Introduction
Background
Spain ceded the strategically important Gibraltar to Great Britain in 1713. The British garrison there was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency, although Spain has since continued to push for control of Gibraltar.
Geography
Area
total : 7 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Natural resources
none
People and Society
Population
total: 29,683
Ethnic groups
Gibraltarian 79%, other British 13.2%, Spanish 2.1%, Moroccan 1.6%, other EU 2.4%, other 1.6% (2012 est.)
Languages
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Religions
Roman Catholic 72.1%, Church of England 7.7%, other Christian 3.8%, Muslim 3.6%, Jewish 2.4%, Hindu 2%, other 1.1%, none 7.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2012 est.)
Population growth rate
0.17% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Capital
name: Gibraltar
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sir David STEEL (since 11 June 2020)
head of government: Chief Minister Fabian PICARDO (since 9 December 2011)
Legislative branch
summary: unicameral Parliament (18 seats)
Economy
Economic overview
British territorial high-income economy; Brexit caused significant economic disruption to longstanding financial services, shipping, and tourism industries; ongoing negotiations to rejoin EU Schengen Area; independent taxation authority
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.044 billion (2014 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$61,700 (2014 est.)
(2008)
(2007)
Exports
$202.3 million (2014 est.)
Exports - partners
Ireland 20%, India 18%, Brazil 12%, Netherlands 10%, South Korea 8% (2022)
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, ships, cars, natural gas (2022)
Imports - partners
Spain 19%, Italy 17%, Greece 11%, Nigeria 10%, UK 6% (2022)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal tar oil, ships, cars (2022)
Page last updated: Wednesday, August 07, 2024
