Nationality:noun: Emirati(s)adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups:Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, otherexpatriates (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 writetotal population: 77.9%male: 76.1%female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
Government United Arab Emirates
Country name:conventional long form: United Arab Emiratesconventional short form: nonelocal long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidahlocal short form: noneformer: Trucial Oman, Trucial Statesabbreviation: UAE
Government type:federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federalgovernment 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 alKhaymah, 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; applies to all emiratesexcept Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah, which are not fullyintegrated into the federal system; all emirates have secular courtsto adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial matters and Islamiccourts to review family and religious disputes
Suffrage:none
Executive branch:chief of state: President Sheikh KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan(since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4November 2004) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since8 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 PrimeMinister SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990);Deputy Prime Minister HAMDAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October2003)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentnote: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of theseven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutionalauthority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctionsfederal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto powerelections: president and vice president elected by the FederalSupreme Council (composed of rulers of the seven emirates) forfive-year terms; election last held 3 November 2004 upon the deathof the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan AlNuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime minister and deputy primeminister appointed by the presidentelection results: Sheikh KHALIFA bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan electedpresident by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MAKTUM bin Rashidal-Maktum unanimously reaffirmed vice president
Legislative branch:unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihadal-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of theconstituent states to serve two-year terms)elections: nonenote: 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, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Asri Said Ahmad al-DHAHIRI chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400 FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432 note: consulates in New York and Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Michele SISONembassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4,Abu Dhabimailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabitelephone: [971] (2) 414-2200FAX: [971] (2) 414-2469consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black witha wider vertical red band on the hoist side
Economy United Arab Emirates
Economy - overview:The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and asizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gasoutput (about 30% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuatewith the prices of those commodities. Since the discovery of oil inthe UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profoundtransformation from an impoverished region of small desertprincipalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. Atpresent levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last formore than 100 years. The government has increased spending on jobcreation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up itsutilities to greater private sector involvement. In April 2004, theUAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) withWashington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiationstoward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$63.67 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.7% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $25,200 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 4%industry: 58.5%services: 37.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force:2.36 millionnote: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national(2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 7%, industry 15%, services 78% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:2.4% (2001)
Population below poverty line:NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NAhighest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):3.2% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):20.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:revenues: $23.68 billionexpenditures: $25.45 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.4billion (2004 est.)
Public debt:17.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Industries:petroleum, fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial shiprepair, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building,handicrafts, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:4% (2000)
Electricity - production:45.12 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:36.51 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:2.335 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:310,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports:0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:97.8 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production:44.4 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:33.7 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:7.19 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:6.06 trillion cu m (2004)
Current account balance:$6.3 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:$69.48 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners:Japan 24.9%, South Korea 9.9%, India 5.4%, Thailand 5.2% (2004)
Imports:$45.66 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners:China 10%, India 9.8%, Japan 6.8%, Germany 6.5%, UK 6.2%, France6.1%, US 6% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$18.64 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external:$5.9 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - donor:since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development hasgiven about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries (2004)
Currency (code):Emirati dirham (AED)
Currency code:AED
Exchange rates:Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.6725 (2004), 3.6725 (2003),3.6725 (2002), 3.6725 (2001), 3.6725 (2000)note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002
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:Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Rashid, Mina'Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Sharjan
Merchant marine:total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 578,477 GRT/739,823 DWTby type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 11, chemical tanker 5, container 6,liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 21, rollon/roll off 7foreign-owned: 14 (Greece 2, Kuwait 6)registered in other countries: 200 (2005)
Airports:35 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 22over 3,047 m: 82,438 to 3,047 m: 31,524 to 2,437 m: 4914 to 1,523 m: 4under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 13over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 21,524 to 2,437 m: 3914 to 1,523 m: 3under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
Heliports:2 (2004 est.)
Military United Arab Emirates
Military branches:Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air DefenseForce, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 653,181 note: includes non-nationals (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 526,671 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males: 30,706 (2005 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; boundaryagreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entireborder, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves,but contents of the agreement and maps showing the alignment havenot been published; UAE engage in direct talks and solicit ArabLeague support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Lesserand Greater 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 20 October, 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 Economicand Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is alsoa significant 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 kmland: 241,590 sq kmwater: 3,230 sq kmnote: 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: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:60,441,457 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 17.7% (male 5,490,592/female 5,229,691)15-64 years: 66.5% (male 20,329,272/female 19,855,862)65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,063,357/female 5,472,683) (2005est.)
Median age: total: 38.99 years male: 37.89 years female: 40.13 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:0.28% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:10.78 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:10.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78.38 yearsmale: 75.94 yearsfemale: 80.96 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:51,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)adjective: British
Ethnic groups:white (English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%,other 1.6% (2001 census)
Religions:Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist)71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1%(2001 census)
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: NA%female: NA%
Government United Kingdom
Country name:conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, 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: 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: cities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds,Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield,Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminster: 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: royal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,Windsor and Maidenhead: Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties: 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: Belfast, Derry: counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, CountyFermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone: 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;: Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties: county boroughs: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda CynonTaff, Torfaen, Wrexham: counties: Isle of Anglesey, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire,Denbighshire, Flintshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, TheVale of Glamorgan: cities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea
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)head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May1997)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime ministerelections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislativeelections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of themajority coalition is usually 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 (646 seats since 2005 elections; members areelected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House isdissolved earlier)elections: 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 5 May2005 (next to be held by May 2010)election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party -Labor 35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%;seats by party - Labor 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62,other 31; note - as of 30 September 2005 the seats by party - Labor354, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 62, other 34note: 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 Assembly
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) [Sir Reg EMPEY]
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 20008telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, LosAngeles, New York, and San Franciscoconsulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, 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 less than 2% of the laborforce. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primaryenergy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest sharesof any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance,and business services, account by far for the largest proportion ofGDP while 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. Output recovered in 2004, to 3.2% growth.The economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interestrates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economicperformance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to make acase for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union(EMU). Critics point out that the economy is doing well outside ofEMU, and they cite public opinion polls that continue to show amajority of Britons opposed to the euro. Meantime, the governmenthas been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, andhealth services, at a cost in higher taxes.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.782 trillion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $29,600 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 26.3% services: 72.7% (2004 est.)
Labor force:29.78 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 1.5%, industry 19.1%, services 79.5% (2004)
Unemployment rate:4.8% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:17% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 28.5% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:36.8 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):1.4% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):16.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:revenues: $834.9 billionexpenditures: $896.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA(2004 est.)
Public debt:39.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Industries:machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment,railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles andparts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals,coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing,textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate:0.9% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:395.9 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 73.8% hydro: 0.9% nuclear: 23.7% other: 1.6% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:337.4 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:2.959 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:5.119 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:1.957 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:1.692 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:1.498 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:1.084 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:25.41 billion bbl (2003)
Natural gas - production:105.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:92.85 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:2.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:714.9 billion cu m (2003)
Current account balance:$-33.46 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:$347.2 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:US 15.3%, Germany 10.8%, France 9.2%, Ireland 6.8%, Netherlands 6%,Belgium 5.1%, Spain 4.5%, Italy 4.2% (2004)
Imports:$439.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Germany 13%, US 9.3%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.6%, Belgium 4.9%,China 4.3%, Italy 4.3% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$48.73 billion (2004)
Debt - external:$4.71 trillion (2003)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $4.2 billion (2004)
Currency (code):British pound (GBP)
Currency code:GBP
Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672(2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
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: 17,274 kmstandard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,296 km electrified)broad gauge: 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2004)
Highways:total: 392,931 kmpaved: 392,931 km (including 3,431 km of expressways)unpaved: 0 km (2003)
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:Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London,Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport
Merchant marine:total: 429 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 9,181,284 GRT/9,566,275 DWTby type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 55, chemical tanker 48, container134, liquefied gas 11, passenger 12, passenger/cargo 64, petroleumtanker 40, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 25, vehiclecarrier 3foreign-owned: 202 (Australia 3, Canada 15, Denmark 38, Finland 2,Germany 56, Greece 4, Ireland 1, Italy 9, Netherlands 12, Norway 28,South Africa 4, Sweden 15, Taiwan 7, United States 8)registered in other countries: 446 (2005)
Airports:471 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 334 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 150 914 to 1,523 m: 86 under 914 m: 57 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 137 2438 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 112 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 11 (2004 est.)
Military United Kingdom
Military branches:Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military service age and obligation:16 years of age for voluntary military service (January 2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 14,607,724 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 12,046,268 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$42,836.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.4% (2003)
Transnational Issues United Kingdom
Disputes - international:in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum toremain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty"arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UKand Spain; 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 Chagosians reside in Mauritius, and in2001 were granted UK citizenship but no right to patriation in theUK; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which stillclaims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia andthe South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (BritishAntarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlapsChilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claimthat the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 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 20 October, 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; almost two and a halftimes the size of the European Union
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%permanent crops: 0.22%other: 80.65% (2001)
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:295,734,134 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 20.6% (male 31,095,725/female 29,703,997)15-64 years: 67% (male 98,914,382/female 99,324,126)65 years and over: 12.4% (male 15,298,676/female 21,397,228) (2005est.)
Median age: total: 36.27 years male: 34.94 years female: 37.6 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:0.92% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:14.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:8.25 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.72 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 7.17 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.71 yearsmale: 74.89 yearsfemale: 80.67 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.08 children born/woman (2005 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 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2% (2003 est.)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 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian andPacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
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); the Republic of the Marshall Islandssigned a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compactof Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palauconcluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1October 1994)
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 January2001); 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)elections: 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)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 4
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 [Howard DEAN]; Green Party [leader NA];Libertarian Party [Steve DAMERELL]; Republican Party [Ken MEHLMAN]
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 inthe world, with a per capita GDP of $40,100. In this market-orientedeconomy, private individuals and business firms make most of thedecisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goodsand services predominantly in the private marketplace. US businessfirms enjoy considerably greater flexibility than their counterpartsin Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, tolay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the sametime, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' homemarkets 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 militaryequipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World WarII. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradualdevelopment of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at thebottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills ofthose at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable payraises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975,practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top20% of households. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. Thewar in March/April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and thesubsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in nationalresources to the military. The rise in GDP in 2004 was undergirdedby substantial gains in labor productivity. The economy sufferedfrom a sharp increase in energy prices in the second half of 2004.Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economicinfrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an agingpopulation, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation offamily income in the lower economic groups.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$11.75 trillion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4.4% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $40,100 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.9% industry: 19.7% services: 79.4% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 147.4 million (includes unemployed) (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.7%, managerial, professional, and technical 34.9%, sales and office 25.5%, other services 16.3% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2004)
Unemployment rate:5.5% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:12% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:45 (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):2.5% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):15.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:revenues: $1.862 trillionexpenditures: $2.338 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA(2004 est.)
Public debt:65% of GDP (2004 est.)
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:4.4% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:3.839 trillion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 5.6% nuclear: 20.7% other: 2.3% (2001)