Gibraltar (2001) | British Indian Ocean Territory (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
18.73% (male 2,652; female 2,528) 15-64 years: 66.33% (male 9,473; female 8,866) 65 years and over: 14.94% (male 1,733; female 2,397) (2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | none | - |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
Area - comparative | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. |
Birth rate | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues:
$307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
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Capital | Gibraltar | - |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 12 km | 698 km |
Constitution | 30 May 1969 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
Currency | Gibraltar pound (GIP) | - |
Death rate | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | source of friction between Spain and the UK | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. 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. | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. |
Electricity - consumption | 88.4 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production | 95 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater | NA |
Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese | - |
Exchange rates | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound | - |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - DURIE was appointed in February 2000 but took office in April 2000 head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister; note - there is also a Gibraltar Council that advises the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) | - |
Exports - commodities | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% | - |
Exports - partners | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
Flag description | 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 | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 36 11 N, 5 22 W | 6 00 S, 71 30 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility |
Highways | total:
46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total: NA km
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) | - |
Imports - commodities | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands | - |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish | - |
Infant mortality rate | 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998) | - |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau) | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | - |
Labor force | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% | - |
Land boundaries | total:
1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian | - |
Legal system | English law | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
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Literacy | definition:
NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
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Location | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia |
Map references | Europe | Political Map of the World |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
3 NM |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total:
49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 669,056 GRT/1,003,809 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, chemical tanker 6, container 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 |
Military branches | British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force | - |
National holiday | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March | - |
Nationality | noun:
Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar |
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Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | NEGL | coconuts, fish, sugarcane |
Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Pipelines | 0 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | 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; Housewives Association | - |
Population | 27,649 (July 2001 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.24% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Gibraltar | Diego Garcia |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 37,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) | - |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more | - |
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) |
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1997) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,620 (1997) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) |
Total fertility rate | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 13.5% (1996) | - |
Waterways | none | - |