Gibraltar

(dependent territory of the UK)

Geography

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

Area:
total area: 6.5 sq km
land area: 6.5 sq km
comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total 1.2 km, Spain 1.2 km

Coastline: 12 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock

Natural resources: negligible

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: limited natural freshwater resources, so large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rain water
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: NA

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

People

Population: 31,874 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (female 3,757; male 3,835)
15-64 years: 63% (female 9,730; male 10,485)
65 years and over: 13% (female 2,360; male 1,707) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.62% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 8.85 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.61 years
male: 73.7 years
female: 79.48 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar

Ethnic divisions: Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)

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

Literacy: NA%

Labor force: 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
note: UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force

Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar

Digraph: GI

Type: dependent territory of the UK

Capital: Gilbraltar

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)

Constitution: 30 May 1969

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Gen. Sir John CHAPPLE (since NA March 1993)
head of government: Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since 25 March 1988)
Gibraltar Council: advises the governor
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed from the elected members of the Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Assembly: elections last held on 16 January 1992 (next to be held January 1996); results - SL 73.3%; seats - (18 total, 15 elected) number of seats by party NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe BOSSANO; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), leader NA; Gibraltar Social Democrats, Peter CARUANA; Gibraltar National Party, Joe GARCIA

Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association; Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization

Member of: INTERPOL (subbureau)

Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

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

Economy

Overview: Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade and offshore banking. The British military presence has been severely reduced and now only contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 15% of GDP; tourism, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. 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.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $205 million (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $6,600 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $116 million
expenditures: $124 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992-93)

Exports: $57 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: (principally re-exports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
partners: UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG

Imports: $420 million (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

External debt: $318 million (1987)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 47,000 kW
production: 90 million kWh
consumption per capita: 2,539 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: none

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $800,000; Western (non-US) countries and ODA bilateral commitments (1992-93), $2.5 million

Currency: 1 Gibraltar pound (#G) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (#G) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Transportation

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

Highways:
total: 50 km
paved: 50 km

Pipelines: none

Ports: Gibraltar

Merchant marine:
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 419,707 GRT/721,110 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, container 2, oil tanker 14

Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 9,400 telephones; adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international radiocommunication and microwave facilities
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 4
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force

Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK