Svalbard (2004) | Gibraltar (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | - | none |
Airports | 4 (2003 est.) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 62,049 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
total:
6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. | 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. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 11.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
revenues:
$307 million expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | Longyearbyen | Gibraltar |
Climate | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 3,587 km | 12 km |
Constitution | - | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Gibraltar |
Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) | Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone | source of friction between Spain and the UK |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) | $NA |
Economy - overview | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 88.4 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 95 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 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 |
Ethnic groups | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese |
Exchange rates | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999) | 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 |
Executive branch | chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001) and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
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 |
Exports | NA | $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) |
Exports - commodities | - | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | - | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of Norway is used | 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 - NA | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - NA | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 78 00 N, 20 00 E | 36 11 N, 5 22 W |
Geography - note | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area | 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:
46.25 km paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) |
Imports - commodities | - | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands |
Independence | none (territory of Norway) | 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 |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
5.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | none | Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | NA | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
1.2 km border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Norwegian, Russian | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian |
Legal system | NA | 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population:
79.09 years male: 76.23 years female: 82.1 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition:
NA total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway | 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 | Arctic Region | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia |
territorial sea:
3 NM |
Merchant marine | none | 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.) |
Military - note | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | - | British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force |
National holiday | NA | Commonwealth Day, second Monday of March |
Nationality | - | noun:
Gibraltarian(s) adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic | NA |
Natural resources | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish | NEGL |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | 0 km |
Political parties and leaders | - | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Housewives Association |
Population | 2,756 (July 2004 est.) | 27,649 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.02% (2004 est.) | 0.24% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden | Gibraltar |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 37,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | total:
NA km; 1.000-m gauge system in dockyard area only |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) |
Sex ratio | NA | 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.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
Telephone system | general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 19,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 1,620 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 13.5% (1996) |
Waterways | - | none |