Gibraltar

Background: Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain. Area: Total: 6.5 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.
Climate and Terrain: 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. Land use: Arable land: 0%.
People: Population: 27,649. Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese. Religions: Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7%. Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian. Labor force: 14,800. Labor force - by occupation: Services 60%, industry 40%. Industries: Tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish. Agriculture - products: None.
Government: Government type: Republic. Capital: Valletta.
Economy overview: Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment.
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 19,000. Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,620. Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5. Radios: 37,000. Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three low-power repeaters). Televisions: 10,000. Highways: Total: 46.25 km, paved: 46.25 km. Airports - with paved runways: Total: 1.