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Communications

Broadcast media [time series]

public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2008)

Internet country code [time series]

.uk

Internet users [time series]

total: 57.3 million | percent of population: 89.9% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 206, FM 696, shortwave 3 (2008)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; 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 (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 33.24 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 52 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 78.5 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

940 (2008)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $936.2 billion | expenditures: $1.106 trillion (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

-6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Central bank discount rate [time series]

0.5% (31 December 2014) | 0.5% (31 December 2013) | country comparison to the world: 144

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

4.4% (31 December 2014 est.) | 4.37% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Current account balance [time series]

-$162.2 billion (2014 est.) | -$119.9 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Debt - external [time series]

$8.795 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | $8.572 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 3

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

32.4 (2012) | 33.4 (2010) | country comparison to the world: 106

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. 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 has been a net importer of energy since 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output. | In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling 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 (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which aimed to lower London's budget deficit from about 11% of GDP in 2010 to nearly 1% by 2015. The CAMERON government raised the value added tax from 17.5% to 20% in 2011. It has pledged to reduce the corporation tax rate to 20% by 2015. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 6.0% in 2014. | In 2012, weak consumer spending and subdued business investment weighed on the economy, however, in 2013 GDP grew 1.7% and in 2014, 2.6%, accelerating unexpectedly because of greater consumer spending and a recovering housing market. | The Bank of England (BoE) implemented an asset purchase program of �375 billion (approximately $586 billion) as of December 2014. During times of economic crisis, the BoE coordinates interest rate moves with the European Central Bank, but Britain remains outside the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

Exchange rates [time series]

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar - | 0.6003 (2014 est.) | 0.6391 (2013 est.) | 0.63 (2012 est.) | 0.624 (2011 est.) | 0.6472 (2010 est.)

Exports [time series]

$503.4 billion (2014 est.) | $476.6 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Exports - commodities [time series]

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners [time series]

Germany 10.8%, US 10.4%, Netherlands 8.1%, Switzerland 7.2%, France 6.5%, Ireland 6.4%, Belgium 4.5% (2014)

Fiscal year [time series]

6 April - 5 April

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$2.945 trillion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$2.549 trillion (2014 est.) | $2.485 trillion (2013 est.) | $2.445 trillion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 11

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 0.6% | industry: 20.6% | services: 78.8% | (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$39,500 (2014 est.) | $38,500 (2013 est.) | $37,900 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 44

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

2.6% (2014 est.) | 1.7% (2013 est.) | 1.7% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Gross national saving [time series]

12.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | 12.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | 12.6% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 1.7% | highest 10%: 31.1% (2012)

Imports [time series]

$802.1 billion (2014 est.) | $824.4 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Imports - commodities [time series]

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

Imports - partners [time series]

Germany 14.9%, China 9%, Netherlands 7.8%, US 6.5%, France 6.1%, Belgium 5.2%, Italy 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.5% (2014 est.) | 2.6% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Labor force [time series]

32.62 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 1.3% | industry: 15.2% | services: 83.5% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) | $2.903 trillion (31 December 2011) | $3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Population below poverty line [time series]

15% (2013 est.)

Public debt [time series]

79.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | 74.2% of GDP (2013 est.) | note: data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions | country comparison to the world: 24

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$109.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $108.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Stock of broad money [time series]

$3.567 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $3.491 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$1.884 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.815 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 3

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$1.446 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.37 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 3

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$3.812 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $3.699 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$114.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $108.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

32.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37

Unemployment rate [time series]

6.2% (2014 est.) | 7.6% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

568.3 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - exports [time series]

526,600 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Crude oil - imports [time series]

567,200 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Crude oil - production [time series]

816,300 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

2.961 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

Electricity - consumption [time series]

303.8 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity - exports [time series]

2.72 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

76% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

4.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

11.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Electricity - imports [time series]

20.5 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

76.44 million kW (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Electricity - production [time series]

335 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

71.68 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Natural gas - exports [time series]

9.915 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Natural gas - imports [time series]

48.38 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7

Natural gas - production [time series]

38.34 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

241 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

1.328 million bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

511,900 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

445,300 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

1.306 million bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

12,429 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; 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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

total: 13.03 cu km/yr (58%/33%/9%) | per capita: 213.2 cu m/yr (2008)

Geographic coordinates [time series]

54 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

2,280 sq km (2005)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 443 km | border countries (1): Ireland 443 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 71% | arable land 25.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 45.7% | forest: 11.9% | other: 17.1% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

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 [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

winter windstorms; floods

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Total renewable water resources [time series]

147 cu km (2011)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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: 5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils | borough councils: Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim | district councils: Derry and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down | city councils: Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh | 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

Capital [time series]

name: London | geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 05 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

Constitution [time series]

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; note - recent additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, and the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (2011)

Country name [time series]

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

Dependent areas [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew Winthrop BARZUN (since 27 November 2013) | embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH; note - a new embassy is scheduled to open by the end of 2017 in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth | 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 [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter John WESTMACOTT (since 17 January 2012) | chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500 | FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870 | consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco | consulate(s): Orlando (FL)

Executive branch [time series]

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 | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; David Cameron (Conservative) assumed office 11 May 2010

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm

Independence [time series]

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 and Northern Ireland)

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom | judge selection and term of office: judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by Her Majesty The Queen; justices appointed during period of good behavior | subordinate courts: England and Wales - Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland - Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland - Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

Legal system [time series]

common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998

Legislative branch [time series]

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Lords (774 seats - membership not fixed; consists of 662 life peers, 86 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy - as of September 2015; members appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission) and the House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by first-past-the-post vote to serve 5-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 8 May 2015 (next to be held by May 2020) | election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 36.8%, Labor 30.5%, UKIP 12.7%, Lib Dems 7.9%, SNP 4.7%, Greens 3.8%, other 3.6%; seats by party - Conservative 330, Labor 232, SNP 56, Lib Dems 8, DUP 8, Sinn Fein 4, Plaid Cymru 3, SDLP 3, Ulster Unionist Party 2, UKIP 1, Greens 1, other 2

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

National symbol(s) [time series]

lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Alliance Party (Northerm Ireland) [David FORD] | Conservative Party [David CAMERON] | Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Peter ROBINSON] | Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Natalie BENNETT] | Labor Party [Jeremy CORBYN] | Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Tim FARRON] | Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Leanne WOOD] | Respect Party [George GALLOWAY] | Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON] | Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS] | Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Alasdair MCDONNELL] | Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Mike NESBITT] | UK Independence Party or UKIP [Nigel FARAGE]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament | Confederation of British Industry | National Farmers' Union | Trades Union Congress

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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's withdrawal 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 and a founding member of NATO and 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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

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

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

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

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013)

Military expenditures [time series]

2.49% of GDP (2012) | 2.48% of GDP (2011) | 2.49% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 28

Military service age and obligation [time series]

16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months 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 (2012)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 17.37% (male 5,706,871/female 5,424,654) | 15-24 years: 12.41% (male 4,060,480/female 3,891,262) | 25-54 years: 40.91% (male 13,344,087/female 12,873,234) | 55-64 years: 11.58% (male 3,675,565/female 3,746,483) | 65 years and over: 17.73% (male 5,086,919/female 6,278,667) (2015 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.17 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

84% | note: percent of women aged 16-49 (2008/09)

Death rate [time series]

9.35 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 55.1% | youth dependency ratio: 27.6% | elderly dependency ratio: 27.6% | potential support ratio: 3.6% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

6% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 36

Ethnic groups [time series]

white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.33% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

fewer than 600 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

126,700 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

9.1% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 30

Hospital bed density [time series]

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 4.8 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 3.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Languages [time series]

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) (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 80.54 years | male: 78.37 years | female: 82.83 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Major urban areas - population [time series]

LONDON (capital) 10.313 million; Manchester 2.646 million; Birmingham 2.515 million; Glasgow 1.223 million; Southampton/Portsmouth 882,000; Liverpool 870,000 (2015)

Median age [time series]

total: 40.4 years | male: 39.2 years | female: 41.6 years (2015 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

29.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 43

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

2.81 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population [time series]

64,088,222 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23

Population growth rate [time series]

0.54% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Religions [time series]

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 16 years | male: 16 years | female: 17 years (2012)

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.89 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 21% | male: 23.8% | female: 17.9% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 82.6% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.88% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved 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 reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied 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 [time series]

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 11,583 (Eritrea); 11,510 (Iran); 9,467 (Zimbabwe); 9,039 (Afghanistan); 8,509 (Somalia); 5,669 (Pakistan) (2014) | stateless persons: 16 (2014)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

460 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 18

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 271 | over 3,047 m: 7 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 89 | 914 to 1,523 m: 80 | under 914 m: 66 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 189 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 26 | 160 (2013)

Heliports [time series]

9 (2013)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 504 | by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 76, carrier 4, chemical tanker 58, container 178, liquefied gas 6, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 66, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 31, vehicle carrier 25 | foreign-owned: 271 (Australia 1, Bermuda 6, China 7, Denmark 43, France 39, Germany 59, Hong Kong 12, Ireland 1, Italy 3, Japan 5, Netherlands 1, Norway 32, Sweden 28, Taiwan 11, Tanzania 1, UAE 8, US 14) | registered in other countries: 308 (Algeria 15, Antigua and Barbuda 1, Argentina 2, Australia 5, Bahamas 18, Barbados 6, Belgium 2, Belize 4, Bermuda 14, Bolivia 1, Brunei 2, Cabo Verde 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 2, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 2, Cyprus 7, Georgia 5, Gibraltar 6, Greece 6, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 33, Indonesia 2, Italy 2, Liberia 22, Liberia 32, Luxembourg 5, Malta 21, Marshall Islands 12, Marshall Islands 3, Moldova 3, Nigeria 2, NZ 1, Panama 37, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 6, Thailand 6, Tonga 1, US 4, unknown 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 22

Pipelines [time series]

condensate 502 km; condensate/gas 9 km; gas 28,603 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,256 km; oil/gas/water 175 km; refined products 4,919 km; water 255 km (2013)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): 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) | container port(s) (TEUs): Felixstowe (3,248,592), London (1,932,000), Southampton (1,324,581) | LNG terminal(s) (import): Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside

Railways [time series]

total: 30,858.5 km | broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) | standard gauge: 30,555.5 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 17

Roadways [time series]

total: 394,428 km | paved: 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009) | country comparison to the world: 17

Waterways [time series]

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