Map of Gibraltar | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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
Comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington DC

Land boundaries

Coastline: 12 km

Maritime claims

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Elevation

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use

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: 29,481 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.91% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Italian English Maltese Portuguese Spanish

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.91% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 14.14 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.45 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.39 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.6 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.15 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: NA

Capital: Gibraltar

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas 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 who have been residents six months or more

Executive branch

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)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights or GCL/AACR [Adolfo CANEPA]; Gibraltar Liberal Party or GLP (has become the Gibraltar National Party or NP) [Joe GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or SD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or SL [Joe BOSSANO]; Gibraltar Socialist Liberal Alliance or GSLA [Joe BOSSANO] (includes SL and GLP)

International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau)

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

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

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

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: none

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%

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

Unemployment rate: 13.5% (1996)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (1998)

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: $81.1 million (f.o.b. 1997)
Commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51% manufactured goods 41% other 8%
Partners: UK Morocco Portugal Netherlands Spain US Germany

Imports: $492 million (c.i.f. 1997)
Commodities: fuels manufactured goods and foodstuffs
Partners: UK Spain Japan Netherlands

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds per US$1 - 0.6092 (January 2000) 0.6180 (1999) 0.6037 (1998) 0.6106 (1997) 0.6403 (1996) 0.6335 (1995); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound


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Electricity
Production: 90 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 84 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 17,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 1161 (1999)

Telephone system: adequate automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

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 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: 0 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: source of friction between Spain and the UK

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs