General background: Great Britain,
the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th
century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary
democracy and in advancing literature and science. At
its zenith, 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. 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; it currently is weighing
the degree of its integration with continental Europe.
A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the European
Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform
is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish
Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the
Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999.
Area comparative: Slightly smaller than
Oregon.
Climate: Temperate; moderated
by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic
Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast.
Terrain: Mostly rugged hills and low mountains;
level to rolling plains in east and southeast.
Population: 59,778,002 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups: 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 and Roman Catholic 40
million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000,
Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish
350,000
Language: English, Welsh (about 26% of the
population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about
60,000 in Scotland)
Government type: Constitutional monarchy
Capital: London
Legal system: Common law tradition with early
Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial
review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and
legislation are increasingly subject to review by
European Union courts.
Economic overview: The UK, a leading trading
power and financial center, is one of the quartet
of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over
the past two decades the government has 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; primary energy production accounts for 10%
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. GDP growth slipped in 2001 as the global
downturn, the high value of the pound, and the bursting
of the "new economy" bubble hurt manufacturing
and exports. Still, the economy is one of the strongest
in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment
remain low, and the government expects growth of 2%
to 2.5% in 2002. The relatively good economic performance
has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to
make a case for Britain to join the European Economic
and Monetary Union (EMU). The Prime Minister has pledged
to hold a public referendum if membership meets Chancellor
of the Exchequer BROWN's five economic "tests."
Scheduled for assessment by mid-2003, the tests will
determine whether joining EMU would have a positive
effect on British investment, employment, and growth.
Critics point out, however, that the economy is thriving
outside of EMU, and they point to public opinion polls
that continue to show a majority of Britons opposed
to the single currency.
Communication/Telephone system: Technologically
advanced domestic and international system.
Places of interest:
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