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. The subsequent granting of autonomy in 1969 by the UK led to Spain closing the border and severing all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002 the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in late 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since late 2004 Spain the UK and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks with the aim of cooperatively resolving problems that affect the local population and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services; communications and maritime security; policy legal and customs services; environmental protection; and education and visa services. Throughout 2009 a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. A new noncolonial constitution came into effect in 2007 and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in December 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense foreign relations internal security and financial stability.


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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 08 N 5 21 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 243
Comparative: more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington D.C.

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: none

Land use

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: 29,034 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 218
Growth rate: 0.265% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 170
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.265% (2011 est.)
Rank: 170

Birth rate: 14.22 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 143

Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 89

Net migration rate: -3.31 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 178

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

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 165

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 47

Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 136

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: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: NA

Capital

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

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 join Spain

Constitution: 5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007

Legal system: the laws of the UK where applicable apply

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; and British citizens who have been residents six months or more

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (18 seats: 17 members elected by popular vote 1 for the speaker appointed by Parliament; members serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Fabian PICARDO]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]; Progressive Democratic Party

International organization participation: ICC (NGOs) Interpol (subbureau) UPU

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; the design is that of Gibraltar's coat of arms granted on 10 July 1502 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain; the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress while the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance - the key to the Mediterranean

National symbols: Barbary macaque

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade offshore banking and its position as an international conference center. Tax rates are low to attract foreign investment. 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) gaming revenues shipping services fees and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector tourism and the shipping sector contribute 30% 30% and 25% respectively of GDP. Telecommunications e-commerce and e-gaming account for the remaining 15%. 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:
Rank: 201

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 43

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 18

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: none

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 12,690 (2001) (2001)
Rank: 215

Unemployment rate: 3% (2005 est.)
Rank: 26

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 2.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 20

Taxes and other revenues: 43% of GDP (2008 est.)
Rank: 38

Public debt: 13.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 144

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2006)
Rank: 65

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: $271 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 181
Commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51% manufactured goods

Imports: $2.967 billion (2004 est.)
Rank: 148
Commodities: fuels manufactured goods and foodstuffs

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:


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Electricity
Production: 164 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 186
Consumption: 152.5 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 190
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 200
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 192
Installed generating capacity: 36,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 188
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 15
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 96
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 172
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 132

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 139
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 118
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 190
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 137

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 151
Products consumption: 24,920 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 123
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 181
Products imports: 27,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 90

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 148
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 204
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 200
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 142

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.908 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 130

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 24,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 184
Mobile cellular: 32,500 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 205

Telephone system

Broadcast media: Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio broadcasting services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible (2008)

Internet
Country code: .gi
Hosts: 3,509 (2011)
Hosts rank: 151
Users: 20,200 (2009)
Users rank: 193

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 (2011)
Rank: 226

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 219

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 32

Ports and terminals: Gibraltar


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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