|
|
Gibraltar
Quick Overview:
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 a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.
Geography:
|
Location:
|
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
|
Area:
|
total: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 6.5 sq km |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Population:
|
27,714 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.23% (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 79.23 years female: 82.25 years (2002 est.) male: 76.37 years |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
NA% |
|
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, Russian |
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 |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.5% (1998) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
13.5% (1996) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; tobacco, mineral water, beer |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
97 million kWh (2000) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
none |
|
Exports:
|
$81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
|
Currency:
|
Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
|
Currency code:
|
GIP |
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
19,000 (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) |
|
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 |
Railways:
|
total: NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only (no longer used) (2001 est.) |
|
Highways:
|
total: 46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Pipelines:
|
0 km |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Gibraltar |
Gibraltar has achieved political stability and a solidarity with Britain which has been growing since its capture in 1704. The Rock of Gibraltar was formerly ceded, in perpetuity, to Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
Related Links:
|
News Gibraltar News Gibraltar News News Magazine |
Offical Sites Gibraltar Offical Site Gibraltar Portal |
Country Guides Gibraltar Guide |
Education - |