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, land: 6.5 sq km, water: 0 sq km.
Natural resources: None.
Population: 29,396 (July 2017 est.).
Capital: Gibraltar.
Time Zone: UTC+1.
Languages: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese.
Dependency status: Overseas territory of the UK.
Government type: Parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK.
Legal system: The laws of the UK, where applicable, apply.
International organization participation: ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU.
Economy: Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. Tax rates are low to attract foreign investment. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. 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.
The financial sector, tourism (over 11 million visitors in 2012), gaming revenues, shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, tourism, and the shipping sector contribute 30%, 30%, and 25%, respectively, of GDP. Telecommunications, e-commerce, and e-gaming account for the remaining 15%.
Currency: Gibraltar pound (GIP).