Gibraltar: Background & Geography

Introduction 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 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
water: 0 sq km
land: 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
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 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% (1998 est.)
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

See Also: