Gibraltar Population: 28,956
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| Background | |
| Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. The subsequent granting of autonomy in 1969 by the UK led to Spain closing the border and severing all communication links. A series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in late 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since late 2004, tripartite talks among Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have been held with the aim of cooperatively resolving problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services; communications and maritime security; policy, legal and customs services; environmental protection; and education and visa services. Throughout 2009, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. A new noncolonial constitution came into effect in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in December 2008, but the UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability. |
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| Geography | |
| Strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | |
| 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 08 N, 5 21 W |
| Area: | total: 6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C. |
| 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: | none |
| Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | NA |
| Current Environment Issues: | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
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| People | |
| Population: | 28,956 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.4% (male 3,040/female 2,862) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 9,607/female 9,451) 65 years and over: 13.8% (male 1,934/female 2,062) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 33.3 years male: 32.4 years female: 34.3 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.273% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 14.23 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 8.18 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -3.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 6.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 78.68 years male: 75.84 years female: 81.72 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.96 children born/woman (2011 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, German, North Africans |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census) |
| Languages: | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
| Literacy: | definition: NA total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
| Government type: | NA |
| Capital: | name: Gibraltar geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| 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 join Spain |
| Constitution: | 5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007 |
| Legal system: | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal; and British citizens who have been residents six months or more |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Vice Admiral Sir Adrian JOHNS (since 26 October 2009) head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of the Parliament by the governor in consultation with the chief minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy 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 |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament (18 seats: 17 members elected by popular vote, 1 for the speaker appointed by Parliament; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 11 October 2007 (next to be held not later than October 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 49.3%, GSLP 31.8%, Gibraltar Liberal Party 13.6%; seats by party - GSD 10, GSLP 4, Gibraltar Liberal Party 3 |
| 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), UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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| Economy | |
| Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. Tax rates are low to attract foreign investment. 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), gaming revenues, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, tourism, and the shipping sector contribute 30%, 30%, and 25%, respectively, of GDP. Telecommunications, e-commerce, and e-gaming account for the remaining 15%. 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): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.275 billion (2008) $1.203 billion (2007 est.) $1.106 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $1.106 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 6% (2008) 8.8% (2007) 0% (2006 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $43,000 (2006 est.) $41,200 (2007 est.) $38,400 (2006 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 0% industry: 0% services: 100% (2008 est.) |
| Labor force: | 12,690 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (2001) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: negligible industry: 40% services: 60% (2001) |
| Unemployment rate: | 3% (2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2008) 2.6% (2006) |
| Budget: | revenues: $475.8 million expenditures: $452.3 million (2008 est.) |
| Public debt: | 7.5% of GDP (2008 est.) 13.5% of GDP (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | none |
| Industries: | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 156 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 156 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 25,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 26,400 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $271 million (2004 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods |
| Imports: | $2.967 billion (2004 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
| Debt - external: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar - 0.6388 (2010) 0.6175 (2009) 0.4993 (2007) 0.5418 (2006) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 24,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 187 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 28,600 (2009) |
| 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: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .gi |
| Internet hosts: | 2,053 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 20,200 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 1 (2010) country comparison to the world: 218 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 29 km paved: 29 km (2007) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 265 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 139, chemical tanker 65, container 35, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 8 foreign-owned: 250 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 6, Finland 2, Germany 125, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Italy 4, Jersey 1, Morocco 4, Netherlands 33, Norway 42, Singapore 1, Sweden 12, UAE 5, UK 4) note: this country allows large numbers of ships owned by foreign entities to be registered in its national shipping registry and to fly its flag; these ships operate under the laws of the flag state registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 5, Panama 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Gibraltar |
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| Military | |
| Defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992 | |
| Military branches: | Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2009) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 7,037 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 6,017 females age 16-49: 5,706 (2010 est.) |
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