Chapter 96

Overview: The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Europe. The economy is essentially capitalistic; over the past thirteen years the ruling Tories have greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves, and primary energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance, now employing only 25% of the work force and generating 21% of GDP. The economy is emerging out of its 3-year recession with only weak recovery expected in 1993. Unemployment is hovering around 10% of the labor force. The government in 1992 adopted a pro-growth strategy, cutting interest rates sharply and removing the pound from the European exchange rate mechanism. Excess industrial capacity probably will moderate inflation which for the first time in a decade is below the EC average. The major economic policy question for Britain in the 1990s is the terms on which it participates in the financial and economic integration of Europe. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $920.6 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: -0.6% (1992) National product per capita: $15,900 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1992) Unemployment rate: 9.8% (1992) Budget: revenues $367.6 billion; expenditures $439.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $32.5 billion (FY92 est.) Exports: $187.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment partners: EC countries 56.7% (Germany 14.0%, France 11.1%, Netherlands 7.9%), US 10.9% Imports: $210.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods partners: EC countries 51.7% (Germany 14.9%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 8.4%), US 11.6% External debt: $16.2 billion (June 1992) Industrial production: growth rate 0.4% (1992 est.) Electricity: 99,000,000 kW capacity; 317,000 million kWh produced, 5,480 kWh per capita (1992)

*United Kingdom, Economy

Industries: production machinery including machine tools, electric power equipment, equipment for the automation of production, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods Agriculture: accounts for only 1.5% of GDP and 1% of labor force; highly mechanized and efficient farms; wide variety of crops and livestock products produced; about 60% self-sufficient in food and feed needs; fish catch of 665,000 metric tons (1987) Illicit drugs: increasingly important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $21.0 billion Currency: 1 British pound (#) = 100 pence Exchange rates: British pounds (#) per US$1 - 0.6527 (January 1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

*United Kingdom, Communications

Railroads: UK, 16,914 km total; Great Britain's British Railways (BR) operates 16,584 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge (including 4,545 km electrified and 12,591 km double or multiple track), several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 330 km 1.600-meter gauge (including 190 km double track) Highways: UK, 362,982 km total; Great Britain, 339,483 km paved (including 2,573 km limited-access divided highway); Northern Ireland, 23,499 km (22,907 paved, 592 km gravel) Inland waterways: 2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706 km; other, 979 km Pipelines: crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km, petroleum products 2,993 km, natural gas 12,800 km Ports: London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe, Southampton Merchant marine: 204 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,819,719 GRT/4,941,785 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 16 short-sea passenger, 37 cargo, 25 container, 14 roll-on/roll-off, 5 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 65 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 22 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 passenger cargo Airports: total: 496 usable: 385 with permanent-surface runways: 249 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 37 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 134 Telecommunications: technologically advanced domestic and international system; 30,200,000 telephones; equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber systems; excellent countrywide broadcast systems; broadcast stations - 225 AM, 525 (mostly repeaters) FM, 207 (3,210 repeaters) TV; 40 coaxial submarine cables; 5 satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems; at least 8 large international switching centers

*United Kingdom, Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 14,445,998; fit for military service 12,084,913 (1993 est.); no conscription Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $42.5 billion, 3.8% of GDP (FY92/93)

*United States, Geography

Location: North America, between Canada and Mexico Map references: North America, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 9,372,610 km2 land area: 9,166,600 km2 comparative area: about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia Land boundaries: total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US naval base at Guantanamo), Mexico 3,326 km Coastline: 19,924 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m or depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca); US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US 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; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake Island Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and 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 Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 26%

*United States, Geography

forest and woodland: 29% other: 25% Irrigated land: 181,020 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: pollution control measures improving air and water quality; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse natural water resources in west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development Note: world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)

*United States, People

Population: 258,103,721 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 1.02% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 15.48 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 8.67 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 8.36 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.8 years male: 72.49 years female: 79.29 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: American(s) adjective: American Ethnic divisions: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, asian 3.3%, native american 0.8% (1992) Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989) Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority) Literacy: age 15 and over having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1991) total population: 97.9% male: 97.9% female: 97.9% Labor force: 128.548 million (includes armed forces and unemployed; civilian labor force 126.982 million) (1992) by occupation: NA

*United States, Government

Names: conventional long form: United States of America conventional short form: United States Abbreviation: US or USA Digraph: US Type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition Capital: Washington, DC 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: since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with three of the four political units; the Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association 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) Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England) Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789 Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776) Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT (Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1%

*United States, Government

Senate: last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994); results - Democratic Party 53%, Republican Party 47%, other NEGL%; seats - (100 total) Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 43 House of Representatives: last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994); results - Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 46%, other 2%; seats - (435 total) Democratic Party 258, Republican Party 176, Independent 1 Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Flag: thirteen 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; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

*United States, Economy

Overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $23,400, the largest among major industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with most decisions made by private individuals and business firms and with government purchases of goods and services made predominantly in the marketplace. In 1989 the economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured moderation in wage and consumer price increases and a steady reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of the labor force. In 1990, however, growth slowed to 1% because of a combination of factors, such as the worldwide increase in interest rates, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and a general decline in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output fell by 1%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth picked up to 2.1% in 1992. Unemployment, however, remained at nine million, the increase in GDP being mainly attributable to gains in output per worker. Ongoing problems for the 1990s include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and trade deficits. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $5.951 trillion (1992) National product real growth rate: 2.1% (1992) National product per capita: $23,400 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1992) Unemployment rate: 7% (April 1993) Budget: revenues $1,092 billion; expenditures $1,382 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92) Exports: $442.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products partners: Western Europe 27.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 12.1% (1989) Imports: $544.1 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages partners: Western Europe 21.5%, Japan 19.7%, Canada 18.8% (1989) External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% (1992 est.); accounts for NA% of GDP Electricity: 780,000,000 kW capacity; 3,230,000 million kWh produced, 12,690 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

*United States, Economy

Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second largest producer and number one exporter of grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 4.4 million metric tons (1990) Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production Economic aid: donor - commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: British pounds: (#) per US$ - 0.6527 (January 1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988) Canadian dollars: (Can$) per US$ - 1.2776 (January 1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988) French francs: (F) per US$ - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988) Italian lire: (Lit) per US$ - 1,482.5 (January 1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1.372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988) Japanese yen: (Y) per US$ - 125.01 (January 1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988) German deutsche marks: (DM) per US$ - 1.6158 (January 1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988) Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

*United States, Communications

Railroads: 240,000 km of mainline routes, all standard 1.435 meter track, no government ownership (1989) Highways: 7,599,250 km total; 6,230,000 km state-financed roads; 1,369,250 km federally-financed roads (including 71,825 km interstate limited access freeways) (1988) Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.) Pipelines: petroleum 276,000 km (1991), natural gas 331,000 km (1991) Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington Merchant marine: 385 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,567,000 GRT/19,511,000 DWT; includes 3 passenger-cargo, 36 cargo, 23 bulk, 169 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 13 liquefied gas, 128 intermodal; in addition, there are 219 government-owned vessels Airports: total: 14,177 usable: 12,417 with permanent-surface runways: 4,820 with runways over 3,659 m: 63 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 325 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2,524 Telecommunications: 126,000,000 telephone access lines; 7,557,000 cellular phone subscribers; broadcast stations - 4,987 AM, 4,932 FM, 1,092 TV; about 9,000 TV cable systems; 530,000,000 radio sets and 193,000,000 TV sets in use; 16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite ground stations - 45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT (1990)

*United States, Defense Forces

Branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 66.826 million; fit for military service NA (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $315.5 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1992)

*Uruguay, Geography

Location: Eastern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Brazil Map references: South America, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 176,220 km2 land area: 173,620 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Washington State Land boundaries: total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km Coastline: 660 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm International disputes: short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute; two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute - Arroyo de la Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland Natural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 78% forest and woodland: 4% other: 10% Irrigated land: 1,100 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods

*Uruguay, People

Population: 3,175,050 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.75% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 17.82 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 9.52 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: -0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.74 years male: 70.52 years female: 77.11 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan Ethnic divisions: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4% Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30% Languages: Spanish Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 96% male: 97% female: 96% Labor force: 1.355 million (1991 est.) by occupation: government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)

*Uruguay, Government