Industrial production growth rate:4% (2000)
Electricity - production:37.74 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:35.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:2.566 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:310,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:80.31 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:44.94 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:37.86 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:7.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:5.892 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$12.47 billion (2003)
Exports:$56.73 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners:Japan 26.2%, South Korea 10.5%, Iran 3.8% (2003)
Imports:$37.16 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners:China 10%, Japan 7.2%, Germany 7.2%, US 7%, France 6.9%, UK 5.9%,Italy 4.4%, South Korea 4.4%, India 4.1% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$15.79 billion (2003)
Debt - external:$20.71 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - donor:NA
Currency:Emirati dirham (AED)
Currency code:AED
Exchange rates:Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.67 (2003), 3.6725 (2002), 3.6725(2001), 3.6725 (2000), 3.6725 (1999)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications United Arab Emirates
Telephones - main lines in use:1,135,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:2,972,300 (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digitalnetwork with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; keycenters are Abu Dhabi and Dubaidomestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cableinternational: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3Intelsat (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 SaudiArabia
Radio broadcast stations:AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004)
Radios:820,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:15 (2004)
Televisions:310,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.ae
Internet hosts:56,283 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:1,110,200 (2003)
Transportation United Arab Emirates
Highways:total: 1,088 kmpaved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways)unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)
Pipelines:condensate 469 km; gas 2,655 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil2,936 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2004)
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: 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 578,477 GRT/739,823 DWTby type: cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 7, liquefied gas 1,petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 4,specialized tanker 1 (2004 est.)
Airports:35 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 22over 3,047 m: 82,438 to 3,047 m: 3914 to 1,523 m: 4under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 13under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 2914 to 1,523 m: 31,524 to 2,437 m: 3
Heliports:2 (2003 est.)
Military United Arab Emirates
Military branches:Army, Navy (including Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air DefenseForce, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)
Military manpower - military age and obligation:18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 764,413 note: includes non-nationals (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 412,490 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 29,183 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$1.6 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:3.1% (FY00)
Transnational Issues United Arab Emirates
Disputes - international:because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignmentof the boundary with Saudi Arabia is still unknown and labeledapproximate; boundary agreement signed and ratified with Oman in2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and AlMadhah enclaves; UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab Leaguesupport to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Lesser andGreater Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island
Illicit drugs:the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given itsproximity to southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE'sposition as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to moneylaundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@United Kingdom
Introduction United Kingdom
Background:Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentarydemocracy 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 seriouslydepleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed thedismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modernand prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members ofthe UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of theCommonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; itcurrently is weighing the degree of its integration with continentalEurope. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the EuropeanMonetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also asignificant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the NationalAssembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly wereestablished in 1999, but the latter is suspended due to bickeringover the peace process.
Geography United Kingdom
Location:Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of theisland of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the NorthSea, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:54 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 244,820 sq kmwater: 3,230 sq kmnote: includes Rockall and Shetland Islandsland: 241,590 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries: Ireland 360 km
Coastline:12,429 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or inaccordance with agreed upon boundaries
Climate:temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the NorthAtlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Terrain:mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains ineast and southeast
Elevation extremes:lowest point: The Fens -4 mhighest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Natural resources:coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin,limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate,arable land
Land use:arable land: 23.46%permanent crops: 0.21%other: 76.33% (2001)
Irrigated land:1,080 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:winter windstorms; floods
Environment - current issues:continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met KyotoProtocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends tomeet the legally binding target and move towards a domestic goal ofa 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims toreduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of inlandfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost atleast 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to10.3%
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, ShipPollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from Franceand now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because ofheavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km fromtidal waters
People United Kingdom
Population:60,270,708 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 18% (male 5,560,489; female 5,293,871)15-64 years: 66.3% (male 20,193,876; female 19,736,516)65 years and over: 15.7% (male 4,027,721; female 5,458,235) (2004est.)
Median age: total: 38.7 years male: 37.6 years female: 39.8 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:0.29% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:10.88 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:10.19 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78.27 yearsmale: 75.84 yearsfemale: 80.83 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:34,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 500 (2003 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 and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million,Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu500,000, Jewish 350,000
Languages:English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottishform of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years ofschoolingtotal population: 99% (2000 est.)male: NAfemale: NA
Government United Kingdom
Country name:conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes the countries ofEngland, Scotland, and Walesconventional short form: United Kingdomabbreviation: UK
Government type:constitutional monarchy
Capital:London
Administrative divisions:England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London boroughs, 12 citiesand boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal boroughs: boroughs: Barnsley, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton,Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Bury, Calderdale,Darlington, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Halton, Hartlepool,Kirklees, Knowsley, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes,North Tyneside, Oldham, Poole, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland,Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Sefton, Slough, Solihull,Southend-on-Sea, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport,Stockton-on-Tees, Swindon, Tameside, Thurrock, Torbay, Trafford,Walsall, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton: counties: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire,Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex,Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire,Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, North Yorkshire,Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire,Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire: districts: Bath and North East Somerset, East Riding of Yorkshire,North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,Rutland, South Gloucestershire, Telford and Wrekin, West Berkshire,Wokingham: cities: City of Bristol, Derby, City of Kingston upon Hull,Leicester, City of London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth,Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, York: cities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds,Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield,Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminster: London boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent,Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney,Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon,Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge,Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, WalthamForest, Wandsworth: royal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,Windsor and Maidenhead: districts: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down,Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle,Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane: cities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea: counties: Isle of Anglesey, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire,Denbighshire, Flintshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, TheVale of Glamorgan: county boroughs: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda CynonTaff, Torfaen, Wrexham: Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties: Scotland - 32 council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus,Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfriesand Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, EastLothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife,Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, NorthAyrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross,Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire,Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), WestLothian;: counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, CountyFermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone: cities: Belfast, Derry: Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties
Dependent areas:Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British VirginIslands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey,Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena andAscension, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks andCaicos Islands
Independence:England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; theunion between England and Wales, begun in 1284 with the Statute ofRhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an Act of Union; inanother Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland agreed topermanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union of GreatBritain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption ofthe name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; theAnglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; sixnorthern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom asNorthern Ireland and the current name of the country, the UnitedKingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
National holiday:the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Constitution:unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:common law tradition with early Roman and modern continentalinfluences; has judicial review of Acts of Parliament under theHuman Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, withreservations
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); HeirApparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislativeelections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of themajority coalition is usually the prime ministerhead of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May1997)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists ofapproximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) andHouse of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote toserve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly(because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transferof power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of1999 and has been suspended four times the latest occurring inOctober 2002); in 1999 there were elections for a new ScottishParliament and a new Welsh Assemblyelections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, asprovided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the Houseof Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remainthere; pending further reforms, elections are held only as vacanciesin the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 7June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -Labor 42.1%, Conservative and Unionist 32.7%, Liberal Democrats18.8%, other 6.4%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative andUnionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29; note - seating as of 12October 2004: Labor 407, Conservative 163, Liberal Democrats 55,other 34
Judicial branch:House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal inOrdinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts ofEngland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts ofAppeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts);Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary
Political parties and leaders:Conservative and Unionist Party [Michael HOWARD]; DemocraticUnionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party[Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Partyof Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish National Party or SNP[Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; SocialDemocratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN];Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [David TRIMBLE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of BritishIndustry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
International organization participation:AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO,NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNSecurity Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNINGchancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, LosAngeles, New York, and San Franciscoconsulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Puerto Rico, and Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David T.JOHNSONembassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AEmailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Flag description:blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint ofEngland) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross ofSaint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed onthe diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland);properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the UnionJack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have beenthe basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealthcountries and their constituent states or provinces, as well asBritish overseas territories
Economy United Kingdom
Economy - overview:The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of thequartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over thepast two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownershipand contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture isintensive, 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 energyproduction accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of anyindustrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, andbusiness services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDPwhile industry continues to decline in importance. GDP growthslipped in 2001-03 as the global downturn, the high value of thepound, and the bursting of the "new economy" bubble hurtmanufacturing and exports. Still, the economy is one of thestrongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemploymentremain low. The relatively good economic performance has complicatedthe BLAIR government's efforts to make a case for Britain to jointhe European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Critics point out,however, that the economy is doing well outside of EMU, and theypoint to public opinion polls that continue to show a majority ofBritons opposed to the euro. Meantime, the government has beenspeeding up the improvement of education, transport, and healthservices, at a cost in higher taxes. The war in March-April 2003between a US-led coalition and Iraq, together with the subsequentproblems of restoring the economy and the polity, involve a heavycommitment of British military forces.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $1.666 trillion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:2.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.9% industry: 26.5% services: 72.6% (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):16.2% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:17% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 27.7% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:36.8 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):1.4% (2003 est.)
