| Gibraltar (overseas territory of the UK) |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Gibraltar | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.

Gibraltar | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

Geographic coordinates: | 36 11 N, 5 22 W

Map references: | Europe

Area: | total: 6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km

Coastline: | 12 km

Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate: | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain: | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Natural resources: | NEGL

Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | NA

Environment - current issues: | limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater

Geography - note: | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Gibraltar | People | Top of Page

Population: | 27,649 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.73% (male 2,652; female 2,528) 15-64 years: 66.33% (male 9,473; female 8,866) 65 years and over: 14.94% (male 1,733; female 2,397) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 0.24% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar

Ethnic groups: | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese

Religions: | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)

Languages: | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian

Literacy: | definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA%

Gibraltar | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar

Dependency status: | overseas territory of the UK

Government type: | NA

Capital: | Gibraltar

Administrative divisions: | none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence: | none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March

Constitution: | 30 May 1969

Legal system: | English law

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more

Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - DURIE was appointed in February 2000 but took office in April 2000 head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister; note - there is also a Gibraltar Council that advises the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: | unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association

International organization participation: | Interpol (subbureau)

Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description: | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band

Gibraltar | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | NA%

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 1.5% (1998)

Labor force: | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)

Labor force - by occupation: | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL%

Unemployment rate: | 13.5% (1996)

Budget: | revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)

Industries: | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 95 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 88.4 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | none

Exports: | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities: | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%

Exports - partners: | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany

Imports: | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities: | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs

Imports - partners: | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

Debt - external: | $NA

Economic aid - recipient: | $NA

Currency: | Gibraltar pound (GIP)

Currency code: | GIP

Exchange rates: | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June

Gibraltar | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 19,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,620 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 37,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: | 10,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .gi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)

Internet users: | NA

Gibraltar | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only

Highways: | total: 46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)

Waterways: | none

Pipelines: | 0 km

Ports and harbors: | Gibraltar

Merchant marine: | total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 669,056 GRT/1,003,809 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, chemical tanker 6, container 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Gibraltar | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK

Gibraltar | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | source of friction between Spain and the UK