Gibraltar

<p>Spain reluctantly ceded the strategically important Gibraltar to Great Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, and the British garrison at Gibraltar was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. After the UK granted Gibraltar autonomy in 1969, Spain closed the border and severed all communication links. Between 1997 and 2002, the UK and Spain held a series of talks on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against sharing sovereignty with Spain. Since 2004, Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar have held tripartite talks to resolve problems that affect the local population, and work continues on cooperation agreements in areas such as taxation and financial services, communications and maritime security, legal and customs services, environmental protection, and education and visa services. A new noncolonial constitution came into force in 2007, and the European Court of First Instance recognized Gibraltar's right to regulate its own tax regime in 2008. The UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability.</p> <p>Spain and the UK continue to spar over the territory. In 2009, for example, 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. Spain renewed its demands for an eventual return of Gibraltar to Spanish control after the UK’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, but London has dismissed any connection between the vote and its sovereignty over Gibraltar. </p>

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

36 08 N, 5 21 W

Europe

more than 10 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

12 km

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

none

NA

occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)

strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Gibraltarian 79%, other British 13.2%, Spanish 2.1%, Moroccan 1.6%, other EU 2.4%, other 1.6% (2012 est.)

English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese

Roman Catholic 72.1%, Church of England 7.7%, other Christian 3.8%, Muslim 3.6%, Jewish 2.4%, Hindu 2%, other 1.1%, none 7.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2012 est.)

0.16% (2025 est.)

13.55 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-3.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

35,000 GIBRALTAR (capital) (2018)

1.88 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.92 (2025 est.)

8.6% national budget (2025 est.)

limited natural freshwater resources

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

overseas territory of the UK

the laws of the UK apply

see United Kingdom

18 years of age; universal; and British citizens with six months residence or more

Gibraltar Liberal Party or Liberal Party of Gibraltar or LPG <br>Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD <br>Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP <br>GSLP-Liberal Alliance <br>Together Gibraltar or TG 

none (overseas territory of the UK)

ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), UPU

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National Day, 10 September (1967)

<strong>description:</strong> two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; a gold key hangs from the castle gate and is centered in the red band<br><br><strong> meaning:</strong> the castle symbolizes Gibraltar as a fortress, and the key represents Gibraltar's strategic importance -- the key to the Mediterranean<br><br><strong>history:</strong> the design comes from Gibraltar's coat of arms, which King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted on 10 July 1502 

Barbary partridge

red, white, yellow

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted this coat of arms to Gibraltar in 1502; the castle in the center of the shield represents Gibraltar as a fortress, and the gold key represents its strategic position as the gateway to the Mediterranean; below the shield is the national motto, <em>Montis Insignia Calpe</em> (“Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar”); the coat of arms uses the national colors of red, white, and yellow

British territorial high-income economy; Brexit caused significant economic disruption to longstanding financial services, shipping, and tourism industries; ongoing negotiations to rejoin EU Schengen Area; independent taxation authority

$2.044 billion (2014 est.)

none

tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco

Netherlands 38%, France 26%, Cyprus 7%, Poland 7%, Sweden 6% (2023)

refined petroleum, natural gas, ships, cars, scrap iron (2023)

Italy 26%, Greece 12%, Spain 10%, Netherlands 9%, India 9% (2023)

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal tar oil, natural gas, ships (2023)

Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) provides TV and radio services via 1 TV station and 4 radio stations; British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) operates 1 radio station; broadcasts from Spanish radio and TV stations are accessible

.gi

VP-G

1 (2025)

Royal Gibraltar Regiment (UK) (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK