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In general, information available as of 1 January 2003 was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003. This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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| Introduction | Gibraltar | 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 referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.
| Geography | Gibraltar | 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 8 N, 5 21 W
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 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% other: 100% (1998 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 (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant
Geography - note: | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
| People | Gibraltar | Top of Page
Population: | 27,776 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 2,593; female 2,482) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,458; female 8,946) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 1,873; female 2,424) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 38.8 years male: 38.6 years female: 39 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 0.22% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 11.09 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 8.93 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 5.92 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.38 years male: 76.51 years female: 82.4 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.65 children born/woman (2003 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
Literacy: | definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA%
| Government | Gibraltar | 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: | National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain
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 Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor 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
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 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than NA 2007) 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 Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; 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; Women's 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
| Economy | Gibraltar | 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 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. 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: | 2% (2001 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 00/01 est.)
Industries: | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 100 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: | 93 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 42,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA (2001)
Oil - imports: | NA (2001)
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 27.7%, Switzerland 14.3%, Germany 12%, France 6.9%, Spain 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5%, Ukraine 4.6% (2002)
Imports: | $492 million c.i.f. (1997)
Imports - commodities: | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | Germany 27.3%, Spain 21.8%, UK 12.1%, Italy 8% (2002)
Debt - external: | $NA
Economic aid - recipient: | $NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU
Currency: | Gibraltar pound (GIP)
Currency code: | GIP
Exchange rates: | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June
| Communications | Gibraltar | 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)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code: | .gi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)
Internet users: | NA
| Transportation | Gibraltar | Top of Page
Highways: | total: 29 km paved: 29 km unpaved: 0 km (2002)
Waterways: | none
Pipelines: | 0 km
Ports and harbors: | Gibraltar
Merchant marine: | total: 114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,008,140 GRT/1,435,595 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 58, chemical tanker 14, container 20, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2
Airports: | 1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
| Military | Gibraltar | Top of Page
Military branches: | no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK
| Transnational Issues | Gibraltar | Top of Page
Disputes - international: | Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003