United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Introduction

Background

The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth’s surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK’s strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.

Geography

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: 243,610 sq km
country comparison to the world: 80 land:241,930 sq km
water:1,680 sq km
note:includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

Area – comparative

slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries

total: 360 km
border countries:Ireland 360 km

Coastline

12,429 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone:200 nm
continental shelf:as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

Climate

temperate

moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current

more than one-half of the days are overcast

Terrain

mostly rugged hills and low mountains

level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Elevation extremes

lowest point: The Fens -4 m
highest point:Ben Nevis 1,343 m

Natural resources

coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

Land use

arable land: 23.23%
permanent crops:0.2%
other:76.57% (2005)

Irrigated land

1,950 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

160.6 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 11.75cu km/yr (22%/75%/3%)
per capita:197cu m/yr (1994)

Natural hazards

winter windstorms

floods

Environment – current issues

continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010)

by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015

Environment – international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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:none of the selected agreements

Geography – note

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes

only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel

because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

People and Society

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)

Languages

English
note:the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall)

Religions

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

Population

62,698,362 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.3% (male 5,575,119/female 5,301,301)
15-64 years:66.2% (male 20,979,401/female 20,500,913)
65 years and over:16.5% (male 4,564,375/female 5,777,253) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 40 years
male:38.8 years
female:41.1 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

0.557% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147

Birth rate

12.29 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161

Death rate

9.33 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64

Net migration rate

2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32

Urbanization

urban population: 80% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:0.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

LONDON (capital) 8.615 million

Birmingham 2.296 million

Manchester 2.247 million

West Yorkshire 1.541 million

Glasgow 1.166 million (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.052 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.76 male(s)/female
total population:0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

12 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 141

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 189 male:5.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female:4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.05 years
country comparison to the world: 28 male:77.95 years
female:82.25 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.91 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

Health expenditures

9.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 41

Physicians density

2.739 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
country comparison to the world: 47

Hospital bed density

3.38 beds/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 62

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

85,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44

HIV/AIDS – deaths

fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Obesity – adult prevalence rate

22.7% (2002)
country comparison to the world: 16

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 44

Literacy

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years
male:16 years
female:17 years (2008)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 18.9%
country comparison to the world: 63 male:21.7%
female:15.6% (2009)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

note – Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
conventional short form:United Kingdom
abbreviation:UK

Government type

constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm

Capital

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

ends last Sunday in October
note:applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its overseas dependencies or territories

Administrative divisions

England: 27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*)
two-tier counties:Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire
London boroughs and City of London or Greater London:Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster
metropolitan districts:Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton
unitary authorities:Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, Durham County*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly*, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York
Northern Ireland:26 district council areas
district council areas:Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Derry, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane
Scotland:32 council areas
council areas:Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City 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:22 unitary authorities
unitary authorities:Blaenau Gwent

Bridgend

Caerphilly

Cardiff

Carmarthenshire

Ceredigion

Conwy

Denbighshire

Flintshire

Gwynedd

Isle of Anglesey

Merthyr Tydfil

Monmouthshire

Neath Port Talbot

Newport

Pembrokeshire

Powys

Rhondda Cynon Taff

Swansea

The Vale of Glamorgan

Torfaen

Wrexham

Dependent areas

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Independence

12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united)

3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales)

1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales)

1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England and Scotland as Great Britain)

1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)

6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland

six counties remain part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland)

National holiday

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

Constitution

unwritten

partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system

common law system

has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
head of government:Prime Minister David CAMERON (since 11 May 2010)
cabinet:Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections:the monarchy is hereditary

following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually the prime minister

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords (741 seats

consisting of approximately 625 life peers, 91 hereditary peers, and 25 clergy – as of 15 December 2010) and House of Commons (650 seats since 2010 elections

members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
elections:House of Lords – no elections (note – in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there

elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise)

House of Commons – last held on 6 May 2010 (next to be held by June 2015)
election results:House of Commons – percent of vote by party – Conservative 36.1%, Labor 29%, Liberal Democrats 23%, other 11.9%

seats by party – Conservative 305, Labor 258, Liberal Democrat 57, other 30
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 and lasting until 8 May 2007)

in 1999, the UK held the first elections for a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of the UK (established in October 2009 taking over appellate jurisdiction formerly vested in the House of Lords)

Senior Courts of England and Wales (comprising the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice, and the Crown Courts)

Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland)

Scotland’s Court of Session and High Court of the Justiciary

Political parties and leaders

Conservative [David CAMERON]

Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Peter ROBINSON]

Labor Party [Ed MILIBAND]

Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Nick CLEGG]

Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]

Scottish National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND]

Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]

Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Margaret RICHIE]

Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Tom ELLIOTT]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Confederation of British Industry

National Farmers’ Union

Trades Union Congress

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Nigel E. SHEINWALD
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, Miami, New York, San Francisco
consulate(s):Dallas, Denver, Orlando

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Louis B. SUSMAN
embassy:24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE note – a new embassy is scheduled to open by the end of 2017 in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth (architect Kiernan TIMBERLAKE)
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

National symbol(s)

lion (Britain in general)

lion (England)

lion, unicorn (Scotland)

dragon (Wales)

harp (Northern Ireland)

National anthem

name: “God Save the Queen”
lyrics/music:unknown
note:in use since 1745

by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the United Kingdom

it is known as either “God Save the Queen” or “God Save the King,” depending on the gender of the reigning monarch

it also serves as the royal anthem of many Commonwealth nations

Economy

Economy – overview

The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. 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 resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining and the UK became a net importer of energy in 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. After emerging from recession in 1992, Britain’s economy enjoyed the longest period of expansion on record during which time growth outpaced most of Western Europe. In 2008, however, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Sharply declining home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded Britain’s economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets

these include nationalizing parts of the banking system, cutting taxes, suspending public sector borrowing rules, and moving forward public spending on capital projects. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, the CAMERON government in 2010 initiated a five-year austerity program, which aims to lower London’s budget deficit from over 10% of GDP in 2010 to nearly 1% by 2015. The Bank of England periodically coordinates interest rate moves with the European Central Bank, but Britain remains outside the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.173 trillion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8 $2.146 trillion (2009 est.)
$2.256 trillion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.247 trillion (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

1.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163 -4.9% (2009 est.)
-0.1% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$34,800 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37 $34,600 (2009 est.)
$36,600 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 0.7%
industry:21.7%
services:77.6% (2010 est.)

Labor force

31.52 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: 1.4%
industry:18.2%
services:80.4% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

7.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85 7.6% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line

14% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%:28.5% (1999)

Distribution of family income – Gini index

34 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 95 36.8 (1999)

Investment (gross fixed)

14.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

Budget

revenues: $908 billion
expenditures:$1.14 trillion (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

40.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-10.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196

Public debt

76.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23 68.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112 2.2% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

7.75% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136 0.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

3.962% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174 4.048% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$88.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33 $87.71 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$3.362 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6 $3.301 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$5.151 trillion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 6 $4.436 trillion (31 December 2008)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$3.107 trillion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 5 $2.796 trillion (31 December 2009)
$1.852 trillion (31 December 2008)

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

2.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Electricity – production

346 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity – consumption

344.7 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity – exports

3.748 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

2.861 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

1.393 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21

Oil – consumption

1.622 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15

Oil – exports

1.311 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20

Oil – imports

1.45 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

Oil – proved reserves

2.858 billion bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

Natural gas – production

56.3 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas – consumption

94.28 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

Natural gas – exports

15.65 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Natural gas – imports

53.63 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5

Natural gas – proved reserves

256 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

Current account balance

-$56.19 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194 -$37.05 billion (2009 est.)

Exports

$410.2 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10 $356.4 billion (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals

food, beverages, tobacco

Exports – partners

US 11.4%, Germany 11.2%, Netherlands 8.5%, France 7.7%, Ireland 6.8%, Belgium 5.4% (2010)

Imports

$563.2 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7 $484.9 billion (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels

foodstuffs

Imports – partners

Germany 13.1%, China 9.1%, Netherlands 7.5%, France 6.1%, US 5.8%, Norway 5.5%, Belgium 4.9% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$82.41 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24 $66.72 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$9.836 trillion (30 June 2011)
country comparison to the world: 3 $8.981 trillion (30 June 2010)

Stock of direct foreign investment – at home

$1.076 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4 $1.056 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad

$1.675 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3 $1.674 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -
0.6388 (2010)
0.6175 (2009)
0.5302 (2008)
0.4993 (2007)
0.5418 (2006)

Transportation

Airports

505 (2010)
country comparison to the world:14

Airports – with paved runways

total: 306
over 3,047 m:9
2,438 to 3,047 m:32
1,524 to 2,437 m:124
914 to 1,523 m:77
under 914 m:64 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 199
over 3,047 m:1
1,524 to 2,437 m:3
914 to 1,523 m:22
under 914 m:173 (2010)

Heliports

11 (2010)

Pipelines

condensate 8 km

gas 14,071 km

liquid petroleum gas 59 km

oil 595 km

refined products 4,907 km (2010)

Railways

total: 16,454 km
country comparison to the world: 17 broad gauge:303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)
standard gauge:16,151 km 1.435-m gauge (5,248 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways

total: 394,428 km
country comparison to the world: 16 paved:394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)

Waterways

3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 31

Merchant marine

total: 527
country comparison to the world: 22 by type:bulk carrier 30, cargo 70, carrier 3, chemical tanker 71, container 190, liquefied gas 10, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 67, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 29, vehicle carrier 24
foreign-owned:271 (Australia 1, Bermuda 9, China 15, Denmark 40, France 32, Germany 78, Greece 1, Hong Kong, Italy 4, Japan 4, Netherlands 1, Norway 32, NZ 1, South Africa 5, Spain 7, Sweden 21, Taiwan 1, Turkey 1, UAE 7, United States 11)
note:this country allows large numbers of ships owned by foreign entities to be registered in its national shipping registry and to fly its flag

these ships operate under the laws of the flag state
registered in other countries:275 (Algeria 12, Antigua and Barbuda 2, Argentina 2, Australia 5, Bahamas 24, Barbados 7, Belgium 2, Belize 4, Bermuda 11, Cambodia 3, Cape Verde 2, Cayman Islands 2, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 2, Cyprus 7, Georgia 4, Gibraltar 4, Greece 27, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 27, Italy 2, Liberia 44, Libya 1, Luxembourg 5, Malta 16, Marshall Islands 9, Moldova 6, Nigeria 2, Panama 44, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 6, Thailand 6, Togo 3, Tonga 1, US 4, unknown 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals

Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England)

Forth Ports (Scotland)

Milford Haven (Wales)
oil terminals:Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England)

Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland)

Military

Military branches

Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2010)

Military service age and obligation

16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18)

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

as of October 2009, women comprised 12.1% of officers and 9% of enlisted personnel in the regular forces

must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland

reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55

16 years of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas

16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 14,856,917
females age 16-49:14,307,316 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 12,255,452
females age 16-49:11,779,679 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 383,989
female:365,491 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63

Transnational Issues

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)

in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 – 1973, were granted U.K. citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversing the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords’ decision in 2008 denying the right of return

in addition, the United Kingdom created the world’s largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein

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