1 (2000)
Internet users:
2.3 million (2007)
TransportationUnited Arab Emirates
Airports:
39 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 5 (2007)
Heliports:
5 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 520 km; gas 2,908 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil 2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 4,080 km paved: 4,080 km (includes 253 km of expressways) (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 58 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 9, chemical tanker 4, container 8, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 14 (Denmark 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 10) registered in other countries: 313 (Bahamas 23, Bahrain 1, Belize 5, Cambodia 2, Comoros 7, Cyprus 9, Dominica 1, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 3, Hong Kong 1, India 6, Indonesia 2, Iran 1, Jordan 13, North Korea 8, Liberia 23, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 15, Mexico 1, Netherlands 5, Panama 109, Papua New Guinea 6, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 18, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 8, Singapore 12, Somalia 1, Turkey 1, UK 9, unknown 6) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Mina' Zayid (Abu Dhabi), Al Fujayrah, Mina' Jabal 'Ali (Dubai),Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's al Khaymah), Khawr Fakkan(Sharjah)
MilitaryUnited Arab Emirates
Military branches:
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marines),Air Force and Air Defense, National Coast Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for officers and women; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,405,884 (includes non-nationals) females age 16-49: 884,853 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,004,558 females age 16-49: 760,637 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 25,856 female: 23,085 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesUnited Arab Emirates
Disputes - international:
boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran occupies
Illicit drugs:
the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@United Kingdom
IntroductionUnited Kingdom
Background:
As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process.
GeographyUnited Kingdom
Location:
Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 244,820 sq km land: 241,590 sq km water: 3,230 sq km note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km border countries: Ireland 360 km
Coastline:
12,429 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
Climate:
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Terrain:
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: The Fens -4 m highest 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)
Total renewable water resources:
160.6 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.75 cu km/yr (22%/75%/3%) per capita: 197 cu m/yr (1994)
Natural hazards:
winter windstorms; floods
Environment - current issues:
continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-EnvironmentalProtocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
PeopleUnited Kingdom
Population:
60,943,912 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.9% (male 5,287,590/female 5,036,881) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 20,698,645/female 20,185,040) 65 years and over: 16% (male 4,186,561/female 5,549,195) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.9 years male: 38.8 years female: 41 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.276% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.65 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
10.05 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.93 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.85 years male: 76.37 years female: 81.46 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
51,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer 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%, Northern Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.6% of GDP (2005)
GovernmentUnited Kingdom
Country name:
conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales conventional short form: United Kingdom abbreviation: UK
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: London geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 10 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its overseas dependencies or territories
Administrative divisions:
England: 34 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City ofLondon or Greater London, 36 metropolitan counties, 46 unitaryauthoritiestwo-tier counties: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire,Cheshire, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon,Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire,Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Northumberland,Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire,Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, WorcestershireLondon boroughs and City of London or Greater London: Barking andDagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing,Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey,Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington andChelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London,Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton,Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminstermetropolitan counties: Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury,Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees,Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, NorthTyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton,Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport,Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral,Wolverhamptonunitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn withDarwen, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove,City of Bristol, Darlington, Derby, East Riding of Yorkshire,Halton, Hartlepool, County of Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, City ofKingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, MiltonKeynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading,Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Slough, South Gloucestershire,Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent,Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, WestBerkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, YorkNorthern Ireland: 26 district council areasdistrict council areas: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney,Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine,Cookstown, Craigavon, Derry, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne,Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne,Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, StrabaneScotland: 32 unitary authoritiesunitary authorities: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll andBute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, EastAyrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Cityof Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, GlasgowCity, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, NorthLanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire,Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, TheScottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West LothianWales: 22 unitary authoritiesunitary authorities: Blaenau Gwent; Bridgend; Caerphilly; Cardiff;Carmarthenshire; Ceredigion; Conwy; Denbighshire; Flintshire;Gwynedd; Isle of Anglesey; Merthyr Tydfil; Monmouthshire; Neath PortTalbot; Newport; Pembrokeshire; Powys; Rhondda, Cynon, Taff;Swansea; The Vale of Glamorgan; Torfaen; Wrexham
Dependent areas:
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British VirginIslands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat,Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South SandwichIslands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Independence:
England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284 with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an Act of Union; in another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
National holiday:
the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
based on common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948) head of government: Prime Minister James Gordon BROWN (since 27 June 2007) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords (618 seats; consisting of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier) elections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by May 2010) election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor 35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%; seats by party - Labor 355, Conservative 198, Liberal Democrat 62, other 31; seats by party in the House of Commons as of 4 June 2008 - Labor 351, Conservative 192, Liberal Democrat 63, Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn Fein 5, other 17 note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and has been suspended four times, the latest occurring in October 2002 and lasting until 8 May 2007); in 1999, the UK held the first elections for a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly, the most recent of which were held in May 2007
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 [David CAMERON]; Democratic Unionist Party (NorthernIreland) [Peter ROBINSON]; Labor Party [Gordon BROWN]; LiberalDemocrats [Nick CLEGG]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan WynJONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein(Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Partyor SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party(Northern Ireland) [Sir Reg EMPEY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry;National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), ArcticCouncil (observer), 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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC,MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council,UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG,UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Nigel E. SHEINWALD 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, Miami, New York, San Francisco consulate(s): Denver, 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 of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories
EconomyUnited Kingdom
Economy - overview:
The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. Since emerging from recession in 1992, Britain's economy has enjoyed the longest period of expansion on record; growth has remained in the 2-3% range since 2004, outpacing most of Europe. The economy's strength has complicated the Labor government's efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Critics point out that the economy is doing well outside of EMU, and public opinion polls show a majority of Britons are opposed to the euro. The BROWN government has been speeding up the improvement of education, health services, and affordable housing at a cost in higher taxes and a widening public deficit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.13 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.773 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$35,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.9% industry: 23.4% services: 75.7% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
30.89 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1.4% industry: 18.2% services: 80.4% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 28.5% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.154 trillion expenditures: $1.239 trillion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
6 April - 5 April
Public debt:
43.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.52% (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$5.278 trillion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Industries:
machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate:
0.5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
371 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
348.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
3.398 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
8.613 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 73.8% hydro: 0.9% nuclear: 23.7% other: 1.6% (2001)
Oil - production:
1.69 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1.763 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
1.749 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
1.673 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
3.6 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
72.3 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
91.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
10.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
29.2 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
412 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$119.2 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$442.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:
US 14.2%, Germany 11.1%, France 8.1%, Ireland 8%, Netherlands 6.8%,Belgium 5.3%, Spain 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
$621.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Germany 14.2%, US 8.6%, China 7.3%, Netherlands 7.3%, France 6.9%,Belgium 4.7%, Norway 4.7%, Italy 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $12.46 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$57.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$10.45 trillion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.288 trillion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.707 trillion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$3.058 trillion (2005)
Currency (code):
British pound (GBP)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
British pounds (GBP) per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
CommunicationsUnited Kingdom
Telephones - main lines in use:
33.682 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
71.992 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers
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:
8.269 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
more than 400 (2000)
Internet users:
40.2 million (2007)
TransportationUnited Kingdom
Airports:
449 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 310 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 131 914 to 1,523 m: 79 under 914 m: 59 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 139 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 113 (2007)
Heliports:
11 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 567 km; condensate/gas 22 km; gas 18,980 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 4,930 km; oil/gas/water 165 km; refined products 4,444 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 16,567 km broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) standard gauge: 16,264 km 1.435-m gauge (5,361 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 398,366 km paved: 398,366 km (includes 3,520 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 518 by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 67, carrier 5, chemical tanker 61, container 180, liquefied gas 18, passenger 10, passenger/cargo 67, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 24, vehicle carrier 18 foreign-owned: 264 (Cyprus 2, Denmark 62, Finland 1, France 23, Germany 76, Hong Kong 2, Ireland 1, Italy 5, Japan 4, NZ 1, Norway 31, South Africa 3, Spain 1, Sweden 17, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 11, Turkey 2, UAE 9, US 12) registered in other countries: 391 (Algeria 11, Antigua and Barbuda 9, Argentina 4, Australia 5, Bahamas 56, Barbados 9, Belize 5, Bermuda 3, Brunei 1, Cape Verde 1, Cayman Islands 3, Cyprus 19, Gibraltar 2, Greece 32, Hong Kong 39, India 2, Italy 7, South Korea 1, Liberia 20, Luxembourg 8, Malta 19, Marshall Islands 18, Netherlands 2, Norway 5, Panama 59, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 17, Slovakia 1, Spain 5, Sweden 2, Thailand 5, Tonga 1, US 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton,Teesport (England), Forth Ports, Hound Point (Scotland), MilfordHaven (Wales)
MilitaryUnited Kingdom
Military branches:
Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military service age and obligation:
16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 16 years of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of the Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,729,500 females age 16-49: 14,125,600 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 12,121,602 females age 16-49: 11,616,582 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 400,927 female: 383,593 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesUnited Kingdom
Disputes - international:
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants since their eviction in 1965; most Chagossians reside in Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship, where some have since resettled; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed the UK Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Illicit drugs:
producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@United States
IntroductionUnited States
Background:
Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
GeographyUnited States
Location:
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the NorthPacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
North America
Area:
total: 9,826,630 sq km land: 9,161,923 sq km water: 664,707 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Area - comparative:
about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union
Land boundaries:
total: 12,034 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is 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 in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Terrain:
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m highest point: Mount McKinley 6,198 m
Natural resources:
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total
Land use:
arable land: 18.01% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 81.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
223,850 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3,069 cu km (1985)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 477 cu km/yr (13%/46%/41%) per capita: 1,600 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development
Environment - current issues:
air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western 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) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent
PeopleUnited States
Population:
303,824,640 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 31,257,108/female 29,889,645) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 101,825,901/female 102,161,823) 65 years and over: 12.7% (male 16,263,255/female 22,426,914) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.7 years male: 35.4 years female: 38.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.883% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
14.18 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.14 years male: 75.29 years female: 81.13 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
950,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
17,011 (2005 est.)
Nationality:
noun: American(s) adjective: American
Ethnic groups:
white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate) note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic
Religions:
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Languages:
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific 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 write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005)
GovernmentUnited States
Country name:
conventional long form: United States of America conventional short form: United States abbreviation: US or USA
Government type:
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital:
name: Washington, DC geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November note: the 50 United States cover 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, Virgin Islands, Wake Island note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 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 has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held on 6 November 2012) election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president; percent of popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 52.4%, John MCCAIN 46.3%, other 1.3%; note - OBAMA is expected to assume office on 20 January 2009
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, 2 members are elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third are elected every two years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 233, Republican Party 202
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party; Libertarian Party[William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Robert M. (Mike) DUNCAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education groups; cuvuc griyos; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), ANZUS, APEC,Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), 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, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, 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, UNMIL, UNOMIG,UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag description:
13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
EconomyUnited States
Economy - overview:
The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $46,000. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the military. The rise in GDP in 2004-07 was undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a small impact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices in 2005-2007 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economy continued to grow through year-end 2007. Imported oil accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The merchandise trade deficit reached a record $847 billion in 2007. Together, these problems caused a marked reduction in the value and status of the dollar worldwide in 2007.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.78 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.84 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$45,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.2% industry: 19.8% services: 79% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
153.1 million (includes unemployed) (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
farming, forestry, and fishing 0.6%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.6%, managerial, professional, and technical 35.5%, sales and office 24.8%, other services 16.5% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2007)
Unemployment rate:
4.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
12% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 30% (2007 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45 (2007)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.568 trillion expenditures: $2.73 trillion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
Public debt:
60.8% of GDP (2007 est.)