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 reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967 Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar states that the British government will never allow the people of Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes a series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002 in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum tripartite talks have been held with Spain the UK and Gibraltar and in September 2005 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar to speed up customs procedures and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar. Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly.


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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 8 N 5 21 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: none

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

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: 27,928 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.14% (2005 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Gibraltarian
Adjective: Gibraltar

Ethnic groups: Spanish Italian English Maltese Portuguese German North Africans

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 78.1% Church of England 7% other Christian 3.2% Muslim 4% Jewish 2.1% Hindu 1.8% other or unspecified 0.9% none 2.9% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 2,499/female 2,388)
15-64 years: 66% (male 9,443/female 8,999)
65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,059/female 2,540) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 39.8 years
Male: 39.4 years
Female: 40.1 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.14% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 10.74 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 9.31 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.06 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.63 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.46 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.8 years
Male: 76.92 years
Female: 82.83 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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 80%
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

Capital

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

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

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

Imports

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: in 2002 Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any 'shared sovereignty' arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs