Map of Gibraltar | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Strategically important Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in 1713. In a 1967 referendum Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.


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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 reference: Europe

Area
Total: 6.5 km²
Land: 6.5 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 1.2 km
Border countries: (1) 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
Extremes highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: NA%
Other: 100% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

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


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Population: 28,913 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 0.48% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Gibraltarian(s)
Adjective: Gibraltar

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

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Muslim 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 20% (male 3,121; female 2,725)
15-64 years: 66% (male 10,771; female 8,278)
65 years and over: 14% (male 1,629; female 2,389) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.48% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 13.45 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.78 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.14 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources, so large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rain water

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.3 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.16 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6.8 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.01 years
Male: 74.7 years
Female: 81.47 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: above 95%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Gibraltar

Government type: NA

Capital: Gibraltar

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)

Constitution: 30 May 1969

Legal system: English law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Admiral Sir Richard LUCE (NA February 1997)
Head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 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 queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen; chief minister appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats, 15 elected; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 16 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party - SD 53%, SL 42%, NP 3%; seats by party - SD 8, SL 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (dependent territory of the UK)
From the us: none (dependent 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 15% of GDP; tourism, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,600 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: none

Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral waters, beer, canned fish

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Total: 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
By occupation services: 60%
By occupation industry: 40%
By occupation agriculture: NEGL

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $111.6 million
Expenditures: $115.6 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1995-96)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $57 million (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
Partners: UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG

Imports
Total value: $708 million (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $318 million (1987)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (£G) per US$1 - 0.6023 (January 1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992; note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound


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Electricity
Capacity: 33,000 kW (1993)
Production: 90 million kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: NA kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 19,356 (1994)

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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: 0 km

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

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 356,676 GRT/633,152 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 2, container 1, oil tanker 14 (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: source of friction between Spain and the UK

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs