, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN
Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Sir Robin RENWICK; Chancery at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-1340; there are British Consulates
General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas, Miami, and Seattle
US:
Ambassador Raymond G. H. SEITZ; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London,
W.1A1AE, (mailing address is FPO AE 09498-4040); telephone [44] (71)
499-9000; FAX 409-1637; there are US Consulates General in Belfast and
Edinburgh
Flag:
blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in
white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint
of Ireland) which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint
Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack;
the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a
number of other flags including dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and
others
Note:
Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in
1997

:United Kingdom Economy

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 with a generous admixture of social welfare
programs and government ownership. Prime Minister MAJOR has continued the
basic thrust of THATCHER's efforts to halt the expansion of welfare measures
and promote extensive reprivatization of the government economic sector.
Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European
standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor
force. Industry is a mixture of public and private enterprises, employing
about 27% of the work force and generating 22% of GDP. The UK is an
energy-rich nation with large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary
energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any
industrial nation. In mid-1990 the economy fell into recession after eight
years of strong economic expansion, which had raised national output by one
quarter. Britain's inflation rate, which has been consistently well abo