GIBRALTAR
(dependent territory of the UK)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 1.2 km with Spain
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
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%
Environment: natural freshwater sources are meager so large
water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water
Note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links
the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
PEOPLE
Population: 29,613 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Gibraltarian; adjective--Gibraltar
Ethnic divisions: mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and
Spanish descent
Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%,
other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)
Language: English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian,
Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for
official purposes
Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK
military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the
labor force
Organized labor: over 6,000
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Gibraltar
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: 30 May 1969
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March),
12 March 1990
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister,
Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Adm. Sir Derek
REFFELL (since NA 1989);
Head of Government--Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since 25 March
1988)
Political parties and leaders:
Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe BOSSANO;
Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil
Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo CANEPA;
Independent Democratic Party, Joe PITALUGA
Suffrage: universal at age 18, plus other UK subjects resident six
months or more
Elections:
House of Assembly: last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held
March 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association, Chamber
of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
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: The economy depends heavily on British defense
expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and
revenues from banking and finance activities. 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. Construction workers are
particularly affected when government expenditures are cut.
GNP: $182 million, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 5% (FY87)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $136 million; expenditures $139 million, including
capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $82 million (1988);
commodities--(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured
goods 41%, other 8%;
partners--UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
Imports: $258 million (1988);
commodities--fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs;
partners--UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands
External debt: $318 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 47,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced,
6,670 kWh per capita (1990)
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: NA
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $0.8
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $187 million
Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural--pounds);
1 Gibraltar pound (LG) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (LG) per US$1--0.5171 (January
1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817
(1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Gibraltar pound is at par with the
British pound
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only
Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
Ports: Gibraltar
Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,399,594
GRT/2,667,656 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container,
10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker,
1 combination oil/ore, 9 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate international radiocommunication
facilities; automatic telephone system with 14,000 telephones;
stations--1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK