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Compare West Bank (2007) - United Kingdom (2004)

Compare West Bank (2007) z United Kingdom (2004)

 West Bank (2007)United Kingdom (2004)
 West BankUnited Kingdom
Administrative divisions - England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 29 London boroughs, 12 cities and boroughs, 10 districts, 12 cities, 3 royal boroughs

boroughs: Barnsley, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Bury, Calderdale, Darlington, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Halton, Hartlepool, Kirklees, Knowsley, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North Tyneside, Oldham, Poole, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rochdale, Rotherham, Sandwell, Sefton, Slough, Solihull, Southend-on-Sea, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Stockton-on-Tees, Swindon, Tameside, Thurrock, Torbay, Trafford, Walsall, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton

counties: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire

London boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth

cities and boroughs: Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Sheffield, Sunderland, Wakefield, Westminster

districts: Bath and North East Somerset, East Riding of Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Rutland, South Gloucestershire, Telford and Wrekin, West Berkshire, Wokingham

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

royal boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Windsor and Maidenhead

Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties

districts: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane

cities: Belfast, Derry

counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone

Scotland - 32 council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), West Lothian;

Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties, 2 cities and counties

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

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

cities and counties: Cardiff, Swansea
Age structure 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 18% (male 5,560,489; female 5,293,871)


15-64 years: 66.3% (male 20,193,876; female 19,736,516)


65 years and over: 15.7% (male 4,027,721; female 5,458,235) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Airports 3 (2007) 471 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 334


over 3,047 m: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 150


914 to 1,523 m: 86


under 914 m: 57 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 137


2438 to 3047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 112 (2004 est.)
Area total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
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 Delaware slightly smaller than Oregon
Background The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington in September 1993, provided for a transitional period of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. A transfer of authority to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and, in additional areas of the West Bank, pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and the West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out a year later. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community has refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it does not recognize Israel, will not renounce violence, and refuses to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. Since March 2006, President ABBAS has had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift the economic siege on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene in late 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. 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 European 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.
Birth rate 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 10.88 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.23 billion


expenditures: $1.64 billion (2005)
revenues: $688.9 billion


expenditures: $746.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
Capital - London
Climate temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 12,429 km
Constitution - unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes the countries of England, Scotland, and Wales


conventional short form: United Kingdom


abbreviation: UK
Currency - British pound (GBP)
Death rate 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 10.19 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $NA NA (2002 est.)
Dependent areas - Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena and Ascension, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David T. JOHNSON


embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE


mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040


telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000


FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124


consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador David G. MANNING


chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500


FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco


consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, Puerto Rico, and Seattle
Disputes - international West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region since Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum in 2003 against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement, talks between the UK and Spain over the fate of the 300-year old UK colony have stalled; 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 reside chiefly in Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; UK continues to reject sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and Iceland remains dormant; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $4.5 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient $1.102 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) -
Economy - overview The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA since HAMAS took office in March 2006 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% 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. Still, 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, however, that the economy is doing well outside of EMU, and they point to public opinion polls that continue to show a majority of Britons opposed to the euro. Meantime, the government has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, together with the subsequent problems of restoring the economy and the polity, involve a heavy commitment of British military forces.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 346.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 264 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 10.66 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 360.9 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point: The Fens -4 m


highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move towards a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to 10.3%
Environment - international agreements - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002) British pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2004), 0.61 (2003), 0.67 (2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66 (2000), 0.62 (1999)
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
Exports $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 2.205 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) US 15.7%, Germany 10.5%, France 9.5%, Netherlands 6.9%, Ireland 6.5%, Belgium 5.6%, Spain 4.4%, Italy 4.4% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year 6 April - 5 April
Flag description - blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, as well as British overseas territories
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.666 trillion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8%


industry: 18.2%


services: 73.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005 est.)
agriculture: 0.9%


industry: 26.5%


services: 72.6% (2003)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005 est.) 2.2% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) 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
Heliports - 11 (2003 est.)
Highways - total: 371,913 km


paved: 371,913 km (including 3,358 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.3%


highest 10%: 27.7% (1995)
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
Imports $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 1.418 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) Germany 13.5%, US 10.2%, France 8.1%, Netherlands 6.3%, Belgium 4.9%, Italy 4.7% (2003)
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 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) -0.7% (2003 est.)
Industries generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Infant mortality rate total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 1.4% (2003 est.)
International organization participation - AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) 1,080 sq km (1998 est.)
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 568,000 (2005) 29.6 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 16%


industry: 29%


services: 55% (2005)
agriculture 1%, industry 25%, services 74% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
total: 360 km


border countries: Ireland 360 km
Land use arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
arable land: 23.46%


permanent crops: 0.21%


other: 76.33% (2001)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) 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 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 (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)


elections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there; pending further reforms, elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)


election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor 42.1%, Conservative and Unionist 32.7%, Liberal Democrats 18.8%, other 6.4%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29; note - seating as of 12 October 2004: Labor 407, Conservative 163, Liberal Democrats 55, other 34


note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and has been suspended four times the latest occurring in October 2002); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.46 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
total population: 78.27 years


male: 75.84 years


female: 80.83 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.4%


male: 96.7%


female: 88% (2004 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 99% (2000 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
Location Middle East, west of Jordan 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
Map references Middle East Europe
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
Merchant marine - total: 384 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 9,181,284 GRT/9,566,275 DWT


by type: bulk 20, cargo 50, chemical tanker 28, combination ore/oil 1, container 130, liquefied gas 23, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 20, petroleum tanker 45, refrigerated cargo 18, roll on/roll off 34, short-sea/passenger 11, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1


foreign-owned: Australia 2, Croatia 4, Cyprus 1, Denmark 42, Finland 1, Germany 52, Greece 36, Hong Kong 16, Italy 3, Japan 1, Monaco 13, Nigeria 1, Norway 32, South Africa 2, Sweden 13, Taiwan 7, United


registered in other countries: 522 (2004 est.)
Military branches - Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $42,836.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2.4% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 14,943,016 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 12,393,785 (2004 est.)
National holiday - the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Nationality noun: NA


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


adjective: British
Natural hazards droughts winter windstorms; floods
Natural resources arable land coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Net migration rate 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 370 km; gas 21,446 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 6,420 km; oil/gas/water 63 km; refined products 4,474 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - Conservative and Unionist Party [Michael HOWARD]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Dafydd IWAN]; Scottish National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [David TRIMBLE]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
Population 2,535,927


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
60,270,708 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 45.7% (2005) 17% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 2.985% (2007 est.) 0.29% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe, Glasgow, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Ramsgate, Scapa Flow, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport, Tyne
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2005) AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)
Railways - total: 17,186 km


standard gauge: 16,726 km 1.435-m gauge (5,243 km electrified)


broad gauge: 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2003)
Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female


total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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 (2004 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services


international: country code - 970 (2004)
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
Telephones - main lines in use 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 34.898 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 49.677 million (2002)
Television broadcast stations 8 (2005) 228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Total fertility rate 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 20.3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 5% (2003 est.)
Waterways - 3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2004)
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