2000 Edition

Background

Strategically important Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in 1713. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.

Area

land

6.5 sq km

total

6.5 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Climate

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Coastline

12 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rain water

Geographic coordinates

36 11 N, 5 22 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

border countries

Spain 1.2 km

total

1.2 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forests and woodland

0%

other

100% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

0%

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea

3 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Age structure

0-14 years: 21% (male 3,167; female 3,013) 15-64 years: 65% (male 10,141; female 8,925) 65 years and over: 14% (male 1,769; female 2,466) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

14.14 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

8.45 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, Spanish

Infant mortality rate

5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.96 years (2000 est.)

male

76.09 years

total population

78.95 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

above 80%

Nationality

adjective

Gibraltar

noun

Gibraltarian(s)

Net migration rate

3.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

29,481 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.91% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.15 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

Gibraltar

Constitution

30 May 1969

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Gibraltar

Data code

GI

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

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

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief, the Right Honorable Sir Richard LUCE (since 24 February 1997); note - a new governor has been appointed and will arrive in March 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)

note

there is also a Gibraltar Council that advises the governor

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

Interpol (subbureau)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Legal system

English law

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - SD 54%, GSLA 40%; seats by party - NA

elections

last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)

National holiday

Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)

Political parties and leaders

Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights or GCL/AACR ; Gibraltar Liberal Party or GLP (has become the Gibraltar National Party or NP) ; Gibraltar Social Democrats or SD ; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or SL ; Gibraltar Socialist Liberal Alliance or GSLA (includes SL and GLP)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more

Agriculture - products

none

Budget

expenditures

$122.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97)

revenues

$119.3 million

Currency

1 Gibraltar pound = 100 pence

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

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.

Electricity - consumption

84 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

90 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Gibraltar pounds per US$1 - 0.6092 (January 2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

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

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$492 million (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities

fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs

Imports - partners

UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish

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%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

13.5% (1996)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

37,000 (1997)

Telephone system

adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities

domestic

automatic exchange facilities

international

radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

17,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,161 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

10,000 (1997)

Airports

1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

49.9 km

total

49.9 km

unpaved

0 km

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 4, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 13, roll-on/roll-off 2 (1999 est.)

total

26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 477,183 GRT/752,644 DWT

Pipelines

0 km

Ports and harbors

Gibraltar

Railways

total

NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military branches

British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force

Disputes - international

source of friction between Spain and the UK

GLORIOSO ISLANDS