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The World Factbook 2002
| Gibraltar |

Introduction | Gibraltar

Background:

Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Spain and the UK are discussing the issue of Gibraltar and have set the goal of reaching an agreement by mid-2002.

Geography | Gibraltar

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 references: | Europe
Area: | total: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km
Area - comparative: | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | total: 1.2 km border countries: 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 highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Natural resources: | NEGL
Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: | NA sq km
Natural hazards: | NA
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
Geography - note: | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

People | Gibraltar

Population: | 27,714 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.5% (male 2,633; female 2,509) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,456; female 8,907) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 1,803; female 2,406) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.23% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: | 11.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: | 8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.23 years female: 82.25 years (2002 est.) male: 76.37 years
Total fertility rate: | 1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar
Ethnic groups: | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese
Religions: | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)
Languages: | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Literacy: | definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA%

Government | Gibraltar

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar
Dependency status: | overseas territory of the UK
Government type: | NA
Capital: | Gibraltar
Administrative divisions: | none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence: | none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: | National Day, 10 September (1964); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain
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 David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - DURIE was appointed in February 2000 but took office in April 2000
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister

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) elections: last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association
International organization participation: | Interpol (subbureau)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation 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 | Gibraltar

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.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | NA%
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 1.5% (1998)
Labor force: | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
Labor force - by occupation: | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL%
Unemployment rate: | 13.5% (1996)
Budget: | revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
Industries: | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; tobacco, mineral water, beer
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 97 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: | 90.21 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: | none
Exports: | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities: | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
Exports - partners: | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany
Imports: | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports - commodities: | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands
Debt - external: | $NA
Economic aid - recipient: | $NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU
Currency: | Gibraltar pound (GIP)
Currency code: | GIP
Exchange rates: | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.8977 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June

Communications | Gibraltar

Telephones - main lines in use: | 19,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,620 (1997)
Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: | 37,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: | 10,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .gi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)
Internet users: | NA

Transportation | Gibraltar

Railways: | total: NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only (no longer used) (2001 est.)
Highways: | total: 46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)
Waterways: | none
Pipelines: | 0 km
Ports and harbors: | Gibraltar

Merchant marine:

total: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 900,400 GRT/1,277,611 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 35, chemical tanker 6, container 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 2

Airports: | 1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)

Military | Gibraltar

Military branches: | no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues | Gibraltar

Disputes - international: | Spain and UK are discussing "total shared sovereignty" to resolve 300-year dispute over Gibraltar, but resolution is subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002