Gibraltar (2007) | Qatar (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.2% (male 2,460/female 2,343)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,470/female 9,070) 65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,090/female 2,534) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 105,546/female 101,371)
15-64 years: 73% (male 446,779/female 199,133) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 24,059/female 8,471) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | none | fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 5 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 11,437 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | a little less than one half the size of Rhode Island | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
Background | Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar states that the British Government will never allow the people of Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002 in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite talks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed up customs procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar. Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly. | Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. |
Birth rate | 10.69 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 15.56 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $17.31 billion
expenditures: $11.31 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (2005 est.) |
Capital | name: Gibraltar
geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
name: Doha
geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
Coastline | 12 km | 563 km |
Constitution | 5 June 2006; came into force 2 January 2007 | ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar |
Death rate | 9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $21.13 billion (2005 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Chase UNTERMEYER
embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4101 FAX: [974] 488 4176 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Hamad bin Mubarak al-KHALIFA
chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston |
Disputes - international | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | Self-sufficient 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 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. 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. | Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given Qatar a per capita GDP about 80% of that of the leading West European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 16 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and is expected to become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter by 2007. In recent years, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, becoming one of the world's fastest growing and highest per-capita income countries. |
Electricity - consumption | 141 million kWh (2005) | 9.053 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 141 million kWh (2005) | 9.735 billion kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant | limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans | Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% |
Exchange rates | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.5434 (2006), 0.5504 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003), 3.64 (2002), 3.64 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 17 elected members of the Parliament by the governor in consultation with the chief minister 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 |
chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces
head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa al-Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998); First Deputy Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani (since 16 September 2003, also Foreign Minister since 1992); Second Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 16 September 2003, also Electricity and Water Minister since 1999 and Energy and Industry Minister since 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in April 2003, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999 |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% | liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel |
Exports - partners | UK 30.8%, Spain 22.7%, Germany 13.7%, Turkmenistan 10.4%, Switzerland 8.3%, Italy 6.7% (2006) | Japan 37.1%, South Korea 19.5%, Singapore 8.3% (2005) |
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 | maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 0.2%
industry: 80.1% services: 19.7% (2005 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 8.8% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 36 08 N, 5 21 W | 25 30 N, 51 15 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits |
Heliports | - | 1 (2006) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs | machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Spain 23.4%, Russia 12.3%, Italy 12%, UK 9%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 6.8%, US 4.7% (2006) | France 11.5%, Japan 10.5%, US 10.4%, Germany 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, UK 7%, Italy 6.5%, South Korea 5.5%, UAE 4.8% (2005) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 3 September 1971 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 10% (2003 est.) |
Industries | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco | crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998) | 8.8% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau), UPU | ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 130 sq km (2002) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | Court of Appeal
note: under a judiciary law issued in 2003, the former two court systems, civil and Islamic law, were merged under a higher court, the Court of Cassation, established for appeals |
Labor force | 12,690 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (2001) | 440,000 (2005 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: negligible
industry: 40% services: 60% (2001) |
- |
Land boundaries | total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005) |
Languages | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese | Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Shari'a law dominates family and personal matters |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament (18 seats: 17 members elected by popular vote, 1 for the Speaker appointed by Parliament; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 11 October 2007 (next to be held not later than October 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 49.3%, GSLP 31.8%, Gibraltar Liberal Party 13.6%; seats by party - GSD 10, GSLP 4, Gibraltar Liberal Party 3 |
unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since; the new constitution, which came into force on 9 June 2005, provides for a 45-member Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura in early 2007 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.93 years
male: 77.05 years female: 82.96 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 73.9 years
male: 71.37 years female: 76.57 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 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 | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia |
Map references | Europe | Middle East |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line |
Merchant marine | total: 216 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,422,155 GRT/1,866,572 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 5, cargo 117, chemical tanker 39, container 31, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 201 (Belgium 3, Cyprus 5, Denmark 9, Finland 3, France 1, Germany 117, Greece 8, Iceland 1, Italy 1, Netherlands 11, Norway 27, Sweden 10, UAE 2, UK 3) registered in other countries: 7 (Liberia 7) (2007) |
total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 750,669 GRT/1,177,673 DWT
by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, container 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 8 (Kuwait 7, US 1) registered in other countries: 4 (Honduras 1, Liberia 2, Panama 1) (2006) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992 | - |
Military branches | Royal Gibraltar Regiment | Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $723 million (FY00) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 10% (FY00) |
National holiday | National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain | Independence Day, 3 September (1971) |
Nationality | noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari |
Natural hazards | NA | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common |
Natural resources | none | petroleum, natural gas, fish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 14.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | - | condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 844 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association | none |
Population | 27,967 (July 2007 est.) | 885,359 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.129% (2007 est.) | 2.5% (2006 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census) | Muslim 95% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.044 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.825 male(s)/female total population: 1.005 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.24 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.87 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; and British citizens 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: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: NA international: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat |
Telephones - main lines in use | 24,512 (2002) | 205,400 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 9,797 (2002) | 716,800 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus 3 repeaters) (1997) | 1 (plus three repeaters) (2001) |
Terrain | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar | mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.81 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2% (2001 est.) | 2.7% (2001) |