2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 2,593; female 2,482) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,458; female 8,946) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 1,873; female 2,424) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

none

Airports

1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Military Gibraltar

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

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 referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Geography Gibraltar

Birth rate

11.09 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 00/01 est.)

revenues

$307 million

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

8.93 deaths/1,000 population (2003 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

Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU

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 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. 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

93 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

100 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

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 rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant

Ethnic groups

Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese

Exchange rates

Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

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 Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor

head of government

Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996)

Exports

$81.1 million f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities

(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%

Exports - partners

UK 27.7%, Switzerland 14.3%, Germany 12%, France 6.9%, Spain 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5%, Ukraine 4.6% (2002)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June Communications Gibraltar

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 Gibraltar

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 8 N, 5 21 W

Geography - note

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

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

29 km

total

29 km

unpaved

0 km (2002)

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

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

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

Imports - commodities

fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Germany 27.3%, Spain 21.8%, UK 12.1%, Italy 8% (2002)

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco

Infant mortality rate

female

4.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

5.92 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.31 deaths/1,000 live births

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 Transportation Gibraltar

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

border countries

Spain 1.2 km

total

1.2 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0%

Languages

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

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 - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7

elections

last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than NA 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.4 years (2003 est.)

male

76.51 years

total population

79.38 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Gibraltar

male

NA%

total population

above 80%

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

Median age

female

39 years (2002)

male

38.6 years

total

38.8 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 2, cargo 58, chemical tanker 14, container 20, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2

total

114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,008,140 GRT/1,435,595 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Gibraltar

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force

National holiday

National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain

Nationality

adjective

Gibraltar

noun

Gibraltarian(s)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

NEGL

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

42,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

0 km

Political parties and leaders

Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; 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; Women's Association

Population

27,776 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.22% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Gibraltar

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

37,000 (1997)

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

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

Suffrage

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

Telephone system

domestic

automatic exchange facilities

general assessment

adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international 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

1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

2% (2001 est.)

Waterways

none