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: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Geography - note:
total: 6.5 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 6.5 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 246
more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
total: 1.2 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (1): Spain 1.2 km
12 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 3 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
mean elevation: NA
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m
none
agricultural land: 0%
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 100% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
NA
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
occasional droughts; no streams or large bodies of water on the peninsula (all potable water comes from desalination)
limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant
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