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 counties (historic)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, Strabanecities: Belfast, Londonderry (Derry)counties (historic): County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down,County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, and County Tyrone are stillreferred to in common parlance, but do not constitute a level ofadministrationScotland: 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 LothianWales: 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 refuse to 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) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish NationalParty or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [GerryADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland)[Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Sir RegEMPEY]
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, 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, UN SecurityCouncil, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING; note - will bereplaced the Sir Nigel E. SHEINWALD in the autumn of 2007chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, LosAngeles, New York, San Franciscoconsulate(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, then slowed to 1.7% in 2005 and 2.6% in 2006. 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):$1.903 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$2.341 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:2.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$31,400 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 25.6% services: 73.4% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 30.4 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.5% industry: 19.1% services: 79.5% (2004)
Unemployment rate:5.4% (2006 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):2.3% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):17.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:revenues: $973 billionexpenditures: $1.04 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2006 est.)
Public debt:42.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Industries:machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment,railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles andparts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals,coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing,textiles, clothing, other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate:0% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production:363.2 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 73.8% hydro: 0.9% nuclear: 23.7% other: 1.6% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:345.2 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:2.3 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:9.8 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production:2.075 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:1.827 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:1.498 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:1.084 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:4.5 billion bbl (31 December 2004)
Natural gas - production:95.97 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:98.47 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports:9.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:12.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:589 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:$-57.68 billion (2006 est.)
Exports:$468.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 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:$603 billion f.o.b. (2006 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:$38.83 billion (August 2006 est.)
Debt - external:$8.28 trillion (30 June 2006)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $7.9 billion (2004)
Currency (code):British pound (GBP)
Currency code:GBP
Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar - 0.54413 (2006), 0.55 (2005), 0.5462(2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
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: 388,008 km paved: 388,008 km (including 3,520 km of expressways) (2005)
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, where some havesince resettled; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed theUK Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on theislands; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, whichstill claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgiaand the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica(British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partiallyoverlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland disputeDenmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extendsbeyond 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 8 February, 2007
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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: 9,826,630 sq kmland: 9,161,923 sq kmwater: 664,707 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
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:298,444,215 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 20.4% (male 31,095,847/female 29,715,872)15-64 years: 67.2% (male 100,022,845/female 100,413,484)65 years and over: 12.5% (male 15,542,288/female 21,653,879) (2006est.)
Median age: total: 36.5 years male: 35.1 years female: 37.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.91% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:14.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:3.18 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 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.85 yearsmale: 75.02 yearsfemale: 80.82 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.09 children born/woman (2006 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)note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 99%female: 99% (2003 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:name: Washington, DC (capital)geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 Wtime difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; endsfirst Sunday in Novembernote: the United States is divided into six time zones
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
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001);Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)cabinet: 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 (eligiblefor a second term); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to beheld 4 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; 2 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 7 November 2006 (next to be held onNovember 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006(next to be held on November 2008)election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats byparty - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2;House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats byparty - Democratic Party 233, Republican Party 202
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president andconfirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed toserve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United StatesDistrict Courts; State and County Courts
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party; Libertarian Party[Steve DAMERELL]; Republican Party [Ken MEHLMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialoguepartner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE(observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G- 8,G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UNSecurity Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, 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 $43,500. 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 greater flexibility than their counterparts in WesternEurope and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay offsurplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, theyface higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets thanforeign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near theforefront in technological advances, especially in computers and inmedical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage hasnarrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technologylargely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labormarket" in which those at the bottom lack the education and theprofessional/technical skills of those at the top and, more andmore, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage,and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains inhousehold income have gone to the top 20% of households. Theresponse to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed theremarkable resilience of the economy. The war in March-April 2003between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupationof Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to themilitary. The rise in GDP in 2004-06 was undergirded by substantialgains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused extensivedamage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a smallimpact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices in2005 and 2006 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economycontinued to grow through year-end 2006. Imported oil accounts forabout two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems includeinadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly risingmedical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade andbudget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lowereconomic groups.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$12.98 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$13.22 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:3.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$43,500 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.9% industry: 20.4% services: 78.6% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 151.4 million (includes unemployed) (2006)
Labor force - by occupation: farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.9%, managerial, professional, and technical 34.9%, sales and office 25%, other services 16.5% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2006)
Unemployment rate:4.6% (2006)
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% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):16.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:revenues: $2.409 trillionexpenditures: $2.66 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2006 est.)
Public debt:64.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork,poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products
Industries:leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified andtechnologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, foodprocessing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
Industrial production growth rate:4.2% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production:3.979 trillion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 5.6% nuclear: 20.7% other: 2.3% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:3.717 trillion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:22.9 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:34.21 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production:7.61 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:20.73 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:1.048 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:13.15 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:22.45 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:531.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:635.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports:24.18 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:120.6 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:5.451 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:$-862.3 billion (2006 est.)
Exports:$1.024 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrialsupplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors,aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunicationsequipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0%(2003)
Exports - partners:Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.3%, Japan 6.1%, China 4.6%, UK 4.3% (2005)
Imports:$1.869 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment,motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery),consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture,toys) (2003)
Imports - partners:Canada 16.9%, China 15%, Mexico 10%, Japan 8.2%, Germany 5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$69.19 billion (August 2006 est.)
Debt - external:$10.04 trillion (30 June 2006 est.)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)
Currency (code):US dollar (USD)
Currency code:USD
Exchange rates:British pounds per US dollar - 0.5500 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001); Canadian dollars per US dollar- 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488(2001); Japanese yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004),115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001); euros per US dollar -0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175(2001); Chinese yuan per US dollar - 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004),8.2770 (2003), 8.2770 (2002), 8.2271 (2001)
Fiscal year:1 October - 30 September
Communications United States
Telephones - main lines in use:268 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:219.4 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurposecommunications systemdomestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radiorelay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form oftelephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobiletelephone traffic throughout the countryinternational: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)
Radios:575 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:2,218 (2006)
Televisions:219 million (1997)
Internet country code:.us
Internet hosts:195,138,696 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):7,000 (2002 est.)
Internet users:205,326,680 (2005)
Transportation United States
Airports: 14,858 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 5,119over 3,047 m: 1892,438 to 3,047 m: 2211,524 to 2,437 m: 1,426914 to 1,523 m: 2,337under 914 m: 946 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 9,739over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 61,524 to 2,437 m: 157914 to 1,523 m: 1,728under 914 m: 7,847 (2006)
Heliports:149 (2006)
Pipelines:petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2003)
Railways:total: 226,605 kmstandard gauge: 226,605 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Roadways:total: 6,430,366 kmpaved: 4,165,110 km (including 75,009 km of expressways)unpaved: 2,265,256 km (2005)
Waterways:41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the SaintLawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)
Merchant marine:total: 465 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,590,325 GRT/13,273,133 DWTby type: barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 67, cargo 91, chemical tanker20, container 76, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker76, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, specialized tanker 1,vehicle carrier 20foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 4, Denmark 24, Germany 2,Greece 1, Malaysia 4, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Singapore 2, Sweden5, Taiwan 1)registered in other countries: 700 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia3, Bahamas 121, Belize 5, Bermuda 27, Cambodia 8, Canada 2, CaymanIslands 41, Comoros 2, Cyprus 7, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 21,Ireland 2, Isle of Man 3, Italy 15, North Korea 3, South Korea 7,Liberia 93, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 143, Netherlands13, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 13, Panama 94, Peru 1,Philippines 8, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Qatar 1, Russia 1, SaintVincent and the Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 7, Spain 7,Sweden 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, UK 6, Vanuatu 1, Wallis and Futuna1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, LosAngeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas Citynote: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana Ports) on theMississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons of cargo annually
Military United States
Military branches:Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard; note -Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of HomelandSecurity, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age; 17 years of age with written parental consent(2006)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 67,742,879females age 18-49: 67,070,144 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 54,609,050females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 2,143,873females age 18-49: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$518.1 billion (FY04 est.) (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:4.06% (FY03 est.) (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues United States
Disputes - international:the U.S. has intensified domestic security measures and iscollaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, tomonitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, andcommodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall inrecent years along much of the Mexico-US border region hasameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits RussianDuma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada atDixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around thedisputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; The Bahamas and US havenot been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base atGuantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or USabandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claimsUS-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim inAntarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does notrecognize the claims of any other states; Marshall Islands claimsWake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island amongthe islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 62,643 refugeesduring FY04/05 including, 10,586 (Somalia), 8,549 (Laos), 6,666(Russia), 6,479 (Cuba), 3,100 (Haiti), 2,136 (Iran) (2006)
Illicit drugs:world's largest consumer of cocaine, shipped from Colombia throughMexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, andincreasingly methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of high-qualitySoutheast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana,depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine;money-laundering center
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Introduction United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Background: The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere. Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
Geography United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Location:OceaniaBaker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km)southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and AustraliaHowland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii andAustraliaJarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km)south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook IslandsJohnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km)southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to theMarshall IslandsKingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km)south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American SamoaMidway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km)northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago,about one-third of the way from Honolulu to TokyoPalmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km)south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Geographic coordinates:Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 WHowland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 WJarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 WJohnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 WKingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 WMidway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 WPalmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
Map references:Oceania
Area:total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged -6,937 sq kmBaker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km;submerged - 127 sq kmHowland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;submerged - 136 sq kmJarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged- 147 sq kmJohnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km;submerged - 274 sq kmKingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km;submerged - 1,958 sq kmMidway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km;submerged - 2,349 sq kmPalmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km;submerged - 1,946 sq km
Area - comparative:Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCHowland Island: about three times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCJarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,DCJohnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCKingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size ofThe Mall in Washington, DCMidway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,DCPalmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:none
Coastline:Baker Island: 4.8 kmHowland Island: 6.4 kmJarvis Island: 8 kmJohnston Atoll: 34 kmKingman Reef: 3 kmMidway Islands: 15 kmPalmyra Atoll: 14.5 km