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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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. |
| 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 11 N, 5 22 W |
| Area: |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 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 |
| 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 |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
limited natural freshwater
resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect
rainwater |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic location on Strait
of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
| Population: |
27,649 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
18.73% (male 2,652; female 2,528)
15-64 years: 66.33% (male 9,473; female 8,866)
65 years and over: 14.94% (male 1,733; female 2,397) (2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.24% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
11.25 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.82 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.49 deaths/1,000 live births
(2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
79.09 years
male: 76.23 years
female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.64 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
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% |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
| Dependency
status: |
overseas territory of the UK |
| 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 David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - DURIE was
appointed in February 2000 but took office in April 2000
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; 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 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; Housewives 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
- 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; support to large UK naval and air bases;
tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
95 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
88.4 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| 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 |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Gibraltar pounds per US
dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037
(1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Gibraltar pound is at
par with the British pound |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| 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) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (plus three low-power
repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
10,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gi |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: NA km;
1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only |
| Highways: |
total: 46.25 km
paved: 46.25 km
unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Gibraltar |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 49 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 669,056 GRT/1,003,809 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, chemical tanker 6,
container 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2,
petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
British Army, Royal Navy,
Royal Air Force |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the responsibility
of the UK |
| Disputes
- international: |
source of friction between
Spain and the UK |
|
