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.

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

Natural hazards: NA

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

Population: 29,165 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.39% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 20% (male 3,129; female 2,749)
15-64 years: 66% (male 10,888; female 8,247)
65 years and over: 14% (male 1,729; female 2,423) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.39% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 12.65 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.81 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.03 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rain water
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.32 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.17 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.47 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.37 years
Male: 75.1 years
Female: 81.81 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

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

Government type: NA

Capital: Gibraltar

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)

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, the Right Honorable Sir Richard LUCE (since 24 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 monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats_15 elected, on for the Speaker, and two ex officio; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 16 May 1996 (next to be held NA May 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

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

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 (more than 5 million visitors in 1995), 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 growth rate: NA%

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

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

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)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $111.6 million
Expenditures: $115.6 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY95/96)

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Exports: $83.7 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
Partners: UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG

Imports: $778 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (£G) per US$1_0.6057 (January 1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994; note_the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

Electricity
Production: 85 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 85 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

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)

Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Pipelines: 0 km

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

Merchant marine
Total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 346m951 GRT/588,765 DWT
Ships by type: chemical tanker 2, container 4, oil tanker 11, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)

Disputes international: source of friction between Spain and the UK