2,429 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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Fenland -4 m

highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m

Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone,
iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land

Land use: arable land: 25%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 46%

forests and woodland: 10%

other: 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,080 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: continues to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions (has meet Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from
1990 levels and hopes to reduce even more); small particulate
emissions, largely from vehicular traffic, remain a problem; solid
waste continues to rise and recycling is very limited

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - 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: 59,647,790 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.89% (male 5,778,415; female 5,486,114)

15-64 years: 65.41% (male 19,712,932; female 19,304,771)

65 years and over: 15.7% (male 3,895,921; female 5,469,637) (2001
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.23% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 11.54 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 10.35 deat