Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter TERRY (since
NA 1985);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since NA March 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe
Bossano; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil
Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo Canepa; Independent Democratic Party, Joe
Pitaluga
Suffrage: universal at age 18, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more
Elections: House of Assembly: last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association, Chamber of
Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
Diplomatic representation: none (colony of the UK)
Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
- Economy Overview: The economy depends heavily on British defense expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and revenues from banking and finance activities. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment. Construction workers are particularly affected when government expenditures are cut.