2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.8% (male 2,529/female 2,426) 15-64 years: 66% (male 9,442/female 8,970) 65 years and over: 16.2% (male 2,008/female 2,509) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

none

Airports

1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) 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

10.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$284 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 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 (code)

Gibraltar pound (GIP)

Currency code

GIP

Death rate

9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$NA (2000 est.)

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

in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Self-sufficient 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

96.76 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

104 million kWh (2002)

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, German, North Africans

Exchange rates

Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000) 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

$136 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

France 19.4%, Spain 14.1%, Turkmenistan 12.1%, Switzerland 11.7%, Germany 10.1%, UK 9.1%, Greece 6.8% (2004)

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 - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $27,900 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$769 million (2000 est.)

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

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

Imports

$1.743 billion c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Spain 19.9%, Russia 18.4%, UK 10.8%, Italy 8.8%, Germany 7.5%, US 5.1%, Sweden 4.7%, France 4.2% (2004)

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco

Infant mortality rate

female

4.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

5.71 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.13 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (1998)

International organization participation

Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Internet country code

.gi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

6,200 (2002) Transportation Gibraltar

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Labor force

14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture negligible, industry 40%, services 60%

Land boundaries

border countries

Spain 1.2 km

total

1.2 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (2001)

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 February 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.7 years (2005 est.)

male

76.8 years

total population

79.67 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

39.63 years (2005 est.)

male

39.12 years

total

39.4 years

Merchant marine

by type

barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 2, cargo 96, chemical tanker 21, container 22, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned

142 (Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Finland 1, France 1, Germany 105, Greece 12, Iceland 1, Ireland 1, Italy 1, Latvia 1, Norway 8, Sweden 2, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom 3, United States 2) (2005)

total

161 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 980,636 GRT/1,254,661 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Transnational Issues Gibraltar

Military branches

Royal Gibraltar Regiment

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

none

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

42,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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

27,884 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.17% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Gibraltar

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

37,000 (1997)

Religions

Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

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

country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

24,512 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9,797 (2002)

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 (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

2% (2001 est.)