Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/144

 92 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — GIBRALTAR

EUROPE.

GIBRALTAR.

Governor.— General Sir Horace L. Smith-Dorrien, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.. D.S.O., salary, 4,500/. and 500/. allowance. Appointed June 22, 1918. Colonial Secretary. — Major C. W. J. Orr, C.M.G.

The Rock of Gibraltar is a Crown colony, situated in 36 3 6' N. latitude and 5° 21' W. longitude, in the Province of Andalusia, in Spain, commanding the entrance to the Mediterranean. The Governor, who is also Commander- in-Chief, exercises all the functions of government and legislation. Area, 1| square mile; greatest elevation, 1,396 feet. Population, including port and harbour (census 1911), civil, 19,586 (9,228 males, and 10,358 females) ; military, 5,340 (4,476 males, and 864 females) ; naval, 441; total, 25,367 (14,145 males, and 11,222 females). Estimated fixed civil population, January 1, 1920, 16,040 (7,791 males, and 8,249 females). In addition there were at that date about 1,733 aliens. The settled population are mostly descendants of Spanish and Italian settlers. Civil population births (1919), 398 ; marriages, 185 ; deaths, 3.18. Average births per 1,000 of fixed civil population, 24 '81 ; deaths, 19 '82. Religion of fixed popula- tion mostly Roman Catholic ; one Protestant cathedral and four Roman Catholic churches ; annual subsidy to each communion, 500/. Several private English schools; Government aided elementary schools, 16 (12 Roman Catholic). Pupils, 2,603 in 1918-19. Government grant, 4,387/. One magistrate's court and a supreme court. In 1919 there were 10 con- victions of serious crime (2 of which occurred on the high seas), and 1,888 summary convictions.

-

1913 (pre-war)

1915

£ 95,544 142,119

1916

£ 100,611 119,570

1917

1918'

1919

Revenue Expenditure

£

104,634 82,077

£

125,876 119,636

£ 158,694 133,387

£ 239,397 136,432

Chief sources of revenue/1919 : — Customs, 100,595Z. ;post office, 15,316/. ; rents of Crown property, 11,595/.; fees and re-imbursements in aid, 3S,454/. ; port dues and wharfage, 41,152/.; interest on investments, 26,946/.; licences and internal revenues, 5,000/. Chief branches of expenditure, 1919 : — Establishments, 95,101/.; public works, 15,402/.; pensions, 3,360/. ecclesiastical grants, 1,000/. Contribution by Home Government, nil. 1'ublic debt, nil. Total net assets, 296.455/. Industries unimportant. The trade of the port is chiefly transit trade, and the supply of coal to ships. There are import duties on malt liquors, wine, spirits, and tobacco, and on these articles the duties are low.

Government savings-bank, with 5,219 depositors! had 87,246 pesetas and 261,712/. deposits at the end of 1919.

Gibraltar is a naval base and position of great strategic importance, which is now largely increased in strength and stability. There is :i deep harbour of 260 acres, which suffices foi all the wants of the Mediterranean The merchant vessels registered at the port were (1919) 48 steamers of 1. '."'it; Ions net and 6 sailing vessels of 1 ,328 tons ; total, 54 vessels of 5,650 tons, Vessels entered, 1919, 6,833 ; tonnage, 13,737,959 ; cleared, 5,982 ; tonnage, 16,030,961. Three miles of internal telegraph under military and about