Gibraltar. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Gibraltar | 
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| Introduction | Gibraltar |
| 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 |
| Location: |
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
36 8 N, 5 21 W |
| Map
references: |
Europe |
| Area: |
total: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
| Coastline: |
12 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Climate: |
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
| Terrain: |
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Mediterranean
Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
| Natural
resources: |
NEGL |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
NA sq km |
| Natural
hazards: |
NA |
| 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 |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
| People | Gibraltar |
| Population: |
27,714 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 18.5%
(male 2,633; female 2,509) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,456; female 8,907) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 1,803; female 2,406) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.23% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
11.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
79.23 years female: 82.25 years (2002 est.) male: 76.37 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) |
| Languages: |
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
| Literacy: |
definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Government | Gibraltar |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
| Dependency
status: |
overseas territory of the UK |
| Government
type: |
NA |
| Capital: |
Gibraltar |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Independence: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National
holiday: |
National Day, 10 September (1964); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
| Constitution: |
30 May 1969 |
| Legal
system: |
English law |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
| 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 - Sir Francis RICHARDS was appointed
governor 18 December 2002 and will take office in 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) 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 |
| 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 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
| 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; Women's Association |
| International
organization participation: |
Interpol (subbureau) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| 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% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
13.5% (1996) (1996) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. ) |
| Industries: |
tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; tobacco, mineral water, beer |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
97 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
90.21 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
none |
| 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 |
| Imports: |
$492 million c.i.f. (1997) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands |
| Debt
- external: |
$NA |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU |
| Currency: |
Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
| Currency
code: |
GIP |
| Exchange
rates: |
Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.8977 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Communications | Gibraltar |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
19,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
1,620 (1997) |
| 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: |
37,000 (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
10,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gi |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
NA |
| Transportation | Gibraltar |
| Highways: |
total: 46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Pipelines: |
0 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Gibraltar |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 75 ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 900,400 GRT/1,277,611 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 35, chemical tanker 6, container 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 2 |
| Airports: |
1 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
| Military | Gibraltar |
| Military
branches: |
no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Transnational Issues | Gibraltar |
| Disputes
- international: |
Spain and UK are discussing "total shared sovereignty" to resolve 300-year dispute over Gibraltar, but resolution is subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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