Televisions:18.05 million (1997)
Internet country code:.ua
Internet hosts:229,110 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):260 (2001)
Internet users:5,278,100 (2005)
Transportation Ukraine
Airports: 499 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 193 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 55 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 93 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 306 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 274 (2006)
Heliports:10 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 19,951 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,211 km (2006)
Railways:total: 22,473 kmbroad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways:total: 169,447 kmpaved: 164,772 km (including 15 km of expressways)unpaved: 4,675 km (2004)
Waterways:2,253 km (most on Dnieper River) (2006)
Merchant marine:total: 202 ships (1000 GRT or over) 782,456 GRT/911,201 DWTby type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 151, container 4, passenger 6,passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, rollon/roll off 7, specialized tanker 2foreign-owned: 1 (Russia 1)registered in other countries: 160 (Belize 7, Cambodia 17, Comoros14, Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Georgia 22, Liberia 16, Malta 24, Moldova3, Mongolia 1, Panama 8, Russia 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, SaintVincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 4, Slovakia 8, unknown4) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Feodosiya, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni,Yuzhnyy
Military Ukraine
Military branches:Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly),Air Defense Forces (2002)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 11,020,222females age 18-49: 11,370,687 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 7,376,050females age 18-49: 9,313,385 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 382,751females age 18-49: 365,599 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$617.9 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:1.4% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Ukraine
Disputes - international:1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due tounresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducingborder security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia iscomplete and parties have renewed discussions on demarcation; thedispute over the maritime boundary between Russia and Ukrainethrough the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despitea December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-leveldiscussions; Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customsposts to monitor transit through Moldova's break-away TransnistriaRegion, which remains under OSCE supervision; in 2004 Ukraine andRomania took their dispute over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy(Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary to the ICJ foradjudication; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigationcanal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs:limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CISconsumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West;limited government eradication program; used as transshipment pointfor opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, andTurkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improvedanti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from theFinancial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries andTerritories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-launderingregime continues to be monitored by FATF
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@United Arab Emirates
Introduction United Arab Emirates
Background:The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK controlof their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, AshShariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the UnitedArab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah.The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading WestEuropean nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderateforeign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role inthe affairs of the region.
Geography United Arab Emirates
Location:Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf,between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:24 00 N, 54 00 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 82,880 sq kmland: 82,880 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries: total: 867 km border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline: 1,318 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vastdesert wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 mhighest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources:petroleum, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:760 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, avital transit point for world crude oil
People United Arab Emirates
Population:2,602,713 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 24.9% (male 331,012/female 317,643)15-64 years: 71.2% (male 1,125,286/female 726,689)65 years and over: 3.9% (male 74,700/female 27,383)note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 28.1 years male: 34.8 years female: 23.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:1.52% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:18.96 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:4.4 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.55 male(s)/female65 years and over: 2.73 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 14.09 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 16.57 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 75.44 yearsmale: 72.92 yearsfemale: 78.08 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.88 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.18% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: Emirati(s)adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups:Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, 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:name: Abu Dhabigeographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 Etime difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
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 (Quwayn)
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 judicial system; all emirates havesecular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial mattersand Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes
Suffrage:none
Executive branch:chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Rashidal-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD binRashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime MinistersSULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN binZayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)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 FSC forfive-year terms (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2004upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first PresidentZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime ministerand deputy prime minister appointed by the presidentelection results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president bya unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktumunanimously 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: President KHALIFA in December 2005 announced thatindirect elections would be held in early 2006 for half of the seatsin the FNC; the other half would be filled by appointmentnote: 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, IPU, 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 Saqr Ghobash Said GHOBASHchancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC20008telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432consulate(s): New York, Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. 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) 414-2603consulate(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. Higher oil revenue,strong liquidity, and cheap credit in 2005 led to a surge in assetprices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. Any sharpcorrection to the UAE's equity markets could damage investor andconsumer sentiment and affect bank asset quality. 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):$115.8 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$98.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:8.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$45,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 58.5% services: 37.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 2.8 million (2005 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%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):10.5% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):20.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $34.93 billionexpenditures: $29.41 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.4billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:17.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Industries:petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement,fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, someboat 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:38.32 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:2.396 million bbl/day (2005 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 (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:44.79 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:37.88 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:6.006 trillion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:$18.54 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$103.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners:Japan 24.6%, South Korea 9.8%, Thailand 5.6%, India 4.3% (2005)
Imports:$60.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners:UK 10%, China 9.7%, US 9.4%, India 9.2%, Germany 5.9%, Japan 5.4%,France 4.7%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$23.53 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$34.47 billion (2005 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 (2005), 3.6725 (2004),3.6725 (2003), 3.6725 (2002), 3.6725 (2001)note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications United Arab Emirates
Telephones - main lines in use:1.237 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:4.535 million (2005)
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:337,092 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:1,397,200 (2005)
Transportation United Arab Emirates
Airports: 37 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 23over 3,047 m: 102,438 to 3,047 m: 21,524 to 2,437 m: 4914 to 1,523 m: 4under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 14over 3,047 m: 22,438 to 3,047 m: 21,524 to 2,437 m: 3914 to 1,523 m: 3under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Heliports:4 (2006)
Pipelines:condensate 520 km; gas 2,580 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2006)
Roadways:total: 1,088 kmpaved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways) (1999)
Merchant marine:total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 656,003 GRT/891,837 DWTby type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, container 6,liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, rollon/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1foreign-owned: 10 (Greece 2, Kuwait 8)registered in other countries: 259 (Bahamas 16, Barbados 1, Belize5, Cambodia 1, Comoros 6, Cyprus 11, Dominica 2, Georgia 1, HongKong 2, India 6, Iran 1, Jordan 11, Kiribati 1, North Korea 6,Liberia 18, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5,Norway 1, Panama 105, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 19, SaintVincent and the Grenadines 11, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3,Singapore 7, Somalia 1, Sri Lanka 2, Syria 1, unknown 5) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Rashid, Mina'Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Sharjan
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: 653,181females age 18-49: 497,394 (includes non-nationals; 2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 526,671females age 18-49: 419,975 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males: 30,706females age 18-49: 29,617 (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:the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and textrescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in atreaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreementwas not formally ratified; boundary agreement was signed andratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman'sMusandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of theagreement and maps showing the alignment have not been published;Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iranoccupies
Trafficking in persons:current situation: the United Arab Emirates is a destinationcountry for men, women, and children trafficked from South and EastAsia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for involuntaryservitude and for sexual exploitation; an estimated 10,000 womenfrom sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, South and East Asia, Iraq,Iran, and Morocco may be victims of sex trafficking in the UAE;women also migrate from Africa, and South and Southeast Asia to workas domestic servants, but may have their passports confiscated, bedenied permission to leave the place of employment in the home, orface sexual or physical abuse by their employers; men from SouthAsia come to the UAE to work in the construction industry, but maybe subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as they arecoerced to pay off recruitment and travel costs, sometimes havingtheir wages denied for months at a time; victims of child cameljockey trafficking may still remain in the UAE, despite a July 2005law banning the practice; while all identified victims wererepatriated at the government's expense to their home countries,questions persist as to the effectiveness of the ban and the truenumber of victimstier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - UAE is placed on the Tier 2 WatchList for its failure to show increased efforts to combat traffickingin 2005, particularly in its efforts to address the large-scaletrafficking of foreign girls and women for commercial sexualexploitation
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, but informalbanking remains unregulated
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@United Kingdom
Introduction United Kingdom
Background:As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century,the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leadingrole in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancingliterature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretchedover one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20thcentury saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Warsand the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second halfwitnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itselfinto a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of fivepermanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member ofNATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach toforeign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of itsintegration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose toremain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being.Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. TheScottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and theNorthern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latteris suspended due to wrangling over 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: 23.23%permanent crops: 0.2%other: 76.57% (2005)
Irrigated land:1,700 sq km (2003)
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 toward a domestic goal of a20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims to reducethe 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 linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavilyindented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
People United Kingdom
Population:60,609,153 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 17.5% (male 5,417,663/female 5,161,714)15-64 years: 66.8% (male 20,476,571/female 19,988,959)65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,087,020/female 5,477,226) (2006est.)
Median age: total: 39.3 years male: 38.2 years female: 40.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.28% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:10.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:10.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.75 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 78.54 yearsmale: 76.09 yearsfemale: 81.13 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.66 children born/woman (2006 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 (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, NorthernIrish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed1.2%, 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%male: 99%female: 99% (2003 est.)
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:name: Londongeographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 10 Wtime difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:England: 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London boroughs, 12 citiesand boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal boroughsboroughs: 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, Wolverhamptoncounties (or unitary authorities): 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, North Yorkshire,Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire,Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire,West Sussex, Wiltshire, WorcestershireLondon 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, Wandsworthcities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds,Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield,Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminsterdistricts: Bath and North East Somerset, East Riding of Yorkshire,North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,Rutland, South Gloucestershire, Telford and Wrekin, West Berkshire,Wokinghamcities: City of Bristol, Derby, City of Kingston upon Hull,Leicester, City of London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth,Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Yorkroyal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,Windsor and MaidenheadNorthern Ireland: 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 countiesdistricts: 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, Strabanecities: Belfast, Londonderry (Derry)counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, CountyFermanagh, County Londonderry, County TyroneScotland: 32 council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus,Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, DundeeCity, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, EastRenfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles),Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian,Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth andKinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, SouthLanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire,West Lothian;Wales: 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and countiescounty boroughs: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda CynonTaff, Torfaen, Wrexhamcounties: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Denbighshire, Flintshire,Isle of Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, The Vale ofGlamorgancities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea
Dependent areas:Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British VirginIslands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat,Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Ascension, South Georgia and theSouth Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos 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 nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliamentunder the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJjurisdiction, with reservations
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; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditarypeerage arise); House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to beheld 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 10 February 2006 party by seat in the Houseof Commons: Labor 353, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 63,Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, SinnFein 5 (but cannot vote), other 11note: 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 [David CAMERON]; DemocraticUnionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party[Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Sir Menzies CAMPBELL];Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish National Partyor SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS];Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [MarkDURKAN]; 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, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C,CBSS (observer), 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,IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNSecurity Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL,UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,WToO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Holmes TUTTLE embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040 telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000 FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124 consulate(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, and Britishoverseas territories
Economy United Kingdom
Economy - overview:The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of thequintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over thepast two decades, the government has greatly reduced publicownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs.Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient byEuropean standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oilreserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one ofthe highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularlybanking, insurance, and business services, account by far for thelargest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline inimportance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-03 as the global downturn,the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the "new economy"bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Output recovered in 2004, to3.2% growth, but fell in 2005, to 1.7%. Despite slower growth, theeconomy 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 public opinion polls show a majority of Britons are opposedto the euro. Meantime, the government has been speeding up theimprovement of education, transport, and health services, at a costin higher taxes and a widening public deficit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.818 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$2.228 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:1.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$30,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.5% industry: 23.7% services: 75.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 30.07 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.5% industry: 19.1% services: 79.5% (2004)
Unemployment rate:4.7% (2005 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):2.1% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):16.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $881.4 billionexpenditures: $951 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:43.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Industries:machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment,railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles andparts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals,coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing,textiles, clothing, other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate:-1.9% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:369.9 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 73.8% hydro: 0.9% nuclear: 23.7% other: 1.6% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:346.1 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:3 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:5.1 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:2.393 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:1.722 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:1.498 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:1.084 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:4.5 billion bbl (31 December 2004)
Natural gas - production:102.8 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:95.15 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:2.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:628.6 billion cu m (31 December 2004)
Current account balance:$-57.61 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$372.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:US 15.1%, Germany 10.5%, France 8.9%, Ireland 7.3%, Netherlands5.5%, Belgium 5%, Spain 4.4% (2005)
Imports:$483.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Germany 12.8%, US 8.7%, France 7.1%, Netherlands 6.6%, China 5%,Norway 4.7%, Belgium 4.6%, Italy 4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$48.66 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$7.107 trillion (30 June 2005)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $7.9 billion (2004)
Currency (code):British pound (GBP)
Currency code:GBP
Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
Fiscal year:6 April - 5 April
Communications United Kingdom
Telephones - main lines in use:32.943 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:61.091 million (2004)
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:6,064,860 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):more than 400 (2000)
Internet users:37.6 million (2005)
Transportation United Kingdom
Airports: 471 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 334 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 149 914 to 1,523 m: 86 under 914 m: 58 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 137 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 112 (2006)
Heliports:11 (2006)
Pipelines:condensate 565 km; condensate/gas 6 km; gas 21,575 km; liquidpetroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,094 km; oil/gas/water 161 km; refinedproducts 4,444 km (2006)
Railways:total: 17,156 kmstandard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,384 km electrified)broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2005)
Roadways: total: 387,674 km paved: 387,674 km (including 3,523 km of expressways) (2004)
Waterways:3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2003)
Merchant marine:total: 449 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,049,317 GRT/11,731,680 DWTby type: bulk carrier 24, cargo 54, chemical tanker 50, container146, liquefied gas 17, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 65, petroleumtanker 33, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 26, vehiclecarrier 8foreign-owned: 215 (Australia 3, Denmark 46, Finland 1, France 4,Germany 76, Greece 7, Ireland 1, Italy 4, Netherlands 3, Norway 36,NZ 1, South Africa 5, Spain 1, Sweden 15, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 1,Turkey 2, US 6)registered in other countries: 368 (Algeria 13, Antigua and Barbuda7, Argentina 4, Australia 2, Bahamas 69, Barbados 5, Belgium 2,Bermuda 9, Brazil 1, Brunei 8, Cape Verde 1, Cayman Islands 10,Cyprus 6, Denmark 1, Finland 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands1, Georgia 4, Gibraltar 4, Greece 9, Hong Kong 43, India 1,Indonesia 2, Italy 3, South Korea 2, Liberia 41, Malta 8, MarshallIslands 12, Morocco 1, Netherlands 19, Netherlands Antilles 3,Norway 6, Panama 37, Papua New Guinea 6, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines 13, Singapore 9, Slovakia 1, Spain 1, Thailand 2, Tonga1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London,Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport
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; women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 14,607,724females age 16-49: 14,028,738 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 12,046,268females age 16-49: 11,555,893 (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 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum toreject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK andSpain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation intalks between the two countries; Spain disapproves of UK plans togrant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim theChagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), and its formerinhabitants since their eviction in 1965; most Chagossians reside inMauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship but no right topatriation in the UK; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested byArgentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claimin Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claimand partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Irelanddispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelfextends 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 19 December, 2006
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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: 9,631,420 sq kmland: 9,161,923 sq kmwater: 469,497 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 28 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: 18.01%permanent crops: 0.21%other: 81.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:223,850 sq km (2003)
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