:Gibraltar 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; Spain 1.2 km
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

:Gibraltar People

Population:
    29,651 (July 1992), growth rate 0.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Gibraltarian(s); adjective - Gibraltar
Ethnic divisions:
    mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem
    8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)
Languages:
    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

:Gibraltar Government

Long-form name:
    none
Digraph:
    f 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
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)
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), leader NA; Gibraltar Social
    Democrats, Peter CARUANA; Gibraltar National Party, Joe GARCIA
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
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

:Gibraltar 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:
    exchange rate conversion - $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 (f.o.b., 1988)
  commodities:
    (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%
  partners:
    UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
Imports:
    $258 million (c.i.f., 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 (1991)
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:
    none
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $0.8 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $188 million
Currency:
    Gibraltar pound (plural - pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (#G) = 100 pence
Exchange rates:
    Gibraltar pounds (#G) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603
    (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987); note - the Gibraltar
    pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Gibraltar Communications

Railroads:
    1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only
Highways:
    50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
Pipelines:
    none
Ports:
    Gibraltar
Merchant marine:
    21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 795,356 GRT/1,490,737 DWT; includes 5
    cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 6 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical
    tanker, 6 bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international
    radiocommunication and microwave facilities; 9,400 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Gibraltar Defense Forces

Branches:
    British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK