Gibraltar vs. Spain


Spain and the UK continue to spar over the territory. Throughout 2009, 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 and in 2013, the British reported a record number of entries by Spanish vessels into waters claimed by Gibraltar following a dispute over Gibraltar's creation of an artificial reef in those waters. Spain renewed its demands for an eventual return of Gibraltar to Spanish control after the UK’s June 2016 vote to leave the EU, but London has dismissed any connection between the vote and its future commitment to Gibraltar. The European Commission has said that the UK will need to reach a separate bilateral agreement with Spain to allow Gibraltar to be covered by the UK's broader EU exit agreement.


Geographic coordinates36 08 N, 5 21 W
40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map referencesEurope
Areatotal: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
total: 505,370 sq km
land: 498,980 sq km
water: 6,390 sq km
Area - comparativemore than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Land boundariestotal: 1.2 km
border countries (1): Spain 1.2 km
total: 1,952.7 km
Coastline12 km
4,964 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 3 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
ClimateMediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terraina narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Elevation extremesmean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
mean elevation: 660 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural resourcesnone
Land useagricultural land: 0%
forest: 0%
other: 100% (2011 est.)
agricultural land: 54.1%
forest: 36.8%
other: 9.1% (2011 est.)
Irrigated landNA
38,000 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsoccasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)
periodic droughts, occasional flooding
Environment - current issueslimited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant
Geography - notenote 1: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea


Population29,396 (July 2017 est.)
48,958,159 (July 2017 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 20.22% (male 3,045/female 2,899)
15-24 years: 14.34% (male 2,199/female 2,017)
25-54 years: 39.67% (male 5,958/female 5,703)
55-64 years: 9.68% (male 1,232/female 1,614)
65 years and over: 16.09% (male 2,329/female 2,400) (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 15.38% (male 3,872,763/female 3,656,549)
15-24 years: 9.58% (male 2,424,352/female 2,267,429)
25-54 years: 44.91% (male 11,214,102/female 10,775,039)
55-64 years: 12.14% (male 2,899,088/female 3,044,111)
65 years and over: 17.98% (male 3,763,989/female 5,040,737) (2017 est.)
Median agetotal: 34.7 years
male: 33.8 years
female: 35.7 years (2017 est.)
total: 42.7 years
male: 41.5 years
female: 43.9 years (2017 est.)
Population growth rate0.23% (2017 est.)
0.78% (2017 est.)
Birth rate14 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
9.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Death rate8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Net migration rate-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
7.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
Infant mortality ratetotal: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 79.6 years
male: 76.7 years
female: 82.6 years (2017 est.)
total population: 81.8 years
male: 78.8 years
female: 84.9 years (2017 est.)
Total fertility rate1.9 children born/woman (2017 est.)
1.5 children born/woman (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rateNA
0.4% (2016 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar
noun: Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish
composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDSNA
140,000 (2016 est.)
Roman Catholic 67.8%, atheist 9.1%, other 2.2%, non-believer 18.4%, unspecified 2.5% (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deathsNA
LanguagesEnglish (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Education expendituresNA
4.3% of GDP (2013)
Urbanizationurban population: 100% of total population (2017)
urban population: 80% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 0.52% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
note: data include Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla
Major cities - populationGIBRALTAR (capital) 29,000 (2014)


Country name"conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar
etymology: from the Spanish derivation of the Arabic ""Jabal Tariq,"" which means ""Mountain of Tariq"" and which refers to the Rock of Gibraltar
"conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local long form: Reino de Espana
local short form: Espana
etymology: derivation of the name ""Espana"" is uncertain, but may come from the Phoenician term ""span,"" related to the word ""spy,"" meaning ""to forge metals,"" so, ""i-spn-ya"" would mean ""place where metals are forged""; the ancient Phoenicians long exploited the Iberian Peninsula for its mineral wealth
Government typeparliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capitalname: Gibraltar
geographic coordinates: 36 08 N, 5 21 W
name: Madrid
geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W
note: Spain has two time zones, including the Canary Islands
Administrative divisionsnone (overseas territory of the UK)
Independencenone (overseas territory of the UK)
National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492); note - commemorates COLUMBUS' arrival in the Americas
amendments: proposed by Parliament and require prior consent of the British monarch (through the Secretary of State); passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote in Parliament followed by simple majority vote in a referendum; note – only sections 1 through 15 in Chapter 1 (Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms) can be amended by Parliament (2016)
Legal systemthe laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
civil law system with regional variations
Suffrage18 years of age; universal; and British citizens with six months residence or more
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014); Heir Apparent Princess LEONOR, Princess of Asturias, daughter of the monarch (born 31 October 2005)
head of government: President of the Government or Prime Minister Mariano RAJOY (since 20 December 2011); Vice President (and Minister of the President's Office) Soraya SAENZ DE SANTAMARIA (since 22 December 2011)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually proposes at president the leader of the party or coalition with the largest majority of seats, who is then indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies; election last held on 26 June 2016 (next to be held in June 2020); vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: percent of National Assembly vote - NA
description: bicameral General Courts or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (266 seats; 208 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 58 appointed by the regional legislatures; members serve 4-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; 348 members directly elected in 50 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 directly elected from the North African Ceuta and Melilla enclaves by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms or until the government is dissolved)
elections: Senate - last held on 26 June 2016 (next to be held no later than June 2020); Congress of Deputies - last held on 26 June 2016 (next to be held no later than June 2020)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 149, PSOE 62, Podemos 20, ERC 12, EAJ/PNV 6, other 17; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 33.0%, PSOE 22.7%, Podemos 21.1%, C's 13.0%, ERC-CatSi 2.6%, EAJ/PNV 1.2%, other 6.4%; seats by party - PP 134, PSOE 84, Podemos 67, C's 32, ERC-CatSi 9, EAJ/PNV 5, other 19
Political parties and leadersGibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]
Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Keith AZOPARDI]
Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Fabian PICARDO]
GSLP-Liberal Alliance (includes GSLP and LPG)
Liberal Party of Gibraltar or LPG
Progressive Democratic Party [Nick CRUZ]
Asturias Forum or FAC [Cristina COTO]
Basque Country Unite (Euskal Herria Bildu) or EH Bildu [Arnaldo OTEGI Mondragon] (coalition of 4 Basque pro-independence parties)
Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Andoni ORTUZAR]
Canarian Coalition or CC [Claudina MORALES Rodriguez] (coalition of 5 parties)
Canarian Nationalist Party or PNC [Juan Manuel GARCIA Ramos]
Catalan European Democratic Party or PDeCat [Artur MAS] (formerly Democratic Convergence of Catalonia)
Ciudadanos Party or C's [Albert RIVERA]
Compromis [Eric MORERA i Catala]
Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Ana PONTON Mondelo]
Gomera Socialist Group or ASG [Casimiro CURBELO]
Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey]
Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Oriol JUNQUERAS i Vies]
Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Pedro SANCHEZ]
Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Javier ESPARZA]
Union, Progress and Democracy or UPyD [Cristiano BROWN]
United Left or IU [Alberto GARZON] (coalition includes Communist Party of Spain or PCE and other small parties; ran as Popular Unity or UP in 2016 election)
Yes to the Future or Geroa Bai [Uxue BARKOS] (coalition include 4 Navarran parties)
Political pressure groups and leadersChamber of Commerce
Gibraltar Representatives Organization
Women's Association
Roman Catholic Church
Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.
Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations or CEOE
International organization participationICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the USnone (overseas territory of the UK)
chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro MORENES Eulate (since 24 April 2017)
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670
consulate(s): Kansas City (MO)
Diplomatic representation from the USnone (overseas territory of the UK)
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642
telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200
FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303
consulate(s) general: Barcelona
National anthem"name: ""Gibraltar Anthem""
lyrics/music: Peter EMBERLEY
note: adopted 1994; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, ""God Save the Queen"" remains official (see United Kingdom)
"name: ""Himno Nacional Espanol"" (National Anthem of Spain)
lyrics/music: no lyrics/unknown
note: officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem is the first anthem to be officially adopted, but it has no lyrics; in the years prior to 1931 it became known as ""Marcha Real"" (The Royal March); it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle call book and was replaced by ""Himno de Riego"" in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, while the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events
National symbol(s)Barbary macaque; national colors: red, white, yellow
Pillars of Hercules; national colors: red, yellow
Citizenshipsee United Kingdom
citizenship by birth: no
dual citizenship recognized: only with select Latin American countries



After experiencing a prolonged recession in the wake of the global financial crisis that began in 2008, in 2017 Spain marked the fourth full year of positive economic growth in ten years, largely due to increased private consumption. At the onset of the financial crisis, Spain's GDP contracted by 3.7% in 2009, ending a 16-year growth trend, and continued contracting through most of 2013. In that year, the government successfully shored up struggling banks - exposed to the collapse of Spain's depressed real estate and construction sectors - and in January 2014 completed an EU-funded restructuring and recapitalization program for its financial sector.


Exports were resilient throughout the economic downturn and helped to bring Spain's current account into surplus in 2013 for the first time since 1986, where it remained through 2016. Rising labor productivity and an internal devaluation resulting from moderating labor costs and lower inflation have helped to improve foreign investor interest in the economy and positive FDI flows have been restored.

Political gridlock after the national elections in December 2015 and June 2016 and ensuing government formation process constrained the caretaker government’s ability to implement needed labor, pension, health care, tax, and education reforms— in 2016. The European Commission criticized Spain’s 2016 budget for easing austerity measures and for its alleged overly optimistic growth and deficit projections. Spain’s borrowing costs are dramatically lower since their peak in mid-2012, and with the recent uptick in economic activity, inflation has reappeared, at 2% per year.
GDP (purchasing power parity)$2.044 billion (2014 est.)
$1.85 billion (2013 est.)
$2 billion (2012 est.)
note: data are in 2014 dollars
$1.769 trillion (2017 est.)
$1.716 trillion (2016 est.)
$1.662 trillion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - per capita (PPP)$61,700 (2014 est.)
$43,000 (2008 est.)
$41,200 (2007 est.)
$38,200 (2017 est.)
$37,000 (2016 est.)
$35,800 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 0%
industry: 0%
services: 100% (2008 est.)
agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 23.2%
services: 74.2% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty lineNA%
21.1% (2012 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 24% (2011)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)2.5% (2013 est.)
2.2% (2012 est.)
2% (2017 est.)
-0.2% (2016 est.)
Labor force24,420 (2014 est.)
22.75 million (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupationagriculture: NEGL
industry: 1.8%
services: 98.2% (2014 est.)
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 24%
services: 71.7% (2009)
Unemployment rate1% (2016 est.)
17.1% (2017 est.)
19.6% (2016 est.)
Budgetrevenues: $475.8 million
expenditures: $452.3 million (2008 est.)
revenues: $492.4 billion
expenditures: $535.9 billion (2017 est.)
Industriestourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco
Industrial production growth rateNA%
2.6% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productsnone
Exports$202.3 million (2014 est.)
$271 million (2004 est.)
$301.5 billion (2017 est.)
$280.5 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods (2010 est.)
Exports - partnersSpain 22.5%, Poland 16.7%, Netherlands 15.1%, UK 9.9%, Belgium 8.5%, Cote dIvoire 5%, Lebanon 4.2% (2016)
France 15.2%, Germany 11.4%, Italy 7.8%, UK 7.6%, Portugal 7%, US 4.4% (2016)
Imports$2.967 billion (2004 est.)
$333.4 billion (2017 est.)
$300.3 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commoditiesfuels, manufactured goods, foodstuffs
Imports - partnersUS 22.3%, India 15.2%, Italy 11.2%, Spain 8.6%, Netherlands 7.2%, UK 6.1%, Greece 5.3%, France 4.3% (2016)
Germany 14.7%, France 12%, China 7.1%, Italy 6.7%, Netherlands 5.2%, UK 4.4% (2016)
Debt - external$NA
$2.094 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)
$1.963 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)
Exchange ratesGibraltar pounds (GIP) per US dollar -
0.906 (2017 est.)
0.9214 (2016 est.)
0.9214 (2015 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.906 (2017 est.)
0.9214 (2016 est.)
0.9214 (2015 est.)
0.7525 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
Fiscal year1 July - 30 June
calendar year
Public debt7.5% of GDP (2008 est.)
8.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
96.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
99.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$2.044 billion (2013 est.)
$1.307 trillion (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues23.3% of GDP (2008 est.)
37.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)1.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
-3.3% of GDP (2017 est.)


Electricity - production194.6 million kWh (2015 est.)
267.1 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - consumption188.6 million kWh (2015 est.)
240.4 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - exports0 kWh (2016 est.)
14.18 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports0 kWh (2016 est.)
21.85 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Oil - production0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
2,667 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Oil - imports0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
1.285 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Oil - exports0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Oil - proved reserves0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
150 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)
2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es)
Natural gas - production0 cu m (2013 est.)
62 million cu m (2015 est.)
Natural gas - consumption0 cu m (2013 est.)
39.84 billion cu m (2015 est.)
Natural gas - exports0 cu m (2013 est.)
5.065 billion cu m (2015 est.)
Natural gas - imports0 cu m (2013 est.)
32.39 billion cu m (2015 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity43,000 kW (2015 est.)
106.7 million kW (2015 est.)
45.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
13.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
6.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
29.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
1.342 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption70,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
1.287 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
501,100 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports58,300 bbl/day (2014 est.)
421,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy3.6 million Mt (2013 est.)
276 million Mt (2013 est.)


Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 17,027
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 58 (July 2016 est.)
total subscriptions: 19,557,141
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (July 2016 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal: 45,714
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 156 (July 2016 est.)
total: 51,943,202
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (July 2016 est.)
Telephone systemgeneral assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
general assessment: well-developed, modern facilities
Internet country code.gi
Internet userstotal: 27,699
percent of population: 94.4% (July 2016 est.)
total: 39,123,384
percent of population: 80.6% (July 2016 est.)


Roadwaystotal: 29 km
paved: 29 km (2007)
total: 683,175 km
Ports and terminalsmajor seaport(s): Gibraltar
container port(s) (TEUs): Algeciras (4,516,000), Barcelona (1,965,000), Valencia (4,615,000) (2015)
Merchant marinetotal: 291
by type: bulk carrier 8, container ship 31, general cargo 116, oil tanker 20, other 116 (2017)
total: 472
by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 44, oil tanker 28, other 399 (2017)
Airports1 (2013)
150 (2013)
Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
total: 99
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 24 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefixVP-G (2016)
EC (2016)


Military branchesRoyal Gibraltar Regiment (2013)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international"in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any ""shared sovereignty"" arrangement; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy

Source: CIA Factbook