Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$57.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$10.45 trillion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$1.288 trillion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.707 trillion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$3.058 trillion (2005)

Currency (code):

British pound (GBP)

Currency code:

GBP

Exchange rates:

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006),
0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)

Communications
United Kingdom

Telephones - main lines in use:

33.682 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

71.992 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and
international system
domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optic systems
international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;
satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;
at least 8 large international switching centers

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:

84.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

30.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.uk

Internet hosts:

8.269 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

more than 400 (2000)

Internet users:

40.2 million (2007)

Transportation
United Kingdom

Airports:

449 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 310
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 131
914 to 1,523 m: 79
under 914 m: 59 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 139
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 113 (2007)

Heliports:

11 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 567 km; condensate/gas 22 km; gas 18,980 km; liquid
petroleum gas 59 km; oil 4,930 km; oil/gas/water 165 km; refined
products 4,444 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 16,567 km
broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)
standard gauge: 16,264 km 1.435-m gauge (5,361 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 398,366 km
paved: 398,366 km (includes 3,520 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterway