|
Home
Missions
Ministries
Bible
Institute & School
Contact
Us
Careers,
Opportunities in Ministry
|
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. |
|
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: 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 |
|
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:
|
none |
|
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 |
|
Population:
|
27,833 (July 2004
est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
18% (male 2,554; female 2,452)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 9,460; female 8,965)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 1,939; female 2,463)
(2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 39
years
male: 38.8 years
female: 39.2 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.19% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
10.99
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
9.05 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
5.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.81 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 79.52 years
male: 76.65 years
female: 82.54 years (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
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% |
|
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 (1967); 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 |
|
Executive branch:
|
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)
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 27 November 2003 (next to be held
not later than NA 2007)
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 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 |
|
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) |
|
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. |
|
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% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.5% (1998) |
|
Labor force:
|
14,800 (including
non-Gibraltar laborers) (1999) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
services 60%,
industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
2% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, banking
and finance, ship repairing, tobacco |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
100 million kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
93 million kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
42,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
none |
|
Exports:
|
$136 million
f.o.b. (2002) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
(principally
reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Switzerland
28.7%, UK 22.8%, Germany 9.6%, France 5.9%, Hong Kong 5.1%,
Spain 5.1%, Turkmenistan 4.4% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.743 billion
c.i.f. (2002) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
fuels,
manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Germany 27.5%,
Spain 21.9%, UK 12.2%, Italy 8% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$NA (2000 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$NA |
|
Currency:
|
Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
|
Currency code:
|
GIP |
|
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 |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 July - 30 June |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
24,512 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
9,797 (2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and
adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: country code - 350; radiotelephone;
microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 1, FM 5,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
1 (plus three
low-power repeaters) (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.gi |
|
Internet users:
|
6,200 (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total: 29
km
paved: 29 km
unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Pipelines:
|
0 km |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Gibraltar |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 133
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 980,636 GRT/1,254,661 DWT
foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, Estonia
1, France 1, Germany 92, Greece 11, Hong Kong 2, Iceland 1,
Monaco 4, Norway 6, Spain 1, United Kingdom 6, United States 2
registered in other countries: 4 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 3, cargo 69, chemical tanker 14,
container 27, multi-functional large load carrier 3, passenger
2, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2 |
|
Airports:
|
1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Royal Gibraltar
Regiment |
|
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 |
|
Disputes - international:
|
since Gibraltar
residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum in 2003 against a
"total shared sovereignty" arrangement, talks
between the UK and Spain over the fate of the 300-year-old UK
colony have stalled; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant
Gibraltar greater autonomy |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
|