2001 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2001 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
none (overseas territory of the UK)
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.)
Agriculture - products
none
Airports
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) Gibraltar Military
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
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. Gibraltar Geography
Birth rate
11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget
revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
Capital
Gibraltar
Climate
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Coastline
12 km
Constitution
30 May 1969
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar
Currency
Gibraltar pound (GIP)
Currency code
GIP
Death rate
8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external
$NA
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)
Disputes - international
source of friction between Spain and the UK
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
88.4 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production
95 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Environment - current issues
limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater
Ethnic groups
Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese
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
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
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 Gibraltar Communications
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 Gibraltar Economy
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%
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 Gibraltar People
Government type
NA
Highways
total: 46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
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
Independence
none (overseas territory of the UK)
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
Infant mortality rate
5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.5% (1998)
International organization participation
Interpol (subbureau)
Internet country code
.gi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
NA Gibraltar Transportation
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Labor force
14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
Labor force - by occupation
services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL%
Land boundaries
total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.)
Languages
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
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) 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
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% Gibraltar Government
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
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.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK Gibraltar Transnational Issues
Military branches
British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
National holiday
Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March
Nationality
noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
NEGL
Net migration rate
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines
0 km
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
Population
27,649 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Population growth rate
0.24% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors
Gibraltar
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
37,000 (1997)
Railways
total: NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only
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: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more
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)
Telephones - main lines in use
19,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular
1,620 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
10,000 (1997)
Terrain
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Total fertility rate
1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
13.5% (1996)
Waterways
none