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
Broadcast media:
public service broadcaster 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:
.uk
Internet hosts:
7.03 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 14
Internet users:
51.444 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 7
Transportation ::United Kingdom
Airports:
505 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 14
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 306
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 124
914 to 1,523 m: 77
under 914 m: 64 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 199
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 173 (2010)
Heliports:
11 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 43 km; gas 7,992 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 699
km; refined products 4,417 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 16,454 km
country comparison to the world: 17
broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)
standard gauge: 16,151 km 1.435-m gauge (5,248 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 394,428 km
country comparison to the world: 16
paved: 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)
Waterways:
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 32
Merchant marine:
total: 527
country comparison to the world: 22
by type: bulk carrier 30, cargo 70, carrier 3, chemical tanker 71,
container 190, liquefied gas 10, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 67,
petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 29,
vehicle carrier 24
foreign-owned: 292 (US 11)
registered in other countries: 275 (Algeria 12, Antigua and Barbuda
2, Argentina 2, Australia 5, Bahamas 24, Barbados 7, Belgium 2,
Belize 4, Bermuda 11, Cambodia 3, Cape Verde 2, Cayman Islands 2,
Comoros 1, Cook Islands 2, Cyprus 7, Georgia 4, Gibraltar 4, Greece
27, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 27, Italy 2, Liberia 44, Libya 1,
Luxembourg 5, Malta 16, Marshall Islands 9, Moldova 6, Nigeria 2,
Panama 44, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
7, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 6, Thailand 6, Togo 3, Tonga 1, US 4,
unknown 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton,
Teesport (England); Forth Ports, Hound Point (Scotland); Milford
Haven (Wales)
Military ::United Kingdom
Military branches:
Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service
(with parental consent under 18); women serve in military services,
but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval
postings; as of October 2009, women comprised 12.1% of officers and
9% of enlisted personnel in the regular forces; must be citizen of
the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a
minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 16 years of age for voluntary
military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas;
16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New
Guinean citizens (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 14,732,445
females age 16-49: 14,118,320 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 12,113,310
females age 16-49: 11,604,784 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 386,492
female: 369,185 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Transnational Issues ::United Kingdom
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
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
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@United States (North America)
Introduction ::United States
Background:
Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776
and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of
America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and
20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the
nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a
number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences
in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a
northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11
southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an
economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force
lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the
end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most
powerful nation state. Over a span of more than five decades, the
economy has achieved steady growth, low unemployment and inflation,
and rapid advances in technology.
Geography ::United States
Location:
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North
Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Geographic coordinates:
38 00 N, 97 00 W
Map references:
North America
Area:
total: 9,826,675 sq km
country comparison to the world: 3
land: 9,161,966 sq km
water: 664,709 sq km
note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Area - comparative:
about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of
Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger
than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size
of the European Union
Land boundaries:
total: 12,034 km
border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska),
Mexico 3,141 km
note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and
is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28 km
Coastline:
19,924 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate:
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in
Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River,
and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter
temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in
January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes
of the Rocky Mountains
Terrain:
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in
east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged,
volcanic topography in Hawaii
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m
note: the peak of Mauna Kea (4,207 m above sea level) on the island
of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above the Pacific Ocean floor; by
this measurement, it is the world's tallest mountain - higher than
Mount Everest, which is recognized as the tallest mountain above sea
level
Natural resources:
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements,
uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver,
tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion
short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total
Land use:
arable land: 18.01%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 81.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
223,850 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3,069 cu km (1985)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 477 cu km/yr (13%/46%/41%)
per capita: 1,600 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;
hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes
in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires
in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major
impediment to development
volcanism: the United States experiences volcanic activity in the
Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the
Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (elev. 4,170 m, 13,678 ft)
in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (elev. 4,392 m, 14,409 ft) in Washington
have been deemed "Decade Volcanoes" by the International Association
of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of
study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human
populations; Pavlof (elev. 2,519 m, 8,264 ft) is the most active
volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to
air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between
North America and East Asia; St. Helens (elev. 2,549 m, 8,363 ft),
famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today;
numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly
concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in
Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna,
Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell; in
Hawaii: Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in the
Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest:
Mount Baker, Mount Hood
Environment - current issues:
air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the
US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning
of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and
fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the
western part of the country require careful management;
desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note:
world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and
by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest point
in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent
People ::United States
Population:
310,232,863 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.2% (male 31,639,127/female 30,305,704)
15-64 years: 67% (male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696) (2010
est.)
Median age:
total: 36.8 years
male: 35.5 years
female: 38.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.97% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Birth rate:
13.83 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Death rate:
8.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Net migration rate:
4.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Urbanization:
urban population: 82% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.047 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 177
male: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.24 years
country comparison to the world: 49
male: 75.78 years
female: 80.81 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.06 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.2 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
22,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American
Ethnic groups:
white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska
native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two
or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)
note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US
Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of
Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban,
Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South
American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic
group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US
population is Hispanic
Religions:
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian
1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified
2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Languages:
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and
Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 17 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 46
Government ::United States
Country name:
conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA
Government type:
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital:
name: Washington, DC
geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W
time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
first Sunday in November
note: the 50 United States cover six time zones
Administrative divisions:
50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*,
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas:
American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,
Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island,
Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands, Wake Island
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a
political relationship with all four political units: the Northern
Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US
(effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands
signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21
October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact
of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau
concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1
October 1994)
Independence:
4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution:
17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system:
federal court system based on English common law; each state has its
own unique legal system of which all but one (Louisiana, which is
still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common
law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009);
Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January
2009); Vice President Joseph BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each
state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible
for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be
held on 6 November 2012)
election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president; percent of
popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 52.4%, John MCCAIN 46.3%, other 1.3%;
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, 2 members
elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms;
one-third elected every two years) and the House of Representatives
(435 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve
two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 2 November 2010 (next to be held in
November 2012); House of Representatives - last held on 2 November
2010 (next to be held in November 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Democratic Party 51, Republican Party 47, independent 2;
House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Democratic Party 192, Republican Party 243
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and
confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to
serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States
District Courts; State and County Courts
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Timothy KAINE]; Green Party; Libertarian Party
[William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Reince PRIEBUS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic
groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education
groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups;
agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC,
Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS,
BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CERN (observer), CICA
(observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE,
Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer),
SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL,
UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag description:
13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with
white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset
horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows
of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes
represent the 13 original colonies; the blue stands for loyalty,
devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red symbolizes courage,
zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of
conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory
note: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of
other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
National anthem:
name: "The Star-Spangled Banner"
lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
note: adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the
successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following
British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to
what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the
tune of "The Anacreontic Song;" only the first verse is sung
Economy ::United States
Economy - overview: