GIBRALTAR
Location:
Gibraltar is located in southwestern Europe. It borders the Strait of Gibraltar on the
southern coast of Spain. Its total area is 6.5 square kilometres.
Population:
31,684 (July, 1994 estimate)
Languages:
English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Government:
Gibraltar is a dependent territory of the United Kingdom.
Legal System:
Gibraltar's legal system is based on English law.
Telecommunications:
Gibraltar has an adequate, automatic domestic telephone system and adequate
international radio communication and microwave facilities. Gibraltar has one
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station.
Economy:
The British military presence has been severely reduced and now only contributes about
11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 15% of GDP. Tourism and
shipping services fees also generate income. Because more than 70% of the economy is
in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level
of employment. Construction workers are particularly affected when government
expenditures are cut.
Industries:
Gibraltar's main industries are tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce,
support to large United Kingdom naval and air bases, transit trade and supply depot in
the port, light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer
and canned fish.
Currency:
1 Gibraltar pound (£G) = 100 pence
Exchange Rates:
Gibraltar pounds (£G) per US$1 - 0.6699 (January, 1994)
The Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Related sites:
Gibraltar Hotels
To the Offshore World home page.
To the Offshore Financial Centres page.