Part 84

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia Map references: Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 603,700 sq km land area: 603,700 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total 4,558 km, Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (southwest) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km Coastline: 2,782 km Maritime claims: NA International disputes: potential future border disputes with Moldova and Romania in Northern Bukovina and southern Odes'ka Oblast'; potential dispute with Moldova over former southern Bessarabian area; potential dispute with Russia over Crimea; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation Climate: temperate continental; subtropical only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaux, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulphur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber Land use: arable land: 56% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 12% forest and woodland: 0% other: 30% Irrigated land: 26,000 sq km (1990) Environment: current issues: unsafe drinking water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea Note: strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second largest country in Europe

@Ukraine, People

Population: 51,846,958 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 0.05% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 12.34 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 12.6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 20.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.99 years male: 65.45 years female: 74.76 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s) adjective: Ukrainian Ethnic divisions: Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%, other 4% Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1979) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 23.985 million by occupation: industry and construction 33%, agriculture and forestry 21%, health, education, and culture 16%, trade and distribution 7%, transport and communication 7%, other 16% (1992)

@Ukraine, Government

Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ukraine local long form: none local short form: Ukrayina former: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Digraph: UP Type: republic Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv) Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalites (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernitsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**,Sums'ka (Sevastopol'), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr) note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from oblast' name Independence: 1 December 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991) Constitution: using 1978 pre-independence constitution; new constitution currently being drafted Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President-elect Leonid D. KUCHMA; election last held 26 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - Leonid KUCHMA 52.15%, Leonid KRAVCHUK 45.06% head of government: Prime Minister (vacant); Acting First Deputy Prime Minister (and

## Acting Prime Minister since September 1993) Yukhym Leonidovych

ZVYAHIL'SKYY (since 11 June 1993) and five deputy prime ministers cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council: elections last held 27 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (450 total) number of seats by party NA; note - 338 deputies were elected; the remaining 112 seats to be filled on 24 July 1994 Judicial branch: being organized Political parties and leaders: Green Party of Ukraine, Vitaliy KONONOV, leader; Liberal Party of Ukraine, Ihor MERKULOV, chairman; Liberal Democratic Party of Ukraine, Volodymyr KLYMCHUK, chairman; Democratic Party of Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych YAVORIVSKIY, chairman; People's Party of Ukraine, Leopol'd TABURYANSKYY, chairman; Peasants' Party of Ukraine, Serhiy DOVGRAN', chairman; Party of Democratic Rebirth of Ukraine, Volodymyr FILENKO, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Ukraine, Yuriy ZBITNEV, chairman; Socialist Party of Ukraine, Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman; Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party, Vitaliy ZHURAVSKYY, chairman; Ukrainian Conservative Republican Party, Stepan KHMARA, chairman; Ukrainian Labor Party, Valentyn LANDYK, chairman; Ukrainian Party of Justice, Mykhaylo HRECHKO, chairman; Ukrainian Peasants' Democratic Party, Serhiy PLACHINDA, chairman; Ukrainian Republican Party, Mykhaylo HORYN', chairman; Ukrainian National Conservative Party, Viktor RADIONOV, chairman; Ukrainian People's Movement for Restructuring (Rukh), Vyacheslav CHORNOUL, chairman; Ukrainian Communist Party, Petr SYMONENKO Other political or pressure groups: New Ukraine (Nova Ukrayina); Congress of National Democratic Forces Member of: BSEC, CBSS (observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI (participating), CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh Hryhorovych BILORUS chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 333-0606 FAX: (202) 333-0817 consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William MILLER embassy: 10 Yuria Kotsyubinskovo, 252053 Kiev 53 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (044) 244-7349 or 244-7344 FAX: [7] (044) 244-7350 Flag: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky

