GIBRALTAR (dependent territory of the UK) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2 Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Land boundaries: 1.2 km with Spain Coastline: 12 km Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm Disputes: source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock Natural resources: negligible Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100% Environment: natural freshwater sources are meager so large water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water Note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea PEOPLE Population: 29,613 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991) Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Gibraltarian; adjective--Gibraltar Ethnic divisions: mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981) Language: English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for official purposes Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force Organized labor: over 6,000 GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none Type: dependent territory of the UK Capital: Gibraltar Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK) Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK) Constitution: 30 May 1969 Legal system: English law National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March), 12 March 1990 Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Adm. Sir Derek REFFELL (since NA 1989); Head of Government--Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since 25 March 1988) Political parties and leaders: Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe BOSSANO; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo CANEPA; Independent Democratic Party, Joe PITALUGA Suffrage: universal at age 18, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more Elections: House of Assembly: last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7 Communists: negligible Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK) Flag: 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 ECONOMY Overview: The economy depends heavily on British defense expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and revenues from banking and finance activities. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment. Construction workers are particularly affected when government expenditures are cut. GNP: $182 million, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 5% (FY87) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $136 million; expenditures $139 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88) Exports: $82 million (1988); commodities--(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%; partners--UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG Imports: $258 million (1988); commodities--fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs; partners--UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands External debt: $318 million (1987) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 47,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,670 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish Agriculture: NA Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $0.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $187 million Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural--pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (LG) = 100 pence Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (LG) per US$1--0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete Ports: Gibraltar Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,399,594 GRT/2,667,656 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 combination oil/ore, 9 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system with 14,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK