Gibraltar (2001) | British Virgin Islands (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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.) |
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401; female 2,351)
15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962; female 7,509) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565; female 484) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | none | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 3 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total:
6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
Area - comparative | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.9 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. | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. |
Birth rate | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | Gibraltar | Road Town |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 12 km | 80 km |
Constitution | 30 May 1969 | 1 June 1977 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
Currency | Gibraltar pound (GIP) | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $36.1 million (1997) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing |
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | 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. | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. |
Electricity - consumption | 88.4 million kWh (1999) | 39.1 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 95 million kWh (1999) | 42 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) |
Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed |
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 | the US dollar is used |
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), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch 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 |
Exports | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) | $6.2 million |
Exports - commodities | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand |
Exports - partners | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 2%
industry: 6% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 4.4% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 36 11 N, 5 22 W | 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
Highways | total:
46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center |
Imports | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) | $230 million (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery |
Imports - partners | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4% (1985) |
Industries | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center |
Infant mortality rate | 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998) | 3.3% (2000) |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau) | Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | 16 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
Labor force | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) | 4,911 (1980) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian | English (official) |
Legal system | English law | English law |
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 |
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 75.85 years
male: 74.9 years female: 76.84 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
3 NM |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 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.) |
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT
ships by type: passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force | - |
National holiday | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March | Territory Day, 1 July |
Nationality | noun:
Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar |
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
Natural hazards | NA | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | NEGL | NEGL |
Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | 0 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association | NA |
Population | 27,649 (July 2001 est.) | 21,272 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.24% (2001 est.) | 2.16% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gibraltar | Road Town |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 37,000 (1997) | 9,000 (1997) |
Railways | total:
NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only |
0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (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.) |
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more | 18 years of age; universal |
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: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1997) | 10,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,620 (1997) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) |
Terrain | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
Total fertility rate | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13.5% (1996) | 3% (1995) |
Waterways | none | none |