As a fortress and colony, Gibraltar has been a symbol of British military strength since the 18th century. Commonly referred to as “the Rock,” it is a British air and naval base that guards the Strait of Gibraltar. This important waterway between Spain and Africa connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. GeographyGibraltar sits on a peninsula that is about 3 miles (5 kilometers) long and less than a mile wide. A low, sandy strip of land called an isthmus connects it to Spain, one mile to the north. To the east is the Mediterranean Sea, to the south is the Strait of Gibraltar, and to the west is the Atlantic Ocean. Across the Strait of Gibraltar is the African country of Morocco. The total area of Gibraltar is 21/4 square miles (5.8 square kilometers). The peninsula consists of a limestone and shale ridge called the Rock. It rises sharply from the isthmus, reaching its greatest height, 1,396 feet (426 meters), near its southern end. The eastern side of the Rock is steep, with a series of cliffs. The more gradual slope on the western side is the site of the town of Gibraltar. Gibraltar has hot, humid, and almost rainless summers. Winters are mild, with adequate rainfall. Between summer and winter the weather is warm and moderately rainy. Plants and animalsWild olive and pine trees stand on the upper part of the Rock. The most abundant vegetation on Gibraltar, however, is small flowering plants. More than 500 different types grow on the Rock. The Gibraltar candytuft and some other varieties can be found nowhere else in Europe. Buzzards, vultures, eagles, storks, and many other kinds of birds rest on the Rock as they migrate between Africa and Europe. The birds that live on Gibraltar year-round include the peregrine falcon and yellow-legged gulls. Gibraltar is also the home of the only Barbary partridges in mainland Europe. Mammals on Gibraltar include the Barbary ape, the only wild monkey in Europe. They have roamed the Rock for hundreds of years, mostly in the upper region. Dolphins and whales swim in the surrounding waters. People and cultureTwo thirds of the residents of Gibraltar are Gibraltarians—people born in Gibraltar before 1925 and their descendants. Most Gibraltarians are of mixed British, Genoese, Spanish, Maltese, and Portuguese descent. The rest of the people are resident foreigners, many of them British. Spanish is generally spoken in homes, but most Gibraltarians can speak English as well. English is used in schools and for official purposes. Roman Catholicism is the main religion. EconomyThe economy of Gibraltar is based largely on services and port activities. Shipping, banking, and tourism are major sources of income. The British military post and naval shipyard has also been important to the colony's economy for many years. The leading manufacturing industries are shipbuilding and ship repair. Light industries include tobacco, beverages, and canning. Because of a lack of space, no farming takes place on the peninsula. HistoryPeople have lived on Gibraltar since prehistoric times. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered the Rock to be one of the two Pillars of Heracles (or Hercules). The other was Mount Hacho in Africa, across the Strait of Gibraltar. The mythical hero Heracles was said to have set up the pillars to mark the edge of the known world. In AD 711 the Muslim commander Tariq ibn Ziyad captured the peninsula. The name Gibraltar comes from the Arabic words Jebel Tariq, meaning “Tariq's Mountain.” The site was then made into a fortress. The Muslims lost control of Gibraltar to the Spanish in 1462, and Gibraltar became part of Spain in 1501. British control over Gibraltar began in the early 18th century. The British captured Gibraltar in 1704, and Spain formally handed it over to Britain in a treaty of 1713. Thereafter the Spanish tried several times to recapture the area, but they were unsuccessful. Britain made Gibraltar a colony in 1830. The colony's importance grew with the opening in 1869 of the Suez Canal, an artificial waterway connecting the Mediterranean and Red seas. The canal made the Mediterranean the main route to Britain's colonies in East Africa and southern Asia. Therefore Britain became even more determined to hold on to Gibraltar. During both world wars (1914–18 and 1939–45), Gibraltar was a busy naval base. In the 1960s Spain pressed for the return of Gibraltar to Spanish control, but the Gibraltarians voted in 1967 to remain a British colony. In 1969 Britain introduced a new constitution clearly stating its link to Gibraltar but also granting the colony self-government. Spain responded by closing its border with Gibraltar. Spanish trade with the colony was stopped, and people were not allowed to cross the border to work. Spain finally lifted the border blockade in 1985. Nevertheless, control of Gibraltar remained a source of dispute between Spain and Britain. Population (2001 estimate), 27,600. |