Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.gi
Internet users [time series]
6,200 (2002)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
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)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
24,512 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
9,797 (2002)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
none
Budget [time series]
revenues: $307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
Gibraltar pound (GIP)
Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]
GIP
Debt - external [time series]
NA (2000 est.)
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
NA
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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 [time series]
93 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production [time series]
100 million kWh (2001)
Exchange rates [time series]
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
Exports [time series]
$136 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities [time series]
(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
Exports - partners [time series]
Germany 25.6%, France 24.8%, UK 14.3%, Turkmenistan 9.4%, Switzerland 7.5%, Spain 5.6% (2003)
Fiscal year [time series]
1 July - 30 June
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA (2002 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports [time series]
$1.743 billion c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - commodities [time series]
fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs
Imports - partners [time series]
Spain 26.5%, UK 14.8%, Russia 8.2%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 6.5%, France 5.3%, Germany 4.6%, Romania 4.2% (2003)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA
Industries [time series]
tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
1.5% (1998)
Labor force [time series]
14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (1999)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture negligible, industry 40%, services 60%
Oil - consumption [time series]
42,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports [time series]
NA (2001)
Oil - imports [time series]
NA (2001)
Oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA
Unemployment rate [time series]
2% (2001 est.)
Geography
total: 6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Coastline [time series]
12 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant
Geographic coordinates [time series]
36 8 N, 5 21 W
Geography - note [time series]
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Location [time series]
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 [time series]
Europe
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
NA
Natural resources [time series]
none
Terrain [time series]
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Capital [time series]
Gibraltar
Constitution [time series]
30 May 1969
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar
Dependency status [time series]
overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003) 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 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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
International organization participation [time series]
Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Judicial branch [time series]
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Legal system [time series]
English law
Legislative branch [time series]
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 February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7
National holiday [time series]
National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO]
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
People
Age structure [time series]
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.)
Birth rate [time series]
10.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate [time series]
9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 5.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Languages [time series]
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 79.52 years male: 76.65 years female: 82.54 years (2004 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA
Median age [time series]
total: 39 years male: 38.8 years female: 39.2 years (2004 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Population [time series]
27,833 (July 2004 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
0.19% (2004 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)
Sex ratio [time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
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
Transportation
Airports [time series]
1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 29 km paved: 29 km unpaved: 0 km (2002)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 980,636 GRT/1,254,661 DWT 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 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 (2004 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Gibraltar