Labor force:29.6 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 1%, industry 25%, services 74% (1999)
Unemployment rate:5% (2003 est.)
Budget:revenues: $688.9 billionexpenditures: $746.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA(2003)
Public debt:51% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Industries:machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment,railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles andparts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals,coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing,textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate:-0.7% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:360.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:346.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:264 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:10.66 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:2.541 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:1.71 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:2.205 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:1.418 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:4.741 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:105.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:92.85 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:2.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:714.9 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-7.556 billion (2003)
Exports:$304.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:US 15.7%, Germany 10.5%, France 9.5%, Netherlands 6.9%, Ireland6.5%, Belgium 5.6%, Spain 4.4%, Italy 4.4% (2003)
Imports:$363.6 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Germany 13.5%, US 10.2%, France 8.1%, Netherlands 6.3%, Belgium4.9%, Italy 4.7% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$46.05 billion (2003)
Debt - external:NA (2002 est.)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $4.5 billion (2000)
Currency:British pound (GBP)
Currency code:GBP
Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2004), 0.61 (2003), 0.67(2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66 (2000), 0.62 (1999)
Fiscal year:6 April - 5 April
Communications United Kingdom
Telephones - main lines in use:34.898 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:49.677 million (2002)
Telephone system:general assessment: technologically advanced domestic andinternational systemdomestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, andfiber-optic systemsinternational: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables;satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;at least 8 large international switching centers
Radio broadcast stations:AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios:84.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:30.5 million (1997)
Internet country code:.uk
Internet hosts:3,398,708 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):more than 400 (2000)
Internet users:25 million (2002)
Transportation United Kingdom
Railways:total: 17,186 kmstandard gauge: 16,726 km 1.435-m gauge (5,243 km electrified)broad gauge: 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2003)
Highways:total: 371,913 kmpaved: 371,913 km (including 3,358 km of expressways)unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Waterways:3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2004)
Pipelines:condensate 370 km; gas 21,446 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil6,420 km; oil/gas/water 63 km; refined products 4,474 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe,Glasgow, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester,Peterhead, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Ramsgate, Scapa Flow, Southampton,Sullom Voe, Teesport, Tyne
Merchant marine:total: 384 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 9,181,284 GRT/9,566,275 DWTby type: bulk 20, cargo 50, chemical tanker 28, combination ore/oil1, container 130, liquefied gas 23, livestock carrier 1,multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 20, petroleumtanker 45, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 34,short-sea/passenger 11, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1foreign-owned: Australia 2, Croatia 4, Cyprus 1, Denmark 42, Finland1, Germany 52, Greece 36, Hong Kong 16, Italy 3, Japan 1, Monaco 13,Nigeria 1, Norway 32, South Africa 2, Sweden 13, Taiwan 7, Unitedregistered in other countries: 522 (2004 est.)
Airports:471 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 334 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 86 under 914 m: 57 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 150
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 137 2438 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 112 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 23
Heliports: 11 (2003 est.)
Military United Kingdom
Military branches:Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military manpower - military age and obligation:16 years of age for voluntary military service (January 2004)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 14,943,016 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 15-49: 12,393,785 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$42,836.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.4% (2003)
Transnational Issues United Kingdom
Disputes - international:since Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum in2003 against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement, talks betweenthe UK and Spain over the fate of the 300-year old UK colony havestalled; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greaterautonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago(British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants sincetheir eviction in 1965; most reside chiefly in Mauritius, and in2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; UKcontinues to reject sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, whichstill claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgiaand the South Sandwich Islands; Rockall continental shelf disputeinvolving Denmark and Iceland remains dormant; territorial claim inAntarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claimand partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland,Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelfboundary outside 200 nm
Illicit drugs:producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and syntheticprecursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, LatinAmerican cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@United States
Introduction United States
Background:Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776and were recognized as the new nation of the United States ofAmerica following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as thenation expanded across the North American continent and acquired anumber of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiencesin the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the GreatDepression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and IIand the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's mostpowerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, lowunemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Geography United States
Location:North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and theNorth Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Geographic coordinates:38 00 N, 97 00 W
Map references:North America
Area:total: 9,631,418 sq kmland: 9,161,923 sq kmwater: 469,495 sq kmnote: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Area - comparative:about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size ofAfrica; about half the size of South America (or slightly largerthan Brazil); slightly larger than China; about two and a half timesthe size of Western Europe
Land boundaries:total: 12,034 kmborder countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska),Mexico 3,141 kmnote: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US andis part of Cuba; the base boundary is 29 km
Coastline:19,924 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified
Climate:mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic inAlaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River,and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low wintertemperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally inJanuary and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopesof the Rocky Mountains
Terrain:vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains ineast; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged,volcanic topography in Hawaii
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Death Valley -86 mhighest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m
Natural resources:coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold,iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum,natural gas, timber
Land use:arable land: 19.13%other: 80.65% (2001)permanent crops: 0.22%
Irrigated land:214,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoesin the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest firesin the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a majorimpediment to development
Environment - current issues:air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; theUS is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burningof fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides andfertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of thewestern part of the country require careful management;desertification
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent OrganicPollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note:world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) andby population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest pointin North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent
People United States
Population:293,027,571 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 20.8% (male 31,122,974; female 29,713,748)15-64 years: 66.9% (male 97,756,380; female 98,183,309)65 years and over: 12.4% (male 15,078,204; female 21,172,956) (2004est.)
Median age: total: 36 years male: 34.7 years female: 37.4 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:0.92% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:14.13 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:8.34 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 6.63 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)male: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.43 yearsmale: 74.63 yearsfemale: 80.36 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.07 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:950,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:14,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: American(s)adjective: American
Ethnic groups:white 77.1%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native1.5%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.3%, other 4%(2000)note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the USCensus Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin Americandescent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Ricanorigin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group(white, black, Asian, etc.)
Religions:Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)
Languages:English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 97%male: 97%female: 97% (1999 est.)
Government United States
Country name:conventional long form: United States of Americaconventional short form: United Statesabbreviation: US or USA
Government type:Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital:Washington, DC
Administrative divisions:50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*,Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, NewHampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, NorthDakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, SouthCarolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas:American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island,Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, VirginIslands, Wake Islandnote: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administeredthe Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. It entered into apolitical relationship with all four political units: the NorthernMariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US(effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of FreeAssociation with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the FederatedStates of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with theUS (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islandssigned a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21October 1986)
Independence:4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
National holiday:Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution:17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system:federal court system based on English common law; each state hasits own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana's) isbased on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts;accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001);note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmenthead of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernmentcabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approvalelections: president and vice president elected on the same ticketby a college of representatives who are elected directly from eachstate; president and vice president serve four-year terms; electionlast held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)election results: George W. BUSH reelected president; percent ofpopular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 50.9%, John KERRY(Democratic Party) 48.1%, other 1.0%
Legislative branch:bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, one-third arerenewed every two years; two members are elected from each state bypopular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House ofRepresentatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popularvote to serve two-year terms)election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats byparty - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 44, independent 1;House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats byparty - Republican Party 231, Democratic Party 200, undecided 4elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be heldNovember 2006); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004(next to be held November 2006)
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for life oncondition of good behavior by the president with confirmation by theSenate); United States Courts of Appeal; United States DistrictCourts; State and County Courts
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE]; Green Party [leader NA];Libertarian Party [Steve DASBACH]; Republican Party [EdwardGILLESPIE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), AustraliaGroup, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO,G-5, G-7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (guest), NATO,NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN SecurityCouncil, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL,UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag description:13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternatingwith white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side cornerbearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offsethorizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rowsof five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripesrepresent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the designand colors have been the basis for a number of other flags,including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
Economy United States
Economy - overview: The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $37,800. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy considerably greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The years 1994-2000 witnessed solid increases in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment to below 5%. The year 2001 saw the end of boom psychology and performance, with output increasing only 0.3% and unemployment and business failures rising substantially. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. Moderate recovery took place in 2002 with the GDP growth rate rising to 2.4%. A major short-term problem in first half 2002 was a sharp decline in the stock market, fueled in part by the exposure of dubious accounting practices in some major corporations. The war in March/April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq shifted resources to the military. In 2003, growth in output and productivity and the recovery of the stock market to above 10,000 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were promising signs. Unemployment stayed at the 6% level, however, and began to decline only at the end of the year. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $10.99 trillion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $37,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 26.2% services: 72.5% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):15.2% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:12% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:45 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):2.3% (2003)
Labor force:147.4 million (includes unemployed) (2003)
Labor force - by occupation: managerial, professional, and technical 34.9%, sales and office 25.5%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.7%, other services 16.3%, farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2004)
Unemployment rate:6% (2003)
Budget:revenues: $1.782 trillionexpenditures: $2.156 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA(2003)
Public debt:62.4% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork,poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish
Industries:leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified andtechnologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, foodprocessing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
Industrial production growth rate:0.3% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:3.719 trillion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:3.602 trillion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:18.17 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:38.48 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:8.054 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:19.65 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:NA (2001)
Oil - imports:NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:22.45 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:548.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:640.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:11.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:114.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:5.195 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-541.8 billion (2003)
Exports:$714.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials,consumer goods, agricultural products
Exports - partners:Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.5%, Japan 7.2%, UK 4.7%, Germany 4% (2003)
Imports:$1.26 trillion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles,consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages
Imports - partners:Canada 17.4%, China 12.5%, Mexico 10.7%, Japan 9.3%, Germany 5.3%(2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:$85.94 billion (2003)
Debt - external:$1.4 trillion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)
Currency:US dollar (USD)
Currency code:USD
Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar - 0.6139 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944(2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), Canadian dollars per US dollar- 1.4045 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857(1999), Japanese yen per US dollar - 116.08 (2003), 125.39 (2002),121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999), euros per US dollar -0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863(1999)
Fiscal year:1 October - 30 September
Communications United States
Telephones - main lines in use:181,599,900 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:158.722 million (2003)
Telephone system:general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurposecommunications systemdomestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radiorelay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form oftelephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobiletelephone traffic throughout the countryinternational: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 4,762, FM 5,542, shortwave 18 (1998)
Radios:575 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with the five major networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) (1997)
Televisions:219 million (1997)
Internet country code:.us
Internet hosts:115,311,958 (2002)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):7,000 (2002 est.)
Internet users:159 million (2002)
Transportation United States
Railways: total: 228,464 km standard gauge: 228,464 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Highways:total: 6,406,296 kmpaved: 4,148,395 km (including 74,898 km of expressways)unpaved: 2,257,902 km (2002)
Waterways:41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the SaintLawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)
Pipelines:petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, HamptonRoads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans,New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), PrudhoeBay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo
Merchant marine:total: 466 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 12,436,658 GRT/14,630,116 DWTby type: barge carrier 8, bulk 69, cargo 75, chemical tanker 12,combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, container 100,multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger 12, passenger/cargo2, petroleum tanker 81, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 83,short-sea/passenger 3, vehicle carrier 12foreign-owned: Australia 2, Canada 7, Denmark 17, Malaysia 1,Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Singapore 3, United Kingdom 5registered in other countries: 670 (2004 est.)
Airports:14,807 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 5,128over 3,047 m: 1882,438 to 3,047 m: 221914 to 1,523 m: 2,383under 914 m: 961 (2004 est.)1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,375
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 9,729under 914 m: 7,843 (2004 est.)over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 7914 to 1,523 m: 1,7181,524 to 2,437 m: 160
Heliports:155 (2003 est.)
Military United States
Military branches:Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard (CoastGuard administered in peacetime by the Department of HomelandSecurity, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy)
Military manpower - military age and obligation:18 years of age (2004 est.)
Military manpower - availability:males age 15-49: 73,597,731 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:NA (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 2,124,164 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$370.7 billion (FY04 est.) (March 2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:3.3% (FY03 est.) (February 2004)