Gibraltar

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Highways

50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete

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

Pipelines

none

Ports

Gibraltar

Railroads

1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only

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

Branches

British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force

Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Agriculture

none

Budget

revenues $136 million; expenditures $139 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)

Currency

Gibraltar pound (plural - pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (#G) = 100 pence

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

Electricity

47,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,670 kWh per capita (1991)

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

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

External debt

$318 million (1987)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GNP

exchange rate conversion - $182 million, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 5% (FY87)

Imports

$258 million (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs partners: UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (1988)

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.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Coastline

12 km

Comparative area

about 11 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC

Disputes

source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK

Environment

natural freshwater sources are meager, so large water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water

Land area

6.5 km2

Land boundaries

1.2 km; Spain 1.2 km

Land use

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

Maritime claims

Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm Territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources

negligible

Note

strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Terrain

a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock

Total area

6.5 km2

Administrative divisions

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Capital

Gibraltar

Constitution

30 May 1969

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

Diplomatic representation

none (dependent territory of the UK)

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

Executive branch

British monarch, governor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

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

Independence

none (dependent territory of the UK)

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)

Legal system

English law

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly

Long-form name

none

National holiday

Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March)

Other political or pressure groups

Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization

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

Type

dependent territory of the UK

Birth rate

18 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent

Infant mortality rate

6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force

Languages

English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for official purposes

Life expectancy at birth

72 years male, 79 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

noun - Gibraltarian(s); adjective - Gibraltar

Net migration rate

- 9 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

over 6,000

Population

29,651 (July 1992), growth rate 0.1% (1992)

Religions

Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)

Total fertility rate

2.5 children born/woman (1992)