  In presenting an up-to-date account of the experimental knowledge of the CKM
matrix, special emphasis is placed on the exceptional degree of consistency
shown by the current Standard Model determination of the unitarity triangle;
some implications in the question of how the theoretical nature of the dominant
uncertainties affects the Standard Model predictions are discussed. Recent
experimental results include improved determinations of |V_{cb}| by OPAL and
CLEO, the confirmation of rare (charmless hadronic and electromagnetic penguin)
B decays and preliminary sin(2 beta) measurements by BaBar and Belle (new world
average: sin(2 beta) = 0.48 +0.22 -0.24). The updated constraints lead to the
Standard Model predictions sin(2 beta) = 0.68 +/- 0.03(exp) +/- 0.04(th), sin(2
alpha) = -0.43 +/- 0.15(exp) +/- 0.20(th), gamma = 56 +/- 5(exp)(+5 -6)(th)
deg, Delta m_{Bs} = 16.2 (+2.7 -0.3)(exp)(+1.5 -1.0)(th) ps^{-1}.
