United Kingdom

Airports

498 total, 385 usable; 249 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 37 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 133 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

618 major transport aircraft

Highways

UK, 362,982 km total; Great Britain, 339,483 km paved (including 2,573 km limited-access divided highway); Northern Ireland, 23,499 km (22,907 paved, 592 km gravel)

Inland waterways

2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706 km; other, 979 km

Merchant marine

224 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,905,571 GRT/4,840,862 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 21 short-sea passenger, 37 cargo, 27 container, 14 roll-on/roll-off, 10 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 66 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 1 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 26 bulk, 1 combination bulk

Pipelines

crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km, petroleum products 2,993 km, natural gas 12,800 km

Ports

London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe, Southampton

Railroads

Great Britain - 16,629 km total; British Railways (BR) operates 16,629 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge (4,205 km electrified and 12,591 km double or multiple track); several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 332 km 1.600-meter gauge, including 190 km double track

Telecommunications

technologically advanced domestic and international system; 30,200,000 telephones; equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber systems; excellent countrywide broadcast systems; broadcast stations - 225 AM, 525 (mostly repeaters) FM, 207 (3,210 repeaters) TV; 40 coaxial submarine cables; 5 satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and EUTELSAT systems; at least 8 large international switching centers

Branches

Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $42 billion, 4.3% of GDP (FY91)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 14,462,820; 12,122,497 fit for military service; no conscription

Agriculture

accounts for only 1.5% of GDP and 1% of labor force; highly mechanized and efficient farms; wide variety of crops and livestock products produced; about 60% self-sufficient in food and feed needs; fish catch of 665,000 metric tons (1987)

Budget

revenues $435 billion; expenditures $469 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)

Currency

British pound or pound sterling (plural - pounds); 1 British pound (#) = 100 pence

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $21.0 billion

Electricity

98,000,000 kW capacity; 316,500 million kWh produced, 5,520 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

British pounds (#) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987)

Exports

$186.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment partners: EC 53.2% (FRG 12.7%, France 10.5%, Netherlands 7.0%), US 12.4%

External debt

$10.5 billion (1990)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $915.5 billion, per capita $15,900; real growth rate -1.9% (1991 est.)

Imports

$211.9 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods partners: EC 52.2% (FRG 15.6%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 8.4%), US 11.5%

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1991)

Industries

production machinery including machine tools, electric power equipment, equipment for the automation of production, 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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.8% (1991)

Overview

The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Europe. The economy is essentially capitalistic with a generous admixture of social welfare programs and government ownership. Prime Minister MAJOR has continued the basic thrust of THATCHER's efforts to halt the expansion of welfare measures and promote extensive reprivatization of the government economic sector. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. Industry is a mixture of public and private enterprises, employing about 27% of the work force and generating 22% of GDP. The UK is an energy-rich nation with large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. In mid-1990 the economy fell into recession after eight years of strong economic expansion, which had raised national output by one quarter. Britain's inflation rate, which has been consistently well above those of her major trading partners, declined significantly in 1991. Between 1986 and 1990 unemployment fell from 11% to about 6%, but crept back up to 8% in 1991 because of the economic slowdown. As a major trading nation, the UK will continue to be greatly affected by world boom or recession, swings in the international oil market, productivity trends in domestic industry, and the terms on which the economic integration of Europe proceeds.

Unemployment rate

8.1% (1991)

Climate

temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are overcast

Coastline

12,429 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Oregon

Disputes

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)

Environment

pollution control measures improving air, water quality; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

Land area

241,590 km2; includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

Land boundaries

360 km; Ireland 360 km

Land use

arable land 29%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 48%; forest and woodland 9%; other 14%; includes irrigated 1%

Maritime claims

Continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

coal, crude oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica

Note

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now being linked by tunnel under the English Channel

Terrain

mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Total area

244,820 km2

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

London

Communists

15,961

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Dependent areas

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Sir Robin RENWICK; Chancery at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-1340; there are British Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas, Miami, and Seattle US: Ambassador Raymond G. H. SEITZ; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W.1A1AE, (mailing address is FPO AE 09498-4040); telephone [44] (71) 499-9000; FAX 409-1637; there are US Consulates General in Belfast and Edinburgh

Elections

House of Commons: 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

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag

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

Independence

1 January 1801, United Kingdom established

Judicial branch

House of Lords

Leaders

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 John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990)

Legal system

common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or House of Lords and a lower house or House of Commons

Long-form name

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; abbreviated UK

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESCAP, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday

Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)

Note

Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997

Other political or pressure groups

Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, National Farmers' Union, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Political parties and leaders

Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR; Labor Party, John SMITH; Liberal Democrats (LD), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National Party, Alex SALMOND; Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Ulster Popular Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James KILFEDDER; Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS; Alliance Party (Northern Ireland), John ALDERDICE; Democratic Left, Nina TEMPLE

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

constitutional monarchy

Birth rate

14 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%

Infant mortality rate

8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

26,177,000; services 60.6%, manufacturing and construction 27.2%, government 8.9%, energy 2.1%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1991)

Languages

English, Welsh (about 26% of population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)

Life expectancy at birth

73 years male, 79 years female (1992)

Literacy

99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978 est.)

Nationality

noun - Briton(s), British (collective pl.); adjective - British

Net migration rate

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

40% of labor force (1991)

Population

57,797,514 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)

Religions

Anglican 27.0 million, Roman Catholic 5.3 million, Presbyterian 2.0 million, Methodist 760,000, Jewish 410,000

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (1992)