Chapter LXIII: Front Matter (63)

Background:
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control
of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In
1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash
Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United
Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah.
The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West
European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate
foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in
the affairs of the region.

Geography United Arab Emirates

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf,
between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 82,880 sq km
land: 82,880 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline:
1,318 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain:
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast
desert wasteland; mountains in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0.77%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 96.96% (2005)

Irrigated land:
760 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination
plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a
vital transit point for world crude oil

People United Arab Emirates

Population:
2,602,713 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 331,012/female 317,643)
15-64 years: 71.2% (male 1,125,286/female 726,689)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 74,700/female 27,383)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.1 years
male: 34.8 years
female: 23.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.52% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
18.96 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.4 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.55 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.73 male(s)/female
total population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.09 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.44 years
male: 72.92 years
female: 78.08 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.88 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.18% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati

Ethnic groups:
Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other
expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Religions:
Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Languages:
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9%
male: 76.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Government United Arab Emirates

Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE

Government type:
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal
government and other powers reserved to member emirates

Capital:
name: Abu Dhabi
geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi),
'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al
Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwayn)

Independence:
2 December 1971 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 December (1971)

Constitution:
2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996

Legal system:
federal court system introduced in 1971; applies to all emirates
except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah, which are not fully
integrated into the federal judicial system; all emirates have
secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial matters
and Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes

Suffrage:
none

Executive branch:
chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3
November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November
2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Rashid
al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin
Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN bin
Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the
seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional
authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions
federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi)
and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for
five-year terms (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2004
upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President
ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime minister
and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by
a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum
unanimously reaffirmed vice president

Legislative branch:
unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad
al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the
constituent states to serve two-year terms)
elections: President KHALIFA in December 2005 announced that
indirect elections would be held in early 2006 for half of the seats
in the FNC; the other half would be filled by appointment
note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

Judicial branch:
Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW,
OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Saqr Ghobash Said GHOBASH
chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
consulate(s): New York, Houston

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON
embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4,
Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603
consulate(s) general: Dubai

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with
a wider vertical red band on the hoist side

Economy United Arab Emirates

Economy - overview:
The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a
sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas
output (about 30% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate
with the prices of those commodities. Since the discovery of oil in
the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound
transformation from an impoverished region of small desert
principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At
present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for
more than 100 years. The government has increased spending on job
creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its
utilities to greater private sector involvement. Higher oil revenue,
strong liquidity, and cheap credit in 2005 led to a surge in asset
prices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. Any sharp
correction to the UAE's equity markets could damage investor and
consumer sentiment and affect bank asset quality. In April 2004, the
UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with
Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations
toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$115.8 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$98.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
8.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$45,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 58.5%
services: 37.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
2.8 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 15%
services: 78% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.4% (2001)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $34.93 billion
expenditures: $29.41 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.4
billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
17.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish

Industries:
petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement,
fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, some
boat building, handicrafts, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2000)

Electricity - production:
45.12 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
38.32 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
2.396 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
310,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:
97.8 billion bbl (2005 est.)

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

Natural gas - consumption:
37.88 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.006 trillion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$18.54 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$103.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates

Exports - partners:
Japan 24.6%, South Korea 9.8%, Thailand 5.6%, India 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$60.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food

Imports - partners:
UK 10%, China 9.7%, US 9.4%, India 9.2%, Germany 5.9%, Japan 5.4%,
France 4.7%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$23.53 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$34.47 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has
given about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries (2004)

Currency (code):
Emirati dirham (AED)

Currency code:
AED

Exchange rates:
Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725 (2004),
3.6725 (2003), 3.6725 (2002), 3.6725 (2001)
note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications United Arab Emirates

Telephones - main lines in use:
1.237 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.535 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital
network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key
centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004)

Radios:
820,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
15 (2004)

Televisions:
310,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ae

Internet hosts:
337,092 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
1,397,200 (2005)

Transportation United Arab Emirates

Airports:
37 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Heliports:
4 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 520 km; gas 2,580 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil
2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 1,088 km
paved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways) (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 656,003 GRT/891,837 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, container 6,
liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, roll
on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 10 (Greece 2, Kuwait 8)
registered in other countries: 259 (Bahamas 16, Barbados 1, Belize
5, Cambodia 1, Comoros 6, Cyprus 11, Dominica 2, Georgia 1, Hong
Kong 2, India 6, Iran 1, Jordan 11, Kiribati 1, North Korea 6,
Liberia 18, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5,
Norway 1, Panama 105, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 19, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3,
Singapore 7, Somalia 1, Sri Lanka 2, Syria 1, unknown 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Rashid, Mina'
Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Sharjan

Military United Arab Emirates

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
females age 18-49: 497,394 (includes non-nationals; 2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 526,671
females age 18-49: 419,975 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 30,706
females age 18-49: 29,617 (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:
the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text
rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a
treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement
was not formally ratified; 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;
Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran
occupies

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: the United Arab Emirates is a destination
country for men, women, and children trafficked from South and East
Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for involuntary
servitude and for sexual exploitation; an estimated 10,000 women
from sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, South and East Asia, Iraq,
Iran, and Morocco may be victims of sex trafficking in the UAE;
women also migrate from Africa, and South and Southeast Asia to work
as domestic servants, but may have their passports confiscated, be
denied permission to leave the place of employment in the home, or
face sexual or physical abuse by their employers; men from South
Asia come to the UAE to work in the construction industry, but may
be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude as they are
coerced to pay off recruitment and travel costs, sometimes having
their wages denied for months at a time; victims of child camel
jockey trafficking may still remain in the UAE, despite a July 2005
law banning the practice; while all identified victims were
repatriated at the government's expense to their home countries,
questions persist as to the effectiveness of the ban and the true
number of victims
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - UAE is placed on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to show increased efforts to combat trafficking
in 2005, particularly in its efforts to address the large-scale
trafficking of foreign girls and women for commercial sexual
exploitation

Illicit drugs:
the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its
proximity to Southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE's
position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money
laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal
banking remains unregulated

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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

@United Kingdom

Introduction United Kingdom

Background:
As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century,
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leading
role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing
literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched
over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th
century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars
and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half
witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself
into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five
permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of
NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to
foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its
integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to
remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being.
Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The
Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the
Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter
is suspended due to wrangling 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: 23.23%
permanent crops: 0.2%
other: 76.57% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,700 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
winter windstorms; floods

Environment - current issues:
continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto
Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to
meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a
20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government 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 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:
60,609,153 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 5,417,663/female 5,161,714)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 20,476,571/female 19,988,959)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 4,087,020/female 5,477,226) (2006
est.)

Median age:
total: 39.3 years
male: 38.2 years
female: 40.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.28% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
10.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
10.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.54 years
male: 76.09 years
female: 81.13 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2006 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 (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern
Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed
1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)

Religions:
Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist)
71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1%
(2001 census)

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

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:
name: London
geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 10 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

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 (or unitary authorities): 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, North Yorkshire,
Northamptonshire, Northumberland, 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, Londonderry (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, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee
City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East
Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles),
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, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire,
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: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Denbighshire, Flintshire,
Isle of Anglesey, 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, 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 nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament
under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir
Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
head of government: Prime Minister 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; 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 10 February 2006 party by seat in the House
of Commons: Labor 353, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 63,
Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn
Fein 5 (but cannot vote), other 11
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 [David CAMERON]; Democratic
Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party
[Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Sir Menzies CAMPBELL];
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, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C,
CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5,
G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UN
Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
WToO, 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, San Francisco
consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Holmes TUTTLE
embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE
mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040
telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000
FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124
consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh

Flag description:
blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of
England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of
Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on
the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland);
properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union
Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been
the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth
countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British
overseas territories

Economy United Kingdom

Economy - overview:
The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the
quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the
past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public
ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs.
Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by
European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than
2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil
reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of
the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly
banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the
largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in
importance. 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, but fell in 2005, to 1.7%. Despite slower 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 public opinion polls show a majority of Britons are 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 and a widening public deficit.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.818 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.228 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.5%
industry: 23.7%
services: 75.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
30.07 million (2005 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
4.7% (2005 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):
2.1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $881.4 billion
expenditures: $951 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
43.1% of GDP (2005 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, other consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate:
-1.9% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
369.9 billion kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
346.1 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
3 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
5.1 billion kWh (2003)

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

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

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

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

Oil - proved reserves:
4.5 billion bbl (31 December 2004)

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

Natural gas - consumption:
95.15 billion cu m (2003 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:
628.6 billion cu m (31 December 2004)

Current account balance:
$-57.61 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$372.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
US 15.1%, Germany 10.5%, France 8.9%, Ireland 7.3%, Netherlands
5.5%, Belgium 5%, Spain 4.4% (2005)

Imports:
$483.7 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
Germany 12.8%, US 8.7%, France 7.1%, Netherlands 6.6%, China 5%,
Norway 4.7%, Belgium 4.6%, Italy 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$48.66 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$7.107 trillion (30 June 2005)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $7.9 billion (2004)

Currency (code):
British pound (GBP)

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
British pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)

Fiscal year:
6 April - 5 April

Communications United Kingdom

Telephones - main lines in use:
32.943 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
61.091 million (2004)

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:
6,064,860 (2006)

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

Internet users:
37.6 million (2005)

