Gibraltar Travel Guide

Gibraltar — Country and Tourist Information

Browse the Gibraltar Photo Gallery

Country Facts

Location: Western entrance to the Mediterranean, southern tip of Europe.
Language: English is the official language. Most Gibraltarians are bilingual in English and Spanish.
Area: 6.5 sq km (2.5 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. UK-style three-pin plugs are in use.
Population: 28,034 (2009).
Population Density: 4,313 per sq km.
Capital City: Gibraltar.
Government: British Crown Colony since 1713.
Head of Government: Chief Minister Peter Caruana QC since 1996, re-elected in 2003.
Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns since 2009.
Religion: Roman Catholic majority, also Church of England, Church of Scotland, Jewish, Hindu and other minorities.

Recent History

Long fought over as a strategic military stronghold, Gibraltar is today officially a British overseas territory, though Spanish links are present in the form of culture, language and sovereignty grumbles.

Britain and Spain have argued over this chunk of limestone for centuries, and, after several refernedums, the latest of which was 2006, it remains a British dependency. Shared sovereignty was not something Gibraltarians were willing to agree to, however, the 2006 tripartie talks between Spain, Britain and Gibraltar led to a three-way agreement whereby Spain removed flight path restrictions from Spain to Gibraltar, better telecommunications were introduced, mobile roaming was allowed, border control became more lenient and pension payments by Britain to Spanish retirees who once worked in Gibraltar was agreed.

In July 2009, Miguel Ángel Moratinos became the first serving Spanish Foreign Minister to visit Gibraltar for a meeting with the British Foreign Secretary and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +350.

Mobile Telephone

Coverage spans the whole of Gibraltar and a large part of the sea around. Handsets can be hired.

Internet

Internet cafés are available.

Media

Television and radio services are operated by the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). The broadcaster's services are partly funded by TV license fee revenues. Radio and TV stations based in Spain, and broadcasts for British forces in the territory, can be received. Newspapers are in English; some have Spanish sections: The New People, Panorama (www.panorama.gi) and Vox are published weekly; The Gibraltar Chronicle (established 1801) is the only daily (www.chronicle.gi). The local radio station is Radio Gibraltar, and BFBS Radio Gibraltar is for British forces.

Post

Airmail within Europe takes one to five days. Airmail flights are usually daily.Mon-Fri 0900-1630 (0900-1415 in summer), Sat 1000-1300.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
14 Mar Commonwealth Day
22 Apr Good Friday
25 Apr Easter Monday
2 May May Day
30 May Spring Bank Holiday
13 Jun Queen’s Birthday
29 Aug Summer Bank Holiday
10 Sep **Gibraltar National Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
12 Mar Commonwealth Day
6 Apr Good Friday
9 Apr Easter Monday
1 May May Day
28 May Spring Bank Holiday
11 Jun Queen’s Birthday
27 Aug Summer Bank Holiday
10 Sep **Gibraltar National Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day
** Observed on the following Monday if falls on a weekend.

Contact Information

Diplomatic representation

Gibraltar is a British Crown Colony, and is represented abroad by British Embassies – see United Kingdom section.

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Overseas Territories Department, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, UK
Tel: (020) 7008 1500 (general enquiries) or 8457 (visa enquiries) or 0210 (services for Britons overseas) or 0845 850 2829 (travel advice).
Website: www.fco.gov.uk
Handles Gibraltar's foreign affairs. All other enquiries should be made to the Gibraltar Tourist Board.

Identity and Passport Service in the UK

London Passport Office, Globe House, 89 Ecclestone Square, London SW1V 1PN, UK
Tel: 0300 222 0000 (7am-11pm).
Website: www.ukpa.gov.uk
Opening hours (appointment only): Mon-Fri 0745-1900, Sat 0915-1515.