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Gibraltar is an United Kingdom territory in the south of
the Iberian Peninsula. Located next to the strait of the
same name, at the base of a cliff limestone connected to
the continent by a reduced sand tongue, is Gibraltar,
the current colony of the British Crown. It is
strategically precious as an aircraft base due to its
key port position at the entrance to the Mediterranean,
and a port of call for refueling, giving the city, in
addition to its military function, a commercial function
of relative importance. Occupying only 6.5 km2 of
surface, Gibraltar has a population of 27 776
inhabitants (July 2003 est.). Its capital is the City of
Gibraltar. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate,
with mild winters and hot summers. Since Gibraltar has
neither agricultural nor mineral resources, its
inhabitants, for the most part, earn a living thanks to
the port, docks and NATO bases. The main economic
activities are ship repairs, ship supplies, the food and
beverage industries, tourism, trade and re-export
services.
Although the British naval presence in Gibraltar has
greatly decreased since its peak before the Second World
War, the Strait of Gibraltar is one of the most
frequented seaways in the world, with a ship passing
every six minutes.
Since the ancient Greeks settled there, Gibraltar has
undergone numerous invasions and, until the 4th century
BC. C., was considered by the Mediterranean navigators
the end of the World. The Phoenicians called Alube Gibraltar
and the Greeks called the Straits of Gibraltar the
Straits of Hercules because, according to
legend, it was Hercules who formed the Straits when
separating Europe from Africa, erecting the Columns
of Hercules, which would be Calpe(Gibraltar)
and Abila (Ceuta). In 711, the Arabian Tárique
landed in Calpe , which he fortified, joining
his name to the continental shelf that gave him
possession of the extreme south of Europe: hence the
name of Gibraltar (from the Arabic Yebel al-Tarik ,
Tárique Rock). Muslims dominated this peninsula almost
continuously until 1462, when they were expelled by the
Spaniards. It was later captured by the British and
Dutch in 1704, during the Spanish War of Succession and
recognized as a British colony in 1713 by the Treaty of
Utrecht, confirmed by that of Versailles (1783), having
been surrounded by the Spanish and French over the
years.
Gibraltar proved its strategic value in the war
against Napoleon and in the two world wars (first half
of the 20th century). Spain has tried to recover
Gibraltar: militarily in 1726 and from 1779 to 1782,
and, especially since the end of World War II, through a
political solution. In a United Nations referendum held
in 1967, only 44 of the more than 12,000 voters said
they preferred to be governed by Spain. Britain's
respect for the wishes of Gibraltarians as regards their
nationality is expressed in the Constitution of
Gibraltar. Gibraltarians are a mix of Moorish, British,
Maltese, Asian, Genoese and Spanish ancestry and speak
both English and Castilian. Most are Catholic. Average
life expectancy is 79 years.
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