Transportation United Kingdom

Airports:
471 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 334
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 149
914 to 1,523 m: 86
under 914 m: 58 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 137
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 112 (2006)

Heliports:
11 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 565 km; condensate/gas 6 km; gas 21,575 km; liquid
petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,094 km; oil/gas/water 161 km; refined
products 4,444 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 17,156 km
standard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,384 km electrified)
broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 387,674 km
paved: 387,674 km (including 3,523 km of expressways) (2004)

Waterways:
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 449 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,049,317 GRT/11,731,680 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 24, cargo 54, chemical tanker 50, container
146, liquefied gas 17, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 65, petroleum
tanker 33, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 26, vehicle
carrier 8
foreign-owned: 215 (Australia 3, Denmark 46, Finland 1, France 4,
Germany 76, Greece 7, Ireland 1, Italy 4, Netherlands 3, Norway 36,
NZ 1, South Africa 5, Spain 1, Sweden 15, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 1,
Turkey 2, US 6)
registered in other countries: 368 (Algeria 13, Antigua and Barbuda
7, Argentina 4, Australia 2, Bahamas 69, Barbados 5, Belgium 2,
Bermuda 9, Brazil 1, Brunei 8, Cape Verde 1, Cayman Islands 10,
Cyprus 6, Denmark 1, Finland 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands
1, Georgia 4, Gibraltar 4, Greece 9, Hong Kong 43, India 1,
Indonesia 2, Italy 3, South Korea 2, Liberia 41, Malta 8, Marshall
Islands 12, Morocco 1, Netherlands 19, Netherlands Antilles 3,
Norway 6, Panama 37, Papua New Guinea 6, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 13, Singapore 9, Slovakia 1, Spain 1, Thailand 2, Tonga
1) (2006)

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

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; women serve in
military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and
some naval postings (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,607,724
females age 16-49: 14,028,738 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 12,046,268
females age 16-49: 11,555,893 (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 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and
Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in
talks between the two countries; Spain disapproves of UK plans to
grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the
Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former
inhabitants since their eviction in 1965; most Chagossians reside in
Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship 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 19 December, 2006

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

@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: 9,631,420 sq km
land: 9,161,923 sq km
water: 469,497 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 28 km

Coastline:
19,924 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified

Climate:
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in
Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River,
and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter
temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in
January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes
of the Rocky Mountains

Terrain:
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in
east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged,
volcanic topography in Hawaii

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 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: 18.01%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 81.78% (2005)

Irrigated land:
223,850 sq km (2003)

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:
298,444,215 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 31,095,847/female 29,715,872)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 100,022,845/female 100,413,484)
65 years and over: 12.5% (male 15,542,288/female 21,653,879) (2006
est.)

Median age:
total: 36.5 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 37.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.91% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
14.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
3.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.85 years
male: 75.02 years
female: 80.82 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.09 children born/woman (2006 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: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 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:
name: Washington, DC (capital)
geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W
time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
2007
note: the United States is divided into six time zones

Administrative divisions:
50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*,
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, 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

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001);
Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January
2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible
for a second term); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be
held 4 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; 2 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 7 November 2006 (next to be held on
November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
(next to be held on November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Democratic Party 232, Republican Party 203

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and
confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to
serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States
District Courts; State and County Courts

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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE
(observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G- 8,
G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, 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 $42,000. In this market-oriented
economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the
decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods
and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business
firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western
Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off
surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they
face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than
foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the
forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in
medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has
narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology
largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor
market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the
professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and
more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage,
and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in
household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The
response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the
remarkable resilience of the economy. The war in March-April 2003
between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation
of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the
military. The rise in GDP in 2004 and 2005 was undergirded by
substantial gains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused
extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a
small impact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices
in 2005 and 2006 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the
economy continued to grow through mid-2006. Imported oil accounts
for about two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems include
inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising
medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and
budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower
economic groups.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.31 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.49 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$41,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 20.4%
services: 78.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
149.3 million (includes unemployed) (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing, extraction,
transportation, and crafts 22.9%, managerial, professional, and
technical 34.7%, sales and office 25.4%, other services 16.3%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2005)

Unemployment rate:
5.1% (2005 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):
3.2% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
16.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.119 trillion
expenditures: $2.466 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
64.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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:
3.2% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.892 trillion kWh (2003)

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

Electricity - consumption:
3.656 trillion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
23.97 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
30.39 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
7.61 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

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

Oil - exports:
1.048 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
13.15 million bbl/day (2004)

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

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

Natural gas - consumption:
633.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
24.19 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - imports:
114.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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

Current account balance:
$-829.1 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$927.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 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 23.4%, Mexico 13.3%, Japan 6.1%, China 4.6%, UK 4.3% (2005)

Imports:
$1.727 trillion f.o.b. (2005 est.)