a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967 and
2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted
overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.

Geography 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 8 N, 5 21 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

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:
none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural
rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking
water) and adequate desalination plant

Geography - note:
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North
Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

People Gibraltar

Population:
27,884 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.8% (male 2,529/female 2,426)
15-64 years: 66% (male 9,442/female 8,970)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 2,008/female 2,509) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.4 years
male: 39.12 years
female: 39.63 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.17% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
10.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.67 years
male: 76.8 years
female: 82.7 y