Background: Strategically important Gibraltar was ceded to the United
Kingdom 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.
Dependency status: overseas
territory of the United Kingdom
Capital: Gibraltar
Currency: 1 Gibraltar pound = 100 pence
Geography of Gibraltar
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links
the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
Geographic coordinates: 36 11 N, 5 22 W
Area:
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
Environment - current issues: limited natural freshwater resources;
large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater.
Geography - note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North
Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
People of Gibraltar
Population: 27,884 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.73%
15-64 years: 66.33%
65 years and over: 14.94%
Population growth rate: 0.24%
Birth rate: 11.25 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 8.82 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 5.49 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.09 years
male: 76.23 years
female: 82.1 years
Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar
Ethnic groups: Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish
2.3%, none or other 7% (1991)
Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish,
Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Literacy: total population: above 80%
SOURCE: The World Factbook |