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.

Geographic coordinates: 36 08 N 5 21 W

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

Coastline: 12 km

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Natural resources: none

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: NA

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

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

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)

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

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

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 165

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 47

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

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Government type: NA

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

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

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

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

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

Agriculture products: none

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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

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

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

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

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

Debt external: $N/A

Exchange rates:

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

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

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

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

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

Airports: 1 (2011)
Rank: 226

Roadways
Rank: 219

Merchant marine
Rank: 32

Ports and terminals: Gibraltar

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