United Kingdom

Facts

Background: 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 withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. 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.
Location: Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France
Area land: 241,930 sq km
Area water: 1,680 sq km
Coastline: 12,429 km
Country name conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
Country name conventional short form: United Kingdom
Country name former: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
Population: 62,698,362 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 5,575,119/female 5,301,301); 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 20,979,401/female 20,500,913); 65 years and over: 16.5% (male 4,564,375/female 5,777,253) (2011 est.);
Population growth rate: 0.557% (2011 est.)
Birth rate: 12.29 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate: 9.33 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.052 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female; total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.);
Infant mortality rate: total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 5.07 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.);
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.05 years; male: 77.95 years; female: 82.25 years (2011 est.);
Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2011 est.);
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 85,000 (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.);
Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural); adjective: British;
Ethnic groups: white (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census);
Religions: Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1% (2001 census);
Languages: English;

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling; total population: 99%; male: 99%; female: 99% (2003 est.);
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.189 trillion (2010 est.); $2.154 trillion (2009 est.); $2.268 trillion (2008 est.);
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.259 trillion (2010 est.);
GDP - real growth rate: 1.6% (2010 est.); -5% (2009 est.); -0.1% (2008 est.);
GDP - per capita (PPP): $35,100 (2010 est.); $34,800 (2009 est.); $36,800 (2008 est.);
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.9%; industry: 22.1%; services: 77.1% (2010 est.);
Population below poverty line: 14% (2006 est.);
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1%; highest 10%: 28.5% (1999);
Labor force: 31.45 million (2010 est.);
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.4%; industry: 18.2%; services: 80.4% (2006 est.);
Unemployment rate: 7.9% (2010 est.); 7.6% (2009 est.);
Budget: revenues: $926.7 billion; expenditures: $1.154 trillion (2010 est.);
Industries: machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods;
Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2010 est.);
Electricity - production: 368.6 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - consumption: 345.8 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - exports: 1.272 billion kWh (2008 est.);
Electricity - imports: 12.29 billion kWh (2008 est.);

Statistics: CIA World Factbook.

Press

United Kingdom in the News