2007 Edition

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.)

Agriculture - products

cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

Airports

471 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

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

total

334

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)

Area

land

241,590 sq km

note

includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

total

244,820 sq km

water

3,230 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oregon

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

Birth rate

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.04 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$973 billion

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

51 30 N, 0 10 W

name

London

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

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

Coastline

12,429 km

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Country name

abbreviation

UK

conventional long form

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales

conventional short form

United Kingdom

Currency (code)

British pound (GBP)

Currency code

GBP

Current account balance

$-57.68 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

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

Debt - external

$8.28 trillion (30 June 2006)

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador David G. MANNING; note - will be replaced the Sir Nigel E. SHEINWALD in the autumn of 2007

telephone

[1] (202) 588-6500

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, where some have since resettled; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed the UK Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; 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

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.8 (1999)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $7.9 billion (2004)

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, then slowed to 1.7% in 2005 and 2.6% in 2006. 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.

Electricity - consumption

345.2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

2.3 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

9.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

363.2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

73.8%

hydro

0.9%

nuclear

23.7%

other

1.6% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Ben Nevis 1,343 m

lowest point

The Fens -4 m

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

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

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)

Exchange rates

British pounds per US dollar - 0.54413 (2006), 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997)

Exports

$468.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 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)

FAX

[1] (202) 588-7870

[44] (0) 20 7629-9124

consulate(s)

Dallas, Denver, Miami, Orlando

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Belfast, Edinburgh

Fiscal year

6 April - 5 April Communications United Kingdom

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1%

industry

25.6%

services

73.4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$31,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.7% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.341 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.903 trillion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

54 00 N, 2 00 W

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Heliports

11 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

51,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28.5% (1999)

lowest 10%

2.1%

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 8 February, 2007

Imports

$603 billion f.o.b. (2006 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)

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

Industrial production growth rate

0% (2006 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate

female

4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

5.67 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.08 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.3% (2006 est.)

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, 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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

Investment (gross fixed)

17.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

1,700 sq km (2003)

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

Labor force

30.4 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.5%

industry

19.1%

services

79.5% (2004)

Land boundaries

border countries

Ireland 360 km

total

360 km

Land use

arable land

23.23%

other

76.57% (2005)

permanent crops

0.2%

Languages

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

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

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)

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

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)

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

of Commons

Labor 353, Conservative 196, Liberal Democrat 63, Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 9, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn Fein 5 (but refuse to vote), other 11

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.13 years (2006 est.)

male

76.09 years

total population

78.54 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

female

99% (2003 est.) Government United Kingdom

male

99%

total population

99%

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

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

City of Bristol, Derby, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, City of London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, York

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

royal boroughs

Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Windsor and Maidenhead

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

14,028,738 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

14,607,724

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

11,555,893 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

12,046,268

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

40.4 years (2006 est.)

male

38.2 years

total

39.3 years

Merchant marine

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)

total

449 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,049,317 GRT/11,731,680 DWT

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$42,836.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.4% (2003) Transnational Issues United Kingdom

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)

National holiday

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

Nationality

adjective

British

noun

Briton(s), British (collective plural)

Natural gas - consumption

98.47 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

9.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

12.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

95.97 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

589 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

winter windstorms; floods

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Northern Ireland

24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties (historic)

cities

Belfast, Londonderry (Derry)

counties (historic)

County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, and County Tyrone are still referred to in common parlance, but do not constitute a level of administration

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

Oil - consumption

1.827 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

1.498 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

1.084 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - production

2.075 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

4.5 billion bbl (31 December 2004)

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)

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) [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) [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

Population

60,609,153 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

17% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.28% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Hound Point, Immingham, Milford Haven, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport Military United Kingdom

Public debt

42.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

84.5 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

342 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2005)

standard gauge

16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,384 km electrified)

total

17,156 km

Religions

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$38.83 billion (August 2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

388,008 km (including 3,520 km of expressways) (2005)

total

388,008 km

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems

general assessment

technologically advanced domestic and international system

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

Telephones - main lines in use

32.943 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

61.091 million (2004)

Television broadcast stations

228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

30.5 million (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.4% (2006 est.)

Wales

11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties

cities and counties

Cardiff, Swansea

counties

Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Isle of Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, The Vale of Glamorgan

county boroughs

Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen, Wrexham

Waterways

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