@Ukraine, Economy

Overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union producing more than three times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied equipment and raw materials to industrial and mining sites in other regions of the former USSR. In 1992 the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatizing state enterprises while retaining many central economic controls and continuing subsidies to state production enterprises. In November 1992 the new Prime Minister KUCHMA launched a new economic reform program promising more freedom to the agricultural sector, faster privatization of small and medium enterprises, and stricter control over state subsidies. In 1993, however, severe internal political disputes over the scope and pace of economic reform and payment arrears on energy imports have led to further declines in output, and inflation of 50% or more per month by the last quarter. In first quarter 1994, national income and industrial output were less than two-thirds the first quarter 1993 figures, according to official statistics. At the same time an increasing number of people are developing small private businesses and exploiting opportunities in non-official markets. Even so, the magnitude of the problems and the slow pace in building new market-oriented institutions preclude a near-term recovery of output to the 1990 level. A vital economic concern in 1994 will continue to be Russia's decisions on the prices and quantities of oil and gas to be shipped to the Ukraine. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $205.4 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Ukrainian statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990) National product real growth rate: -16% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $3,960 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 45% per month (1993) Unemployment rate: 0.4% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $3 billion to countries outside of the FSU (1993) commodities: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, grain, meat partners: FSU countries, Germany, China, Austria Imports: $2.2 billion from outside of the FSU countries (1993) commodities: machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles partners: FSU countries, Germany, China, Austria External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate -14% (1993); accounts for 50% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 55,882,000 kW production: 281 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,410 kWh (1992) Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing (especially sugar) Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP; grain, vegetables, meat, milk, sugar beets Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment points for illicit drugs to Western Europe Economic aid: $350 million economic aid and $350 million to help disassemble the atomic weapons from the US in 1994 Currency: Ukraine withdrew the Russian ruble from circulation on 12 November 1992 and declared the karbovanets (plural karbovantsi) sole legal tender in Ukrainian markets; Ukrainian officials claim this is an interim move toward introducing a new currency - the hryvnya - possibly in mid-1994 Exchange rates: NA Fiscal year: calendar year

@Ukraine, Communications

Railroads: 23,350 km (1,524-mm gauge); 8,600 km electrified Highways: total: 273,700 km paved and gravel: 236,400 km unpaved: earth 37,300 km Inland waterways: 1,672 km perennially navigable (Pryp''yat' and Dnipro Rivers) Pipelines: crude oil 2,010 km; petroleum products 1,920 km; natural gas 7,800 km (1992) Ports: coastal - Berdyans'k, Illichivs'k, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Sevastopol', Pivdenne; inland - Kiev (Kyyiv) Merchant marine: 390 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,932,009 GRT/5,236,134 DWT, barge carriers 7, bulk cargo 55, cargo 231, chemical tanker 2, container 18, liquefied gas 1, multi-function-large-load-carrier 1, oil tanker 10, passenger 12, passenger cargo 5, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 33, short-sea passenger 8 Airports: total: 694 usable: 199 with permanent-surface runways: 111 with runways over 3,659 m: 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 81 with runways 1,060-2,439 m: 78 note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip Telecommunications: the telephone system is inadequate both for business and for personal use; about 7,886,000 telephone circuits serve 52,056,000 people (1991); telephone density is 151.4 telephone circuits per 1,000 persons (1991); 3.56 million applications for telephones had not been satisfied as of January 1991; calls to other CIS countries are carried by land line or microwave; other international calls to 167 countries are carried by satellite or by the 150 leased lines through the Moscow gateway switch; an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network operates in Kiev (Kyyiv) and allows direct dialing of international calls through Kiev's EWSD digital exchange; electronic mail services have been established in Kiev, Odessa, and Lugansk by Sprint; satellite earth stations employ INTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik

@Ukraine, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard Manpower availability: males age 15-49 12,191,984; fit for military service 9,591,276; reach military age (18) annually 364,676 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: 544,256 million karbovantsi, NA% of GDP (forecast for 1993); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

@United Arab Emirates, Geography

Location: Middle East, along the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia Map references: Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 75,581 sq km land area: 75,581 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries: total 867 km, Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km Coastline: 1,318 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm assumed for most of country; 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah) International disputes: location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa); in 1992, the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tunb islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the region Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98% Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills natural hazards: frequent dust and sand storms international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

@United Arab Emirates, People

Population: 2,791,141 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 4.79% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 27.68 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 3.05 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 23.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.26 years male: 70.16 years female: 74.46 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Emirian(s) adjective: Emirian Ethnic divisions: Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982) note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982) Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4% Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu Literacy: age 10 and over but definition of literacy not available (1980) total population: 68% male: 70% female: 63% Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.) by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5% note: 80% of labor force is foreign (est.)

@United Arab Emirates, Government

Names: conventional long form: United Arab Emirates conventional short form: none local long form: Al Imarata al Arabiyah al Muttahidah local short form: none former: Trucial States Abbreviation: UAE Digraph: TC Type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member emirates Capital: Abu Dhabi Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK) National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971) Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional) Legal system: secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member emirates; Islamic law remains influential Suffrage: none Executive branch: chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan, (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy head of government: Prime Minister Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Zayid Al NUHAYYAN (since 20 November 1990) Supreme Council of Rulers: composed of the seven emirate rulers, the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Dhabi and Dubayy rulers have veto power; council meets four times a year cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad); no elections Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: none Other political or pressure groups: NA Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI chancery: Suite 600, 3000 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 338-6500 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William A. RUGH embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi telephone: [971] (2) 336691 FAX: [971] (2) 318441 consulate(s) general: Dubayy (Dubai) Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side

@United Arab Emirates, Economy

Overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per capita and with a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 40% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years. Although much stronger economically than most Gulf states, the UAE faces similar problems with weak international oil prices and the pressures for cuts in OPEC oil production quotas. The UAE government is encouraging increased privatization within the economy. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $63.8 billion (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 1% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $24,000 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1988) Budget: revenues: $4.3 billion expenditures: $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est) Exports: $22.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: crude oil 66%, natural gas, re-exports, dried fish, dates partners: Japan 39%, Singapore 5%, Korea 4%, Iran 4%, India 4% (1991) Imports: $18 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, food partners: Japan 14%, UK 9%, US 8%, Germany 6% (1992) External debt: $11 billion (1993 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 1.7% (1992 est.); accounts for 50% of GDP, including petroleum Electricity: capacity: 6,090,000 kW production: 17.85 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,718 kWh (1992) Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food Illicit drugs: growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center Economic aid: donor: pledged in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89) $9.1 billion Currency: 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: calendar year

@United Arab Emirates, Communications

Highways: total: 2,000 km paved: 1,800 km unpaved: gravel, graded earth 200 km Pipelines: crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km Ports: Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid Merchant marine: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 909,041 GRT/1,512,741 DWT, bulk 1, cargo 18, chemical tanker 2, container 9, liquified gas 1, oil tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3 Airports: total: 39 usable: 36 with permanent-surface runways: 22 with runways over 3,659 m: 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 6 Telecommunications: modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV

@United Arab Emirates, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,040,828; fit for military service 567,766; reach military age (18) annually 17,303 (1994 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

@United Kingdom, Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering on the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, between Ireland and France Map references: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 244,820 sq km land area: 241,590 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands Land boundaries: total 360 km, Ireland 360 km Coastline: 12,429 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain; Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are overcast Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica Land use: arable land: 29% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 48% forest and woodland: 9% other: 14% Irrigated land: 1,570 sq km (1989) Environment: current issues: sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants contribute to air pollution; some rivers polluted by agricultural wastes and coastal waters polluted because of large-scale disposal of sewage at sea natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity Note: 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

@United Kingdom, People

Population: 58,135,110 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 0.28% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 13.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 10.76 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.75 years male: 73.94 years female: 79.69 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective pl.) adjective: British Ethnic divisions: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8% Religions: Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.) note: the UK does not include a question on religion in its census Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland) Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1978 est.) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 28.048 million by occupation: services 62.8%, manufacturing and construction 25.0%, government 9.1%, energy 1.9%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1992)

@United Kingdom, Government