Gibraltar Geography - 2024

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

Geographic coordinates

36 08 N, 5 21 W

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 7 sq km

land: 6.5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

total: 1.2 km

border countries (1): Spain 1.2 km

Coastline

12 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate

Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers

Terrain

a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Elevation

highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

none

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.)

other: 100% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

N/A

Natural hazards

occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)

Geography - note

note 1: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

note 2: one of only two British territories where traffic drives on the right, the other being the island of Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory