| Location: |
Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
54 00 N, 2 00 W
|
| Area: |
total:
244,820 sq km
land:
241,590 sq km
water:
3,230 sq km
note:
includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Oregon
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
360 km
border countries:
Ireland 360 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.)
|
| 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
|
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