1984 Edition

Airfields

1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m

Area

6.5 km2

Branches

parliamentary system comprising the Gibraltar House of the Assembly (15 elected members and 3 ex officio members), the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, and the Gibraltar Council; the Governor is appointed by the Crown

Gibraltar Regiment

Budget

(1981-82) revenue $78 million, expenditure $73.7 million

Capital

none

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Coastline

12 km People

Communists

negligible

Elections

every four years; last held in January 1984 Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Labor Party/ Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), Sir Joshua Hassan; Democratic Party of British Gibraltar(DPBG), Peter Isola; Socialist Labor Party, Joe Bossano

Electric power

59,600 kW capacity (1983); 210 million kWh produced (1983), 7,010 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent

Exports

$41.7 million (1982); principally reexports of tobacco, petroleum, and wine

Government leaders

Adm. Sir David W. WILLIAMS, Governor and Commander in Chief; Sir Joshua A. HASSAN, Chief Minister

Highways

56 km, mostly paved

Imports

$120 million (1982); principally manufactured goods, fuels, and foodstuffs; 65% from UK

Labor force

approx. 14,800, including nonGibraltar laborers

Land boundaries

1.6 km Water

Language

English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for all official purposes

Legal system

English law; constitutional talks in July 1968; new system effected in 1969 after electoral inquiry

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm

Literacy

illiteracy is negligible

Major trade partners

UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands

Monetary conversion rate

.7062 Gibraltar pound = .7062 pound sterling=US$l (February 1984) Communications

Nationality

noun — Gibraltarian; adjective — Gibraltar

Official name

Gibraltar

Organized labor

over 6,000 Government

Other political or pressure groups

Housewives Association; Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization Economy Economic activity in Gibraltar centers on commerce and large British naval and air bases; nearly all trade in the well-developed port is transit trade and port serves also as important supply depot for fuel, water, and ships' wares; recently built dockyards and machine shops provide maintenance and repair services to 3,500-4,000 vessels that call at Gibraltar each year; UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly half the insured labor force and a recently announced decision to close the Royal Navy dockyard will significantly add to unemployment; local industry is confined to manufacture of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish; some factories for manufacture of clothing are being developed; a small segment of local population makes its livelihood by fishing; in recent years tourism has increased in importance

Population

30,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 0.9%

Ports

1 major (Gibraltar)

Railroads

1.000-meter gauge system in dockyard area only

Religion

75% Roman Catholic, 8% Church of England, 2.25% Jewish

Suffrage

all adult Gibraltarians, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more

Telecommunications

adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system serving 9,400 telephones (3 1.5 per 100 popl.); 1 AM, 6 FM, and 4 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces Defense is responsibility of United Kingdom

Type

British colony

Voting strength

(January 1984) House of the Assembly— GCL/AACR, 8 seats; Socialist Labor, 7 seats