Gibraltar | |
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Motto: "Montis Insignia Calpe" (Latin) "Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar"[1] | |
Anthem: "God Save the King" (official) "Gibraltar Anthem" (local)[2] | |
Status | British Overseas Territory |
Capital | Gibraltar 36°8′N 5°21′W / 36.133°N 5.350°W |
Largest district (by population) | Westside |
Official languages | English |
Spoken languages | |
Ethnic groups |
|
Demonym(s) | Gibraltarian Llanito (colloquial) |
Government | Representative democratic parliamentary dependency under constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
• Governor | Sir David Steel |
Fabian Picardo | |
• Mayor | John Gonçalves |
• UK government minister[b] | Wendy Morton MP |
Legislature | Parliament |
Formation | |
• Captured | 4 August 1704[3] |
• Ceded | 11 April 1713[4] |
10 September 1967 | |
• Joined the EEC | 1 January 1973[c] |
Area | |
• Total | 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 0 |
Population | |
• 2015 estimate | 32,194[5] (222nd) |
• Density | 4,328/km2 (11,209.5/sq mi) (5th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2013 estimate |
• Total | £1.64 billion |
• Per capita | £50,941 (n/a) |
HDI (2015) | 0.961[6] very high · 5th |
Currency | Gibraltar pound (£)[d] (GIP) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
Driving side | right[e] |
Calling code | +350[f] |
ISO 3166 code | GI |
Internet TLD | .gi[g] |
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Gibraltar is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. This means it shares the British King and has the protection of the British Armed Forces. It is in southwest Europe on the Mediterranean Sea. About 32,000 people live there. They are called Gibraltarians.
Gibraltar has always been important as a military base because this is where the Mediterranean Sea narrows to only 14 kilometres (9 miles) at the Strait of Gibraltar. This meant that whichever country controlled Gibraltar could see all ships that came into the Mediterranean Sea.
Gibraltar is most famous for The Rock of Gibraltar, a 426 meter high limestone rock rising out of the sea. The rock can be seen for many miles. It is home to the Barbary Apes, a type of tail-less macaque which are the only wild monkeys in Europe.
National anthem: name: "Gibraltar Anthem" ... note: adopted 1994; serves as a local anthem; because Gibraltar is a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King" remains official (see United Kingdom)