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Introduction |
United Kingdom |
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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. |
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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
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Geographic
coordinates:
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54 00 N, 2 00 W |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area: |
total: 244,820 sq km
land: 241,590 sq km
water: 3,230 sq km
note: includes Rockall and
Shetland Islands
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Area -
comparative:
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slightly smaller than Oregon
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Land boundaries:
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total: 360 km
border
countries: Ireland 360
km |
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Coastline: |
12,429 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: as defined
in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed
upon boundaries
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Climate: |
temperate; moderated by prevailing
southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more
than one-half of the days are overcast
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Terrain: |
mostly rugged hills and low mountains;
level to rolling plains in east and southeast
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Elevation
extremes:
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lowest point: The Fens -4 m
highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343
m |
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Natural
resources:
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coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore,
lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk,
gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
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Land use: |
arable land: 23.46%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other:
76.33% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,080 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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winter windstorms; floods
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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%
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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
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Geography -
note:
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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 |
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Population: |
60,441,457 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure:
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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.)
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Median age: |
total: 38.99 years
male: 37.89 years
female:
40.13 years (2005 est.)
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Population growth
rate:
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0.28% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
10.78 births/1,000 population (2005
est.)
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Death rate: |
10.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005
est.)
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Net migration
rate:
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2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005
est.)
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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.)
Source : Cia.gov
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