1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Coastline
12 km
Comparative area
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Disputes
source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK
Environment
natural freshwater sources are meager so large water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water
Exclusive fishing zone
3 nm;
Land boundaries
1.2 km with Spain
Land use
0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Natural resources
negligible
Note
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
Terrain
a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock
Territorial sea
3 nm
Total area
6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
Infant mortality rate
6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force
Language
English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for official purposes
Life expectancy at birth
72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Literacy
99% (est.)
Nationality
noun--Gibraltarian; adjective--Gibraltar
Net migration rate
- 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
over 6,000
Population
29,572 (July 1990), growth rate 0.1% (1990)
Religion
75% Roman Catholic, 8% Church of England, 2.25% Jewish
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (colony of the UK)
Capital
Gibraltar
Communists
negligible
Constitution
30 May 1969
Diplomatic representation
none (colony of the UK)
Executive branch
British monarch, governor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
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
House of Assembly
last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
Independence
none (colony of the UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter TERRY (since NA 1985); Head of Government--Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since NA March 1988)
Legal system
English law
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly
Long-form name
none
National holiday
Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March), 12 March 1990
Other political or pressure groups
Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
Political parties and leaders
Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe Bossano; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo Canepa; Independent Democratic Party, Joe Pitaluga
Suffrage
universal at age 18, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more
Type
dependent territory of the UK
Economy
Agriculture
NA
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $0.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $162.5 million
Budget
revenues $105 million; expenditures $104 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY87)
Currency
Gibraltar pound (plural--pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (LG) = 100 pence
Electricity
46,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,770 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Gibraltar pounds (LG) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Exports
$62.2 million (1985); commodities--(principally reexports) petroleum 75%, beverages and tobacco 12%, manufactured goods 8%; partners--UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GNP
$129 million, per capita $4,450; real growth rate NA% (FY85)
Imports
$147 million (1985); commodities--manufactured goods, fuels, and foodstuffs; partners--UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.4% (1986)
Overview
The economy depends heavily on British defense expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and revenues from banking and finance activities. 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. Construction workers are particularly affected when government expenditures are cut.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft
Highways
50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
Merchant marine
45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,126,060 GRT/4,189,948 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 16 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker 1 combination oil/ore, 1 liquefied gas, 13 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Ports
Gibraltar
Railroads
1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only
Telecommunications
adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system with 10,500 telephones; stations--1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the UK