Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/245.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 17KB | 383 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\UK.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"United Kingdom"}



{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of the United Kingdom, click {z,"-13.853355,46.695174,5.195771,60.934635",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} 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

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 244,820 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 241,590 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} slightly smaller than Oregon
{3}note:{4} includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 360 km
border country: Ireland 360 km

{2}Coastline:{4} 12,429 km

{2}Maritime claims:{4}
{3}continental shelf:{4} as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon
boundaries
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
{3}territorial sea:{4} 12 nm

{2}International disputes:{4} Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain;
Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory;
Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK
have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British
Antarctic Territory)

{2}Climate:{4} temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current;
more than one-half of the days are overcast

{2}Terrain:{4} mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
{3}lowest point:{4} Fenland -4 m
{3}highest point:{4} Ben Nevis 1,343 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum,
lead, silica

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 29%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 0%
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 48%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 9%
{3}other:{4} 14%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} 1,570 sq km (1989)

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants contribute to air pollution; some rivers
polluted by agricultural wastes and coastal waters polluted because of large-scale disposal of
sewage at sea

{2}natural hazards:{4} NA

{2}international agreements:{4} party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-
Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Desertification

{2}Geographic note:{4} lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked
by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more
than 125 km from tidal waters


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 58,489,975 (July 1996 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} 20% (male 5,853,545; female 5,565,153)
{3}15-64 years:{4} 65% (male 19,050,420; female 18,797,406)
{3}65 years and over:{4} 15% (male 3,753,361; female 5,470,090) (July 1996 est.)

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 0.22% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 13.12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 11.24 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} 0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} 1.01 male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} 0.69 male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 76.41 years
{3}male:{4} 73.78 years
{3}female:{4} 79.17 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 1.82 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Briton(s), British (collective plural)
{3}adjective:{4} British

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West
Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%

{2}Religions:{4} Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000,
Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.)
{3}note:{4} the UK does not include a question on religion in its census

{2}Languages:{4} English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about
60,000 in Scotland)

{2}Literacy:{4} age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (1978 est.)
{3}total population:{4} 99%
{3}male:{4} NA%
{3}female:{4} NA%


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
{3}conventional short form:{4} United Kingdom
abbreviation: UK

{2}Type of government:{4} constitutional monarchy

{2}Capital:{4} London

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} 47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3
islands areas
England: 39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire, Buckingham,
Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East
Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater London*, Greater Manchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and
Worcester, Hertford, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln,
Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford,
Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick,
West Midlands*, West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire
Northern Ireland: 26 districts; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast,
Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh,
Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Londonderry, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey,
North Down, Omagh, Strabane
Scotland: 9 regions, 3 islands areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian,
Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde, Tayside, Western Isles*
Wales: 8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South Glamorgan,
West Glamorgan
Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands,
Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong (scheduled to become a
Special Administrative Region of China on 1 July 1997), Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn
Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

{2}Independence:{4} 1 January 1801 (United Kingdom established)

{2}National holiday:{4} Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)

{2}Constitution:{4} unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

{2}Legal system:{4} common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no
judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

{2}Suffrage:{4} 18 years of age; universal

{2}Executive branch:{4}
{3}chief of state:{4} Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch; Heir
Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
{3}head of government:{4} Prime Minister John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990) is the leader of the
party which holds the majority in the House of Commons and must have the consent of the
monarch
{3}cabinet:{4} Cabinet of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister

{2}Legislative branch:{4} bicameral Parliament
House of Lords: consists of a 1,200-member body, four-fifths are hereditary peers, two
archbishops, 24 other senior bishops, serving and retired Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, other life
peers, Scottish peers
House of Commons: elections last held 9 April 1992 (next to be held by NA April 1997); results -
Conservative 41.9%, Labor 34.5%, Liberal Democratic 17.9%, other 5.7%; seats - (651 total)
Conservative 336, Labor 271, Liberal Democratic 20, other 24

{2}Judicial branch:{4} House of Lords, several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the
monarch for life

{2}Political parties and leaders:{4} Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR; Labor Party,
Anthony (Tony) Blair; Liberal Democrats (LD), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National
Party, Alex SALMOND; Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY; Ulster
Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), David TRIMBLE; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland),
Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME;
Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS; Alliance Party (Northern Ireland), John ALDERDICE

{2}Other political or pressure groups:{4} Trades Union Congress; Confederation of British Industry;
National Farmers' Union; Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

{2}International organization participation:{4} AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C,
CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP,
EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC,
NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAVEM III, UNCRO,
UNCTAD, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR,
UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador Sir John Olav KERR
{3}chancery:{4} 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
{3}telephone:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}FAX:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}consulate(s) general:{4} Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco
consulate(s): Dallas, Miami, and Seattle

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador William J. CROWE, Jr.
{3}embassy:{4} 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W. 1A1AE
{3}mailing address:{4} PSC 801, Box 40, London; FPO AE 09498-4040
{3}telephone:{4} [44] (71) 499-9000
{3}FAX:{4} [44] (71) 409-1637
{3}consulate(s) general:{4} Belfast, Edinburgh

{2}Flag:{4} blue 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); known as
the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the
basis for a number of other flags including dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and others


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and
its economy ranks among the four largest in Western Europe. The economy is essentially
capitalistic; over the past 13 years the ruling Tories have 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 only about 1% of the
labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves, and primary energy production
accounts for 12% 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, now employing only 25% of the work force. The
economy registered 3.9% GDP growth in 1994, the best rate for six years, but slipped back to
2.7% in 1995. Exports and manufacturing output have been the primary engines of growth.
Unemployment is gradually falling. Inflation is at a tolerable 3%. A major economic policy question
for the UK in the 1990s is the terms on which it participates in the financial and economic
integration of Europe.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $1.1384 trillion (1995 est.)

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} 2.7% (1995 est.)

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $19,500 (1995 est.)

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} 1.7%
{3}industry:{4} 27.7%
{3}services:{4} 70.6% (1993)

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} 3.1% (November 1995)

{2}Labor force:{4} 28.048 million
{3}by occupation:{4} services 62.8%, manufacturing and construction 25.0%, government 9.1%, energy
1.9%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1992)

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} 8% (December 1995)

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $388.9 billion
{3}expenditures:{4} $447.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)

{2}Industries:{4} production machinery including 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, and other consumer goods

{2}Industrial production growth rate:{4} 1.9% (1995 est.)

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} 65,360,000 kW
{3}production:{4} 303 billion kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} 5,123 kWh (1993)

{2}Agriculture:{4} cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

{2}Illicit drugs:{4} gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; producer
of synthetic drugs; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center

{2}Exports:{4} $200.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
{3}commodities:{4} manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport
equipment
{3}partners:{4} EU countries 56.4% (Germany 12.7%, France 9.9%, Netherlands 7.0%), US 13.1%

{2}Imports:{4} $221.9 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
{3}commodities:{4} manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
{3}partners:{4} EU countries 54.9% (Germany 14.6%, France 10.0%, Netherlands 6.7%), US 12.2%

{2}External debt:{4} $16.2 billion (June 1992)

{2}Economic aid:{4}
donor: ODA, $2.908 billion (1993)

{2}Currency:{4} 1 British pound (ú) = 100 pence

{2}Exchange rates:{4} British pounds (ú) per US$1 - 0.6535 (January 1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529
(1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991)

{2}Fiscal year:{4} 1 April - 31 March


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 17,561 km
{3}broad gauge:{4} 434 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double track); note - all 1.600-m gauge track, of
which 357 km is in common carrier use, is in Northern Ireland
standard gauge: 16,892 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified; 12,591 km double or multiple
track); note - 16,532 km of 1.435-m routes are in common carrier service; the remaining 360 km
are operated by a total of 40 tourist or other private companies
narrow gauge: 235 km 0.260-m, 0.311-m, 0.381-m, 0.600-m, 0.610-m, 0.686-m, 0.760-m, 0.762-
m, 0.800-m, 0.825-m, 0.914-m and 1.067-m gauges; note - these short, narrow-gage lines are
operated by a total of 25 tourist and other private firms (1995)

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 386,243 km (1993 est.)
{3}paved:{4} NA km (including 3,237 km of expressways in Great Britain)
{3}unpaved:{4} NA km

{2}Waterways:{4} 3,200 km under British Waterways Board

{2}Pipelines:{4} crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993 km; natural gas
12,800 km

{2}Ports:{4} Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London,
Manchester, Medway, Sullom Voe, Tees, Tyne

{2}Merchant marine:{4}
{3}total:{4} 151 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,191,969 GRT/3,861,239 DWT
{3}ships by type:{4} bulk 10, cargo 21, chemical tanker 2, container 24, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker
56, passenger 8, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 14, specialized
tanker 1 (1995 est.)

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 388
{3}with paved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 9
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 29
{3}with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 103
{3}with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 59
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 166
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 22 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 10 (1995 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} 29.5 million (1987 est.)

{2}Telephone system:{4} technologically advanced domestic and international system
{3}domestic:{4} equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems
{3}international:{4} 40 coaxial submarine cables; 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

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM 225, FM 525 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0

{2}Radios:{4} 70 million

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} 207 (repeaters 3,210)

{2}Televisions:{4} 20 million


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} 14,515,077
{3}males fit for military service:{4} 12,102,431 (1996 est.)

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} exchange rate conversion - $35.1 billion, 3.1% of GDP (FY95/96)