United Kingdom 2016 Country Review http://www.countrywatch.com Table of Contents Chapter 1 1 Country Overview 1 Country Overview 2 Key Data 4 United Kingdom 5 Europe 6 Chapter 2 8 Political Overview 8 History 9 Political Conditions 13 Political Risk Index 111 Political Stability 126 Freedom Rankings 141 Human Rights 153 Government Functions 156 Government Structure 158 Principal Government Officials 172 Leader Biography 173 Leader Biography 173 Foreign Relations 175 National Security 210 Defense Forces 213 Appendix: Northern Ireland 214 Appendix: Scotland 239 Appendix: Wales 248 Appendix: British Territories and Jurisdiction 248 Chapter 3 286 Economic Overview 286 Economic Overview 287 Nominal GDP and Components 297 Population and GDP Per Capita 299 Real GDP and Inflation 300 Government Spending and Taxation 301 Money Supply, Interest Rates and Unemployment 302 Foreign Trade and the Exchange Rate 303 Data in US Dollars 304 Energy Consumption and Production Standard Units 305 Energy Consumption and Production QUADS 307 World Energy Price Summary 308 CO2 Emissions 309 Agriculture Consumption and Production 310 World Agriculture Pricing Summary 313 Metals Consumption and Production 314 World Metals Pricing Summary 317 Economic Performance Index 318 Chapter 4 330 Investment Overview 330 Foreign Investment Climate 331 Foreign Investment Index 333 Corruption Perceptions Index 346 Competitiveness Ranking 358 Taxation 367 Stock Market 368 Partner Links 369 Chapter 5 370 Social Overview 370 People 371 Human Development Index 372 Life Satisfaction Index 376 Happy Planet Index 387 Status of Women 397 Global Gender Gap Index 399 Culture and Arts 409 Etiquette 409 Travel Information 411 Diseases/Health Data 422 Chapter 6 428 Environmental Overview 428 Environmental Issues 429 Environmental Policy 430 Greenhouse Gas Ranking 432 Global Environmental Snapshot 443 Global Environmental Concepts 454 International Environmental Agreements and Associations 468 Appendices 493 Bibliography 494 United Kingdom Chapter 1 Country Overview United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 1 of 506 pages United Kingdom Country Overview THE UNITED KINGDOM Located in Western Europe, between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, just to the northwest of France, the United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is to be found on the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland. It should be noted that the terms "Great Britain" and "United Kingdom" cannot correctly be used in an interchangeable manner. Great Britain refers to the island to the west of France and east of Ireland that consists of three related regions -- England, Scotland, and Wales. However, Great Britain is not the proper name of any current sovereign nation state, as it excludes Northern Ireland, which is also part of the country called the United Kingdom. In fact, the official name of the country is "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." Scotland and England were joined in 1603 when King James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, to claim the British throne. In 1707, the Act of Union created a new country, Great Britain. Ireland had been conquered by the early 17th century, and the 1801 British Acts of Union established the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922, 26 counties of Ireland gained independence from London, with the other six counties remaining in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010. In 2013, a process was started to allow for a referendum for Scottish independence. That vote was to take place in 2014. In order for Scotland to become independent, regardless of the result of the internal referendum, the British Parliament would have to dissolve the Acts of Union. At the beginning of the 20th century the British Empire had been the foremost global power, stretching over one-fourth of the earth's surface. But World War I significantly weakened the United Kingdom, and the years following World War II saw the demise of the empire with many colonies gaining independence. Nevertheless, the country remains a major world economic and military power, with considerable political and cultural influence around the world. As the world's United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 2 of 506 pages United Kingdom first industrialized country, the economy of the United Kingdom is one of the largest in the world as well as one of the strongest in Europe, and is considered to be a leading trading power and financial center. It should also be noted that the United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The country has a long history as a major player in international affairs and fulfills an important role in the European Union, the United Nations and NATO. The United Kingdom is also an active member of the European Union, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The government has said a series of economic criteria must be met before the issue can be put to a referendum. United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 3 of 506 pages United Kingdom Key Data Key Data Region: Europe Population: 64088224 Climate: Temperate; more than one-half of the days are overcast English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic and several other international Languages: languages Currency: 1 British pound = 100 pence Birthday of the Queen is the second Saturday in June, Boxing Day is 26 Holiday: December Area Total: 244820 Area Land: 241590 Coast Line: 12429 United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 4 of 506 pages United Kingdom United Kingdom Country Map United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 5 of 506 pages United Kingdom Europe Regional Map United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 6 of 506 pages United Kingdom United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 7 of 506 pages United Kingdom Chapter 2 Political Overview United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 8 of 506 pages United Kingdom History Introduction The contemporary country referred to as the United Kingdom finds its historical roots in the story of Britain (the historic name of the region). The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and most of Britain's subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion, including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the 5th and 6th centuries C.E. (Common Era) up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions; certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, developed. Among these are a political, administrative, cultural and economic center in London; a separate but established church; a system of common law; distinctive university education; and representative government. Union Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule two years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British monarch continues today. In 1536, the political and administrative union of England and Wales was completed. While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled under one crown beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I, becoming James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single parliament at Westminster. Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of United Kingdom Review 2016 Page 9 of 506 pages United Kingdom success, to control and regulation by Britain. The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom. Armed struggle for independence continued sporadically, however, into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly Protestant, Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom. British Expansion and Empire Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy. The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next two centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home. Great Britain's industrial revolution greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the United Kingdom was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas.