Guernsey (2004) | Gibraltar (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 5,161; female 5,013)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 21,497; female 21,897) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 4,812; female 6,651) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.8% (male 2,529/female 2,426)
15-64 years: 66% (male 9,442/female 8,970) 65 years and over: 16.2% (male 2,008/female 2,509) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | none |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about one-half the size of Washington, DC | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. | 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 referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. |
Birth rate | 9.16 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 10.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | Saint Peter Port | Gibraltar |
Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 50 km | 12 km |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound | - |
Death rate | 9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $NA (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (British crown dependency) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 96.76 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 104 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
Ethnic groups | UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans |
Exchange rates | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
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 Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004) cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief Sir Francis RICHARDS (since 27 May 2003)
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 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 | NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | France 19.4%, Spain 14.1%, Turkmenistan 12.1%, Switzerland 11.7%, Germany 10.1%, UK 9.1%, Greece 6.8% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $27,900 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.7% (1999 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 36 8 N, 5 21 W |
Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 29 km
paved: 29 km unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | Spain 19.9%, Russia 18.4%, UK 10.8%, Italy 8.8%, Germany 7.5%, US 5.1%, Sweden 4.7%, France 4.2% (2004) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | tourism, banking | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.78 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2000 est.) | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | UPU | Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Royal Court | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 31,320 (2000) | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture negligible, industry 40%, services 60% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA other: NA (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
Legal system | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court | English law |
Legislative branch | unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for 4 years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents |
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 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.17 years
male: 77.17 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 79.67 years
male: 76.8 years female: 82.7 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Europe | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
territorial sea: 3 nm |
Merchant marine | none | total: 161 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 980,636 GRT/1,254,661 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 2, cargo 96, chemical tanker 21, container 22, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 142 (Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Finland 1, France 1, Germany 105, Greece 12, Iceland 1, Ireland 1, Italy 1, Latvia 1, Norway 8, Sweden 2, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom 3, United States 2) (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
Military branches | - | Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | cropland | none |
Net migration rate | 3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association |
Population | 65,031 (July 2004 est.) | 27,884 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.31% (2004 est.) | 0.17% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson | Gibraltar |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | 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) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 55,000 (2001) | 24,512 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 31,500 (2001) | 9,797 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.5% (1999 est.) | 2% (2001 est.) |