{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
Spain reluctantly ceded the strategically important Gibraltar to Great Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, and the British garrison at Gibraltar was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. After the UK granted Gibraltar autonomy in 1969, Spain closed the border and severed all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against sharing sovereignty with Spain. Since 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks to resolve problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services, communications and maritime security, legal and customs services, environmental protection, and education and visa services. A new noncolonial constitution came into force in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability.
Spain and the UK continue to spar over the territory. In 2009, for example, a dispute over Gibraltar's claim to territorial waters extending out three miles gave rise to periodic non-violent maritime confrontations between Spanish and UK naval patrols. Spain renewed its demands for an eventual return of Gibraltar to Spanish control after the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, but London has dismissed any connection between the vote and its sovereignty over Gibraltar.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "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": { "text": "36 08 N, 5 21 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Europe" }, "Area": { "total ": { "text": "7 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "6.5 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "0 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "more than 10 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C." }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "1.2 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Spain 1.2 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "12 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "3 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers" }, "Terrain": { "text": "a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Rock of Gibraltar 426 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Mediterranean Sea 0 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "none" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "0% (2022 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "0% (2022 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "100% (2022 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "NA" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea", "note": "King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted this coat of arms to Gibraltar in 1502; the castle in the center of the shield represents Gibraltar as a fortress, and the gold key represents its strategic position as the gateway to the Mediterranean; below the shield is the national motto, Montis Insignia Calpe (“Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar”); the coat of arms uses the national colors of red, white, and yellow
" }, "National anthem": { "name": { "text": "\"Gibraltar Anthem\"" }, "lyrics/music": { "text": "Peter EMBERLEY" }, "note": "note: adopted 1994; serves as a local anthem; as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the King\" is official (see United Kingdom)" } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "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)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014": { "text": "$2.044 billion (2014 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2014 dollars" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2014": { "text": "$61,700 (2014 est.)" } }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$2.044 billion (2014 est.)" }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "none" }, "Industries": { "text": "tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "4.3% (2014 est.)", "note": "note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2016": { "text": "1% (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2014": { "text": "$202.3 million (2014 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Netherlands 38%, France 26%, Cyprus 7%, Poland 7%, Sweden 6% (2023)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, natural gas, ships, cars, scrap iron (2023)", "note": "note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Italy 26%, Greece 12%, Spain 10%, Netherlands 9%, India 9% (2023)", "note": "note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal tar oil, natural gas, ships (2023)", "note": "note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "Gibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2024": { "text": "0.782 (2024 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2023": { "text": "0.805 (2023 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2022": { "text": "0.811 (2022 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "0.727 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "0.78 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2022 est.)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "50,000 kW (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "213.744 million kWh (2023 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "6.256 million kWh (2023 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)" } }, "Natural gas": { "consumption": { "text": "77.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "77.196 million cubic meters (2023 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "15.608 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "15.458 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "150,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "17,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "46 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "37,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "112 (2022 est.)" } }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".gi" }, "Internet users": { "percent of population": { "text": "94% (2016 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "23,000 (2022 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "61 (2022 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "VP-G" }, "Airports": { "text": "1 (2025)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "129 (2023)" }, "by type": { "text": "bulk carrier 8, container ship 5, general cargo 31, oil tanker 16, other 69" } }, "Ports": { "total ports": { "text": "1 (2024)" }, "large": { "text": "0" }, "medium": { "text": "1" }, "small": { "text": "0" }, "very small": { "text": "0" }, "ports with oil terminals": { "text": "1" }, "key ports": { "text": "Europa Point" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2025)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "defense is the responsibility of the UK" } }, "Transnational Issues": { } }