Currency: 1 British pound (L) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$1 - 0.6535 (January 1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Transportation ———————
Railways:
total: 17,561 km
broad gauge: 434 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double track); note - all
1.600-m gauge track, of which 357 km is in common carrier use, is in
Northern Ireland
standard gauge: 16,892 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified;
12,591 km double or multiple track); note - 16,532 km of 1.435-m
routes are in common carrier service; the remaining 360 km are
operated by a total of 40 tourist or other private companies
narrow gauge: 235 km 0.260-m, 0.311-m, 0.381-m, 0.600-m, 0.610-m,
0.686-m, 0.760-m, 0.762-m, 0.800-m, 0.825-m, 0.914-m and 1.067-m
gauges; note - these short, narrow-gage lines are operated by a
total of 25 tourist and other private firms (1995)
Highways:
total: 386,243 km (1993 est.)
paved: NA km (including 3,237 km of expressways in Great Britain)
unpaved: NA km
Waterways: 3,200 km under British Waterways Board
Pipelines: crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum
products 2,993 km; natural gas 12,800 km
Ports: Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Grangemouth, Hull,
Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Medway, Sullom Voe, Tees, Tyne
Merchant marine:
total: 151 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,191,969
GRT/3,861,239 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 21, chemical tanker 2, container 24,
liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 56, passenger 8, passenger-cargo
1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 14, specialized
tanker 1 (1995 est.)