Gibraltar (2001) | Cayman Islands (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western |
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% (male 3,836; female 4,156)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 12,335; female 12,929) 65 years and over: 8.3% (male 1,399; female 1,618) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | none | vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 3 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (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: 262 sq km
land: 262 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | 1.5 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. | The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica from 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent. |
Birth rate | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 13.45 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $265.2 million
expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | Gibraltar | George Town |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers | tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) |
Coastline | 12 km | 160 km |
Constitution | 30 May 1969 | 1959, revised 1972 and 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
Currency | Gibraltar pound (GIP) | Caymanian dollar (KYD) |
Death rate | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 5.24 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $70 million (1996) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | overseas territory of the UK |
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. | With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1998, including almost 600 banks and trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with 600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world. |
Electricity - consumption | 88.4 million kWh (1999) | 330.15 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 95 million kWh (1999) | 355 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff 43 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater | no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments |
Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese | mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% |
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 | Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) |
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); Governor Bruce DINWIDDY (since 29 May 2002)
head of government: Chief Secretary W. McKeeva BUSH (since NA December 2001) cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor, four members elected by the Legislative Assembly) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch; the chief secretary is appointed by the governor |
Exports | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) | $1.2 million (1999) |
Exports - commodities | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods |
Exports - partners | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany | mostly 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 Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.18 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 3% services: 95% (1994 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $30,000 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 4.5% (2000) |
Geographic coordinates | 36 11 N, 5 22 W | 19 30 N, 80 30 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | important location between Cuba and Central America |
Highways | total:
46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total: 406 km
paved: 304 km unpaved: 102 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe |
Imports | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) | $457.4 million (1999) |
Imports - commodities | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs | foodstuffs, manufactured goods |
Imports - partners | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands | US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture |
Infant mortality rate | 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 9.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998) | 2.3% (2000) (2000) |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau) | Caricom (observer), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, 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 | Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) | 19,820 (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% | agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1995) |
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% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian | English |
Legal system | English law | British common law and local statutes |
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 Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 79.18 years
male: 76.38 years female: 81.59 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
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, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
3 NM |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 121 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,034,181 GRT/3,191,597 DWT
ships by type: bulk 24, cargo 4, chemical tanker 34, container 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 40, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Bahrain 2, China 1, Germany 4, Greece 27, Hong Kong 3, Italy 2, Japan 1, Norway 14, Sweden 13, United Kingdom 15, United States 35 (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 | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF) |
National holiday | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March | Constitution Day, first Monday in July |
Nationality | noun:
Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar |
noun: Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian |
Natural hazards | NA | hurricanes (July to November) |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism |
Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 12.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (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] | there are no formal political parties but the following loose groupings act as political organizations; National Team [leader NA]; Democratic Alliance [leader NA]; Team Cayman [leader NA]; United Democratic Party [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association | NA |
Population | 27,649 (July 2001 est.) | 36,273 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.24% (2001 est.) | 2.03% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gibraltar | Cayman Brac, George Town |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 37,000 (1997) | 36,000 (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) | United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
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: 0.86 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 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: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1997) | 19,000 (1995) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,620 (1997) | 2,534 (1995) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 with cable system |
Terrain | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar | low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs |
Total fertility rate | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 2.03 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13.5% (1996) | 4.1% (1997) |
Waterways | none | none |