United Kingdom Population

The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million--the third-largest in the European Union and the 21st-largest in the world. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe. The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16. About one-fifth of British students go on to post-secondary education. The Church of England and the Church of Scotland are the official churches in their respective parts of the country, but most religions found in the world are represented in the United Kingdom. ... [Read More]

United Kingdom

The law provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The Church of England and the Church of Scotland are established churches. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion. The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom. Centuries-old sectarian divisions--and instances of violence--persist in Northern Ireland.The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of prom ... [Read More]

Report on Global Anti-Semitism

January 5, 2005 Executive Summary I.  Anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism has plagued the world for centuries. Taken to its most far-reaching and violent extreme, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism resulted in the deaths of millions of Jews and the suffering of countless others. Subtler, less vile forms of anti-Semitism have disrupted lives, decimated religious communities, created social and political cleavages, and complicated relations between countries as well as the work of international organizations. For an increasingly interdependent world, anti-Semitism is an intolerable burden. The increasing frequency and severity of anti-Semitic incidents since the start of the 21st century, particularly in Europe, has compelled the international com ... [Read More]

United Kingdom

Information on membership in Christian denominations was not recorded in the 2001 census. In 2003 the Office for National Statistics indicated approximately 29 percent of the population identify with Anglican churches, 10 percent with the Roman Catholic Church, and 14 percent with other Christian churches. An additional 2 percent of the population is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), the Church of Christ, Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Unitarians. ... [Read More]

Population at the Millennium - the U.S. Perspective -- Global Issues Electronic Journal, September 1998 - State Department Fact Sheet

The United States cooperates with other donor countries on population issues and programs. An example is the U.S.-Japan Common Agenda, which has been ongoing since 1993 and focuses on population, HIV/AIDS, and child health initiatives. The goals of this cooperative effort are to maximize the impact of each country's population and health assistance; increase technical capacity to provide assistance; increase opportunities to share lessons learned; and strengthen U.S.-Japan relations through increased consultation and cooperation at the global and mission levels. Through this initiative, Japan's bilateral assistance for population and health from 1993-2000 will be approximately $3,000 million. Other donors, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the European Commission (EC), have also considerably increased their funding for population assistance. ... [Read More]

Jordan (05/05)

Jordanians are Arabs, except for a few small communities of Circassians, Armenians, and Kurds which have adapted to Arab culture. The official language is Arabic, but English is used widely in commerce and government. About 70% of Jordan's population is urban; less than 6% of the rural population is nomadic or seminomadic. Most people live where the rainfall supports agriculture. About 1.7 million persons registered as Palestinian refugees and displaced persons reside in Jordan, most as citizens. ... [Read More]

United Kingdom

The country was a destination for trafficking of women and girls for prostitution and in men and women for manual labor. There were no definitive figures on the extent of the problem. A report by the Home Office in 2000 estimated that less than 1,500 women were brought into the country each year. They were destined primarily for work in the sex industry. The trafficked population included children, though the numbers appeared to be small. The country was also a destination country for trafficked men who work in agriculture and industry. The country was not a country of origin for human trafficking, although there were some indications it played a minor role as a transit country. ... [Read More]

Dominica (08/04)

In 1865, after much agitation and tension, the colonial office replaced the elective assembly with one comprised of one-half elected members and one-half appointed. Planters allied with colonial administrators outmaneuvered the elected legislators on numerous occasions. In 1871, Dominica became part of the Leeward Island Federation. The power of the Black population progressively eroded. Crown Colony government was re-established in 1896. All political rights for the vast majority of the population were effectively curtailed. Development aid, offered as compensation for disenfranchisement, proved to have a negligible effect. ... [Read More]

United Arab Emirates (11/04)

Population (2003 est.): 4.041 million. ...

Only 15-20% of the total population of 4.041 million are UAE citizens. The rest include significant numbers of other Arabs--Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Yemenis, Omanis--as well as many Iranians, Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Afghanis, Filipinos, and west Europeans. ...

The majority of UAE citizens are Sunni Muslims with a small Shi'a minority. Most foreigners also are Muslim, although Hindus and Christians make up a portion of the UAE's foreign population. ... [Read More]

Thailand (03/05)

Thailand's highly successful government-sponsored family planning program has resulted in a dramatic decline in population growth from 3.1% in 1960 to around 1% today. Life expectancy also has risen, a positive reflection of Thailand's efforts at public health education. However, the AIDS epidemic has had a major impact on the Thai population. Today, over 600,000 Thais live with HIV or AIDS--approximately 1.5% of the adult population. Each year until at least 2006, 30-50,000 Thais will die from AIDS-related causes. Ninety percent of them will be aged 20-24, the most productive sector of the workforce. The situation could have been worse; an aggressive public education campaign in the early 1990s reduced the number of new HIV infections from 150,000- 195,000 annually. In a July 2004 report however, the UNDP warned that Thailand’s past successes could be undone amid signs of complacency and rising infection rates among certain segments of the population. ... [Read More]