three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
Economy
Overview: The economy depends heavily
on British defense expenditures, revenue
from tourists, fees for services to shipping,
and revenues from banking and finance
activities. 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.
GNP: $129 million, per capita $4,450; real growth rate NA% (FY85)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $105 million; expenditures $104 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY87)
Exports: $62.2 million (1985); commodities—(principally reexports) petroleum 75%, beverages and tobacco 12%, manufactured goods 8%; partners—UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
Imports: $147 million (1985); commodities—manufactured goods, fuels, and foodstuffs; partners—UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 46,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,770 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK 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
Agriculture: NA
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $0.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $162.5 million
Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural—pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (£G) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (£G) per US$1—0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 1.000-meter-gauge system in
dockyard area only
Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
Ports: Gibraltar
Merchant marine: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,126,060 GRT/4,189,948 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 16 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker 1 combination oil/ore, 1 liquefied gas, 13 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system with 10,500 telephones; stations—1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Glorioso Islands
(French possession)
_Glorioso_Islands.jpg)
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 5 km²; land area: 5 km²;
includes Île Glorieuse, Île du Lys, Verte
Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock
Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
- Contiguous zone: 12 nm
- Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
- Extended economic zone 200 nm
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: undetermined
Natural resources: guano, coconuts
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other lush vegetation and coconut palms
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones
Note: located in the Indian Ocean just north of the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
