthe Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the CrownCourts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary
Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party[William HAGUE]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev.Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) Blair]; Liberal Democrats[Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES];Scottish National Party or SNP [John SWINNEY]; Sinn Fein (NorthernIreland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP(Northern Ireland) [John HUME]; Ulster Unionist Party (NorthernIreland) [David TRIMBLE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Campaign for NuclearDisarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers'Union; Trades Union Congress
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorSir Christopher J. R. MEYER
chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando (reports to Atlanta), San Juan, and Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: AmbassadorPhilip LADER
embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A1AE
mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040
telephone: [44] (0) 207499-9000 (switchboard)
consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Flag description: blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) and which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, as well as British overseas territories
United Kingdom Economy
Economy - overview: The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, deploys an essentially capitalistic economy, one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. The economy has grown steadily, at just above or below 3%, for the last several years. The BLAIR government has put off the question of participation in the euro system until after the next election, in June of 2001; Chancellor of the Exchequer BROWN has identified some key economic tests to determine whether the UK should join the common currency system, but it will largely be a political decision. A serious short-term problem is foot-and-mouth disease, which by early 2001 had broken out in nearly 600 farms and slaughterhouses and had resulted in the killing of 400,000 animals.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.36 trillion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 24.9%
services: 73.4% (1999)
Population below poverty line: 17%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 29.2 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $555.2 billion
expenditures: $510.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $37.7 billion (FY00)
Industries: machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000)
Electricity - production: 342.771 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 69.38%
hydro: 1.55%
nuclear: 26.68%
other: 2.39% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 333.012 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 265 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 14.5 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Exports: $282 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners: EU 58% (Germany 12%, France 10%, Netherlands 8%), US 15% (1999)
Imports: $324 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners: EU 53% (Germany 14%, France 9%, Netherlands 7%),US 13%, Japan 5% (1999)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $3.4 billion (1997)
Currency: British pound (GBP)
Currency code: GBP
Exchange rates: British pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
United Kingdom Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 34.878 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 13 million (yearend 1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system
domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems
international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers