Chapter LX: Front Matter (60)

Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense
Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 653,181
note: includes non-nationals (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 526,671 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 30,706 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.6 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.1% (FY00)

Transnational Issues United Arab Emirates

Disputes - international:
because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment
of the boundary with Saudi Arabia is still unknown; 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 maps showing the alignment have
not been published; UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab
League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Lesser
and Greater Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island

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

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@United Kingdom

Introduction United Kingdom

Background:
Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the
19th century, 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. 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 is suspended due to bickering
over the peace process.

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:
54 00 N, 2 00 W

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: 23.46%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 76.33% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,080 sq km (1998 est.)

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 towards a domestic goal of
a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims to
reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in
landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at
least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between
1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to
10.3%

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
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

People United Kingdom

Population:
60,441,457 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.7% (male 5,490,592/female 5,229,691)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 20,329,272/female 19,855,862)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,063,357/female 5,472,683) (2005
est.)

Median age:
total: 38.99 years
male: 37.89 years
female: 40.13 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.28% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
10.78 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
10.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.38 years
male: 75.94 years
female: 80.96 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
51,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
adjective: British

Ethnic groups:
white (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% (2000 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

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

Capital:
London

Administrative divisions:
England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London boroughs, 12 cities
and boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal boroughs
: boroughs: Barnsley, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton,
Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Bury, Calderdale,
Darlington, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Halton, Hartlepool,
Kirklees, Knowsley, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes,
North Tyneside, Oldham, Poole, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland,
Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Sefton, Slough, Solihull,
Southend-on-Sea, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport,
Stockton-on-Tees, Swindon, Tameside, Thurrock, Torbay, Trafford,
Walsall, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton
: counties: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire,
Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex,
Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire,
Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,
Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, North Yorkshire,
Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire,
Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire
: London boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent,
Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney,
Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon,
Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge,
Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham
Forest, Wandsworth
: cities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds,
Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield,
Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminster
: districts: Bath and North East Somerset, East Riding of Yorkshire,
North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset,
Rutland, South Gloucestershire, Telford and Wrekin, West Berkshire,
Wokingham
: cities: City of Bristol, Derby, City of Kingston upon Hull,
Leicester, City of London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth,
Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, York
: royal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames,
Windsor and Maidenhead
: Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties
: districts: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,
Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down,
Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle,
Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane
: cities: Belfast, Derry
: counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County
Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone
: Scotland - 32 council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus,
Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries
and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East
Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife,
Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North
Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross,
Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire,
Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), West
Lothian;
: Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties
: county boroughs: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,
Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda Cynon
Taff, Torfaen, Wrexham
: counties: Isle of Anglesey, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire,
Denbighshire, Flintshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, The
Vale of Glamorgan
: cities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea

Dependent areas:
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin
Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey,
Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and
Ascension, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 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:
common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental
influences; has 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 Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May
1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: none; 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 comprised of House of Lords (consists 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; pending further reforms, 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 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62,
other 31; note - as of 30 September 2005 the seats by party - Labor
354, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 62, other 34
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); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish
Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly

Judicial branch:
House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in
Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of
Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts);
Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary

Political parties and leaders:
Conservative and Unionist Party [Michael HOWARD]; Democratic
Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party
[Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party
of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish National Party or SNP
[Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social
Democratic and Labor Party or 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:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN
Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING
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, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, and Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David T.
JOHNSON
embassy: 24/31 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, as well as
British overseas territories

Economy United Kingdom

Economy - overview:
The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the
quartet 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. GDP growth
slipped in 2001-03 as the global downturn, the high value of the
pound, and the bursting of the "new economy" bubble hurt
manufacturing and exports. Output recovered in 2004, to 3.2% growth.
The economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest
rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic
performance has complicated the BLAIR 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 they cite public opinion polls that continue to show a
majority of Britons opposed to the euro. Meantime, the government
has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and
health services, at a cost in higher taxes.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.782 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $29,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 26.3%
services: 72.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
29.78 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1.5%, industry 19.1%, services 79.5% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
4.8% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
17% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 28.5% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.8 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $834.9 billion
expenditures: $896.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
39.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

Industries:
machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment,
railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and
parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals,
coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing,
textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate:
0.9% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
395.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 73.8%
hydro: 0.9%
nuclear: 23.7%
other: 1.6% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
337.4 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
2.959 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
5.119 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
1.957 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1.692 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.498 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
1.084 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves:
25.41 billion bbl (2003)

Natural gas - production:
105.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
92.85 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
2.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
714.9 billion cu m (2003)

Current account balance:
$-33.46 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$347.2 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners:
US 15.3%, Germany 10.8%, France 9.2%, Ireland 6.8%, Netherlands 6%,
Belgium 5.1%, Spain 4.5%, Italy 4.2% (2004)

Imports:
$439.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Germany 13%, US 9.3%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.6%, Belgium 4.9%,
China 4.3%, Italy 4.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$48.73 billion (2004)

Debt - external:
$4.71 trillion (2003)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $4.2 billion (2004)

Currency (code):
British pound (GBP)

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
British pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672
(2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)

Fiscal year:
6 April - 5 April

Communications United Kingdom

Telephones - main lines in use:
34.898 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
49.677 million (2002)

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; 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

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:
3,398,708 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
more than 400 (2000)

Internet users:
25 million (2002)

Transportation United Kingdom

Railways:
total: 17,274 km
standard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,296 km electrified)
broad gauge: 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2004)

Highways:
total: 392,931 km
paved: 392,931 km (including 3,431 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2003)

Waterways:
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate 370 km; gas 21,446 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil
6,420 km; oil/gas/water 63 km; refined products 4,474 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London,
Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport

Merchant marine:
total: 429 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 9,181,284 GRT/9,566,275 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 55, chemical tanker 48, container
134, liquefied gas 11, passenger 12, passenger/cargo 64, petroleum
tanker 40, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle
carrier 3
foreign-owned: 202 (Australia 3, Canada 15, Denmark 38, Finland 2,
Germany 56, Greece 4, Ireland 1, Italy 9, Netherlands 12, Norway 28,
South Africa 4, Sweden 15, Taiwan 7, United States 8)
registered in other countries: 446 (2005)

Airports:
471 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 334
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 150
914 to 1,523 m: 86
under 914 m: 57 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 137
2438 to 3047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 112 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
11 (2004 est.)

Military United Kingdom

Military branches:
Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service (January 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,607,724 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 12,046,268 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$42,836.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.4% (2003)

Transnational Issues United Kingdom

Disputes - international:
in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty"
arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK
and Spain; 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 Chagosians reside in Mauritius, and in
2001 were granted UK citizenship but no right to patriation in the
UK; 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 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@United States

Introduction United 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) and the Great
Depression of the 1930s. 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.

Geography United States

Location:
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Geographic coordinates:
38 00 N, 97 00 W

Map references:
North America

Area:
total: 9,631,418 sq km
land: 9,161,923 sq km
water: 469,495 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; almost two and a half
times 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 29 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 6,194 m

Natural resources:
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold,
iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum,
natural gas, timber

Land use:
arable land: 19.13%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 80.65% (2001)

Irrigated land:
214,000 sq km (1998 est.)

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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, 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

People United States

Population:
295,734,134 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.6% (male 31,095,725/female 29,703,997)
15-64 years: 67% (male 98,914,382/female 99,324,126)
65 years and over: 12.4% (male 15,298,676/female 21,397,228) (2005
est.)

Median age:
total: 36.27 years
male: 34.94 years
female: 37.6 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.92% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
14.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
8.25 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.71 years
male: 74.89 years
female: 80.67 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.08 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
950,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
14,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American

Ethnic groups:
white 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native
1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2% (2003 est.)
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.)

Religions:
Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)

Languages:
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and
Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1999 est.)

Government United 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:
Washington, DC

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, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, 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's) is
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH (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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
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; election
last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: George W. BUSH reelected president; percent of
popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 50.9%, John KERRY
(Democratic Party) 48.1%, other 1.0%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, one-third are
renewed every two years; two members are elected from each state by
popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular
vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
November 2006); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 44, independent 1;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - Republican Party 231, Democratic Party 200, undecided 4

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for life on
condition of good behavior by the president with confirmation by the
Senate); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District
Courts; State and County Courts

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party [leader NA];
Libertarian Party [Steve DAMERELL]; Republican Party [Ken MEHLMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO,
G-5, G-7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security
Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL,
UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, 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

Economy United States

Economy - overview:
The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in
the world, with a per capita GDP of $40,100. 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 considerably 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 entry in their rivals' home
markets than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in 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 was undergirded
by substantial gains in labor productivity. The economy suffered
from a sharp increase in energy prices in the second half of 2004.
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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$11.75 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.4% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $40,100 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.9%
industry: 19.7%
services: 79.4% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
147.4 million (includes unemployed) (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing, extraction,
transportation, and crafts 22.7%, managerial, professional, and
technical 34.9%, sales and office 25.5%, other services 16.3%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2004)

Unemployment rate:
5.5% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
12% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45 (2004)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.7% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.862 trillion
expenditures: $2.338 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)

Public debt:
65% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork,
poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish

Industries:
leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and
technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,
aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Industrial production growth rate:
4.4% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.839 trillion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 71.4%
hydro: 5.6%
nuclear: 20.7%
other: 2.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
3.66 trillion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
13.36 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
36.23 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
7.8 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
19.65 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Oil - proved reserves:
22.45 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
548.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
640.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
11.16 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
114.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.195 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-646.5 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$795 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial
supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors,
aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications
equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0%
(2003)

Exports - partners:
Canada 23%, Mexico 13.6%, Japan 6.7%, UK 4.4%, China 4.3% (2004)

Imports:
$1.476 trillion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil
8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment,
motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery),
consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture,
toys) (2003)

Imports - partners:
Canada 17%, China 13.8%, Mexico 10.3%, Japan 8.7%, Germany 5.2%
(2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$85.94 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$1.4 trillion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
British pounds per US dollar - 0.5457 (2004), 0.6139 (2003), 0.6661
(2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000); Canadian dollars per US dollar
- 1.3014 (2004), 1.4045 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851
(2000); Japanese yen per US dollar - 108.13 (2004), 116.08 (2003),
125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000); euros per US dollar -
0.8048 (2004), 0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.08540
(2000)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications United States

Telephones - main lines in use:
181,599,900 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
158.722 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose
communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country
international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;
satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16
Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4,854, FM 8,950, shortwave 18 (2004)

Radios:
575 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with
the five major networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition,
there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) (1997)

Televisions:
219 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.us

Internet hosts:
115,311,958 (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
7,000 (2002 est.)

Internet users:
159 million (2002)

Transportation United States

Railways:
total: 227,736 km
standard gauge: 227,736 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 6,393,603 km
paved: 4,180,053 km (including 74,406 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,213,550 km (2003)

Waterways:
41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)

Pipelines:
petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los
Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City
note: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana Ports) on the
Mississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons of cargo annually.

Merchant marine:
total: 486 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 12,436,658 GRT/14,630,116 DWT
by type: barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 19, cargo 152, chemical
tanker 19, container 92, passenger 17, passenger/cargo 57, petroleum
tanker 79, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 28, vehicle
carrier 14
foreign-owned: 49 (Australia 2, Canada 8, China 1, Denmark 20,
Malaysia 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 2, Singapore 11, Sweden 1, United
Kingdom 1)
registered in other countries: 680 (2005)

Airports:
14,857 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5,128
over 3,047 m: 188
2,438 to 3,047 m: 221
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,375
914 to 1,523 m: 2,383
under 914 m: 961 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9,729
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 160
914 to 1,523 m: 1,718
under 914 m: 7,843 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
155 (2004 est.)

Military United States

Military branches:
Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard (Coast
Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland
Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 67,742,879
females age 18-49: 67,070,144 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 54,609,050
females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 2,143,873
females: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$370.7 billion (FY04 est.) (March 2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.3% (FY03 est.) (February 2004)

Transnational Issues United States

Disputes - international:
prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and
infrastructure in the border region strains water-sharing
arrangements with Mexico; the US has stepped up efforts to stem
nationals from Mexico, Central America, and other parts of the world
from crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico; illegal
immigrants from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the Dominican
Republic, attempt to enter the US through Florida by sea; 1990
Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian
Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at
Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the
disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; US and Canada seek
greater cooperation in monitoring people and commodities crossing
the border; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a
maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from
Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can
terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US
has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the
right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other
state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): the United States admitted 52,868
refugees during FY03/04 including: 13,331 (Somalia), 6,000 (Laos),
3,482 (Ukraine), 2,959 (Cuba), 1,787 (Iran); note - 27,239 refugees
have been admitted as of 31 May 2005

Illicit drugs:
consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the
Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly
methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast
Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants,
stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering
center

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Uruguay

Introduction Uruguay

Background:
Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military
stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to became an
important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate
province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later
and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The
administrations of President BATLLE in the early 20th century
established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. A
violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in
the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control
of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been
crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout
the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's
political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Geography Uruguay

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates:
33 00 S, 56 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries:
total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline:
660 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain:
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources:
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

Land use:
arable land: 7.43%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 92.34% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional
violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts,
floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather
barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes
from weather fronts

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate
solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of
the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is
grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

People Uruguay

Population:
3,415,920 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.2% (male 403,041/female 389,427)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 1,076,960/female 1,095,833)
65 years and over: 13.2% (male 183,877/female 266,782) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 32.46 years
male: 31.02 years
female: 33.95 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.47% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
14.09 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.13 years
male: 72.92 years
female: 79.45 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups:
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically
nonexistent)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends
church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other
31%

Languages:
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the
Brazilian frontier)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 97.6%
female: 98.4% (2003 est.)

Government Uruguay

Country name:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form: Uruguay
former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

Government type:
constitutional republic

Capital:
Montevideo

Administrative divisions:
19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas,
Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida,
Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera,
Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres

Independence:
25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

Constitution:
27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973,
new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two
constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7
January 1997

Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2005) and
Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVA (since 1 March 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2005)
and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVA (since 1 March 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with
parliamentary approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 31 October
2004 (next to be held October 2009)
election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote
- Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING
10.3%

Legislative branch:
bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber
of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of
Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to
be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31
October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber
of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected
for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco
[Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo
Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front
Coalition (Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare
VAZQUEZ]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Agrupacion UTE (powerful state worker's union), Rural Association
of Uruguay (rancher's association), Uruguayan Construction League,
Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association),
Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization),
Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization), the
Catholic Church, students

International organization participation:
CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, ONUB,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos GIANELLI Derois
chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin J. SILVERSTEIN
embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200
mailing address: APO AA 34035
telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777
FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611

Flag description:
nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating
with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner
with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and
16 rays alternately triangular and wavy

Economy Uruguay

Economy - overview:
Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented
agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of
social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during
1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn,
stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems
of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in
2001-02 massive withdrawals by Argentina of dollars deposited in
Uruguayan banks led to a plunge in the Uruguyan peso and a massive
rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by
nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the serious banking
crisis. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged,
and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF
limited the damage. The debt swap with private creditors carried out
in 2003, which extended the maturity dates on nearly half of
Uruguay's $11.3 billion in public debt, substantially alleviated the
country's amortization burden in the coming years and restored
public confidence. The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of
high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, the weakness of the
dollar against the euro, growth in the region, low international
interest rates, and greater export competitiveness.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$49.27 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
10.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.9%
industry: 27.4%
services: 64.8% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
1.56 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70%

Unemployment rate:
13% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
21% of households (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 25.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.8 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.6% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
9.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3.332 billion
expenditures: $3.787 billion, including capital expenditures of $193
million (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish

Industries:
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment,
petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
22% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
8.536 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.7%
hydro: 99.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.3% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
5.878 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
954 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
434.2 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
41,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA

Oil - imports:
NA

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
64.5 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
65 million cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
$181.8 million (2004 est.)

Exports:
$2.2 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products

Exports - partners:
US 17.3%, Brazil 16%, Germany 6.3%, Argentina 6.2%, Mexico 4.2%
(2004)

Imports:
$2.071 billion f.o.b. (2003)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum