Gibraltar
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.

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
water: 0 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km

Land boundaries:
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km

Climate:
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain:
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Population:
27,776 (July 2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar

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