Gibraltar (2001) | Montserrat (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
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: 23.4% (male 1,062; female 1,041)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 2,805; female 3,066) 65 years and over: 11.4% (male 537; female 484) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | none | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | none; only airport was destroyed by volcanic activity; a helicopter service to Antigua is used (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.6 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. | Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. |
Birth rate | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 17.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.) |
Capital | Gibraltar | Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 12 km | 40 km |
Constitution | 30 May 1969 | present constitution came into force 19 December 1989 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
Currency | Gibraltar pound (GIP) | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $8.9 million (1997) |
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 | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance |
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. | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. |
Electricity - consumption | 88.4 million kWh (1999) | 2.325 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 95 million kWh (1999) | 2.5 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources; large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese | black, white |
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 | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
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 Anthony LONGRIGG (since NA May 2001)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
Exports | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle |
Exports - partners | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany | US, Antigua and Barbuda |
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 Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $29 million (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | -1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 36 11 N, 5 22 W | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes |
Highways | total:
46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total: 227 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003) |
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 |
Imports | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada |
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, rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
Infant mortality rate | 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998) | 2.6% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau) | Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) |
Labor force | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) | 4,521 ; note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity |
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: 0% other: 80% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian | English |
Legal system | English law | English common law and statutory 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 (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held NA April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 78.36 years
male: 76.24 years female: 80.59 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (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 in the Caribbean Sea, southeast 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.) |
none (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; Police Force |
National holiday | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | noun:
Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar |
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
Natural hazards | NA | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1996) |
Natural resources | NEGL | NEGL |
Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 34.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | 0 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] | National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association | NA |
Population | 27,649 (July 2001 est.) | 8,995
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.24% (2001 est.) | 4.5% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Gibraltar | Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay |
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 |
0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
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: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 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: NA |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1997) | 4,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,620 (1997) | 70 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar | volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13.5% (1996) | 6% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |