over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 97 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 236
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 214 (2010)
Heliports:
7 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 33,327 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,211 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 21,658 km country comparison to the world: 13 broad gauge: 21,658 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2009)
Roadways:
total: 169,495 km country comparison to the world: 30 paved: 165,820 km (includes 15 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,675 km (2009)
Waterways:
2,150 km (most on Dnieper River) (2009) country comparison to the world: 42
Merchant marine:
total: 160 country comparison to the world: 41 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 123, chemical tanker 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Iran 1)
registered in other countries: 197 (Belize 6, Cambodia 37, Comoros 10, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 15, Liberia 16, Malta 30, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 12, Mongolia 1, Panama 11, Russia 12, Saint Kitts and Nevis 10, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 5, Slovakia 7, Tuvalu 1, Vanuatu 3, unknown 4) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Feodosiya (Theodosia), Illichivsk, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa,Yuzhnyy
Military ::Ukraine
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces(Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly, VPS) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army and Air Force, 18 months for Navy (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,149,646
females age 16-49: 11,437,891 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,970,035
females age 16-49: 9,015,224 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 256,196
female: 244,473 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Transnational Issues ::Ukraine
Disputes - international:
1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete with preparations for demarcation underway; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level discussions; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria Region, which remains under OSCE supervision; the ICJ gave Ukraine until December 2006 to reply, and Romania until June 2007 to rejoin, in their dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@United Arab Emirates (Middle East)
Introduction ::United Arab Emirates
Background:
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy, however, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard.
Geography ::United Arab Emirates
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 83,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 114 land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline:
1,318 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 0.77%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 96.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
760 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.2 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.3 cu km/yr (23%/9%/68%)
per capita: 511 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People ::United Arab Emirates
Population:
4,975,593 country comparison to the world: 114 note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a significantly higher estimate of net immigration of non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 500,928/female 478,388)
15-64 years: 78.7% (male 2,768,030/female 1,008,404)
65 years and over: 0.9% (male 27,601/female 15,140)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.2 years
male: 32.1 years
female: 24.8 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.561% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Birth rate:
15.98 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Death rate:
2.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 225
Net migration rate:
21.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Urbanization:
urban population: 78% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.75 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.8 male(s)/female
total population: 2.2 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 136 male: 14.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.32 years country comparison to the world: 70 male: 73.75 years
female: 79.01 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.41 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups:
Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions:
Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9%
male: 76.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 184
Government ::United Arab Emirates
Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
Government type:
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital:
name: Abu Dhabi
geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwain)
Independence:
2 December 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution:
2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996
Legal system:
based on a dual system of sharia and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 11 May 2009) and MANSUR bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 11 May 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members; election last held 3 November 2009 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid Al-Maktum
Legislative branch:
unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains appointed) held on 18-20 December 2006; the new electoral college - a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates - were the only eligible voters and candidates; 456 candidates including 65 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats; one female from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi won a seat and 8 women were among the 20 appointed members
note: the FNC reviews legislation but cannot change or veto
Judicial branch:
Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
none; political parties are not allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO,WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yusif bin Mani bin Said al-UTAYBA
chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard G. OLSON, Jr.
embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification
National anthem:
name: "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE)
lyrics/music: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
note: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1996; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of Tunisia
Economy ::United Arab Emirates
Economy - overview:
The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Successful efforts at economic diversification have reduced the portion of GDP based on oil and gas output to 25%. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up utilities to greater private sector involvement. In April 2004, the UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations toward a Free Trade Agreement with the US, however, those talks have not moved forward. The country's Free Trade Zones - offering 100% foreign ownership and zero taxes - are helping to attract foreign investors. The global financial crisis, tight international credit, and deflated asset prices slowed GDP growth in 2010. UAE authorities tried to blunt the crisis by increasing spending and boosting liquidity in the banking sector. The crisis hit Dubai hardest, as it was heavily exposed to depressed real estate prices. Dubai lacked sufficient cash to meet its debt obligations, prompting global concern about its solvency. The UAE Central Bank and Abu Dhabi-based banks bought the largest shares. In December 2009 Dubai received an additional $10 billion loan from the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The economy is expected to continue a slow rebound. Dependence on oil, a large expatriate workforce, and growing inflation pressures are significant long-term challenges. The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on diversification and creating more opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$199.8 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $194.7 billion (2009 est.)
$200.1 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$239.7 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 137 -2.7% (2009 est.)
7.4% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$40,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $40,600 (2009 est.)
$43,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.9%
industry: 51.5%
services: 47.6% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
3.908 million country comparison to the world: 88 note: expatriates account for about 85% of the work force (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 15%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.4% (2001) country comparison to the world: 20
Population below poverty line:
19.5% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
26.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Public debt:
44.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 48.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 1.6% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Stock of narrow money:
$68.76 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 39 $60.85 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$228.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $201.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$290 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $263.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$109.6 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 36 $97.85 billion (31 December 2008)
$224.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Industries:
petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Electricity - production:
71.54 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - consumption:
65.98 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2.798 million bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Oil - consumption:
435,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Oil - exports:
2.7 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Oil - imports:
192,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Oil - proved reserves:
97.8 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Natural gas - production:
50.24 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - consumption:
59.42 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Natural gas - exports:
7.567 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - imports:
16.75 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.071 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Current account balance:
$3.409 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $7.871 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$195.8 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $192.2 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners:
Japan 17.27%, South Korea 10.49%, India 9.96%, Iran 6.82%, Thailand 5.11% (2009)
Imports:
$159 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $150 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners:
China 15.03%, India 14.27%, US 8.44%, Germany 5.81%, Japan 4.52% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$39.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 $36.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$122.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $122.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$76.38 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $70.18 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$54.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 $51.41 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar - 3.673 (2010), 3.673 (2009), 3.6725 (2008), 3.6725 (2007), 3.6725 (2006)
Communications ::United Arab Emirates
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.561 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 62
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10.672 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 61
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Broadcast media:
except for the many organizations now operating in Dubai's Media Free Zone, most television and radio stations remain government-owned; widespread use of satellite dishes provides access to pan-Arab and other international broadcasts (2007)
Internet country code:
.ae
Internet hosts:
379,309 (2010) country comparison to the world: 54
Internet users:
3.449 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 61
Transportation ::United Arab Emirates
Airports:
41 (2010) country comparison to the world: 103
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 25
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
Heliports:
5 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 458 km; gas 2,152 km; liquid petroleum gas 220 km; oil 1,310 km; refined products 212 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 4,080 km country comparison to the world: 156 paved: 4,080 km (includes 253 km of expressways) (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 57 country comparison to the world: 68 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 9, chemical tanker 7, container 7, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned: 13 (Greece 3, Kuwait 10)
registered in other countries: 278 (Bahamas 27, Belize 5, Cambodia 2, Comoros 11, Cyprus 5, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 5, Hong Kong 2, India 4, Iran 1, Jordan 7, Liberia 27, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 17, Mexico 1, Netherlands 4, North Korea 6, Panama 83, Papua New Guinea 6, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 17, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Saudi Arabia 6, Sierra Leone 6, Singapore 10, Tanzania 1, Togo 1, UK 9, Vanuatu 1, unknown 7) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Al Fujayrah, Mina' Jabal 'Ali (Dubai), Khawr Fakkan (Khor Fakkan),Mubarraz Island, Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's al Khaymah),
Military ::United Arab Emirates
Military branches:
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force and Air Defense, Border and Coast Guard Directorate (BCGD) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for officers and women; no conscription (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,589,714 (includes non-nationals)
females age 16-49: 950,460 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,157,211
females age 16-49: 816,363 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,256
female: 24,305 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Transnational Issues ::United 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
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@United Kingdom (Europe)
Introduction ::United Kingdom
Background:
The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, 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. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.
Geography ::United 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: 243,610 sq km country comparison to the world: 79 land: 241,930 sq km
water: 1,680 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, Whaling
signed, 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
People ::United Kingdom
Population:
62,348,447 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 5,233,756/female 4,986,131)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 20,774,192/female 20,246,519)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 4,259,654/female 5,612,953) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.8 years
male: 38.6 years
female: 40.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.563% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Birth rate:
12.34 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Death rate:
9.33 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Net migration rate:
2.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Urbanization:
urban population: 90% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.052 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 191 male: 5.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.92 years country comparison to the world: 28 male: 77.84 years
female: 82.11 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
77,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 90
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
note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall)
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 (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.6% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 43
Government ::United 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 and Commonwealth realm
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: 27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*)
two-tier counties: Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria,Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire,Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire,Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire,Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk,Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire
London 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, Westminster
metropolitan districts: 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,Wolverhampton
unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn withDarwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brightonand Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East,Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, DurhamCounty*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool,Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly*, City of Kingstonupon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes,North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole,Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire,Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea,Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin,Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor andMaidenhead, Wokingham, York
Northern Ireland: 26 district council areas
district 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, Strabane
Scotland: 32 council areas
council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute,Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire,East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City ofEdinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City,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 Lothian
Wales: 22 unitary authorities
unitary 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:
12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England and Scotland as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland)
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 David CAMERON (since 11 May 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually the prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords (741 seats; consisting of approximately 625 life peers, 91 hereditary peers, and 25 clergy - as of 15 December 2010) and House of Commons (650 seats since 2010 elections; members 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 on 6 May 2010 (next to be held by June 2015)