'Gibraltar' () is a
British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the
Iberian Peninsula overlooking the
Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with
Spain to the north. Gibraltar has historically been an important base for the
British Armed Forces and is the site of a
Royal Navy base.
The name of the territory is derived from the
Arabic name ''Jabal Tāriq'' (جبل طارق), meaning "mountain of Tariq", or from ''Gibel Tāriq'', meaning "rock of Tariq".
[1] It refers to the geological formation, the
Rock of Gibraltar, and the
Berber Umayyad general
Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who led the initial incursion
into Iberia in advance of the main Moorish force in 711. Earlier, it was known as 'Mons Calpe', one of the
Pillars of Hercules. Today, Gibraltar is known colloquially as 'Gib' or 'The Rock'.
The
sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major issue of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations.
Spain requests the return of sovereignty, ceded by Spain in perpetuity in 1713 under the
Treaty of Utrecht. The overwhelming majority of
Gibraltarians strongly oppose this, along with any proposal of shared sovereignty
[2][3].
History
Main articles: History of Gibraltar
There is evidence of human habitation in Gibraltar as early as by the
Neanderthals, an extinct species of the
Homo genus. The first historical people known to have settled there were the
Phoenicians around 950 BC. Semi-permanent settlements were later established by the
Carthaginians and
Romans. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Gibraltar came briefly under the control of the
Vandals, and would later form part of the Visigothic Kingdom of
Hispania until its collapse due to the
Muslim conquest in 711 AD. At that time, Gibraltar was named as one of the
Pillars of Hercules, after the legend of the creation of the
Straits of Gibraltar.
On
April 30,
711, the
Umayyad general
Tariq ibn Ziyad led a Berber-dominated army across the Strait from
Ceuta. He first attempted to land at
Algeciras but failed. Subsequently, he landed undetected at the southern point of the Rock from present-day
Morocco in his quest for Spain. Little was built during the first four centuries of
Moorish control.
The first permanent settlement was built by the
Almohad Sultan
Abd al-Mu'min, who ordered the construction of a fortification on the Rock, the remains of which are still present. Gibraltar would later become part of the Kingdom of Granada until 1309, when it would be briefly occupied by Castilian troops. In 1333, it was conquered by the
Marinids who had invaded Muslim Spain. The Marinids ceded Gibraltar to the
Kingdom of Granada in 1374. Finally, it was
reconquered definitively by the
Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1462, ending 750 years of Moorish control.
In the initial years under Medina Sidonia, Gibraltar was granted sovereignty as a home to a population of exiled
Sephardic Jews.
Pedro de Herrera, a Jewish
converso from
Córdoba who had led the conquest of Gibraltar, led a group of 4,350 Jews from Córdoba and
Seville to establish themselves in the town. A community was built and a garrison established to defend the peninsula. However, this lasted only three years. In 1476, the Duke of Medina Sidonia realigned with the Spanish Crown; the
Sefardim were then forced back to Córdoba and the
Spanish Inquisition. In 1501 Gibraltar passed under the hands of the Spanish Crown, which had been established in 1479. Gibraltar was granted
its coat of arms by a
Royal Warrant passed in
Toledo by
Isabella of Castile in 1501.
The naval
Battle of Gibraltar took place on
April 25,
1607 during the
Eighty Years' War when a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish fleet anchored at the Bay of Gibraltar. During the four-hour action, the entire Spanish fleet was destroyed.
During the
War of the Spanish Succession, British and Dutch troops, allies of
Archduke Charles, the Austrian pretender to the Spanish Crown, formed a confederate fleet and attacked various towns on the southern coast of Spain. On
4 August 1704, after six hours of bombardment starting at 5 a.m., the confederate fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir George Rooke assisted by
Field Marshal Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt comprising some 1800 Dutch and British marines captured the town of Gibraltar and claimed it in the name of the Archduke Charles. Terms of surrender
[4] were agreed upon, after which much of the population chose to leave Gibraltar peacefully.
Franco-Spanish troops failed to retake the town, and British sovereignty over Gibraltar was subsequently recognised by the 1713
Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the war. Spain ceded Gibraltar and
Minorca to the United Kingdom, which has retained sovereignty over the former ever since, despite all attempts by Spain to recapture it.
At the time of the cession of Gibraltar in perpetuity to the British Crown, various fortifications were established and occupied by British troops in the area which came to be known as "the British Neutral Ground." This was the area to the north of Gibraltar, militarily conquered and continuously occupied by the British except during time of war. (The sovereignty of this area, which today contains the airport, cemetery, a number of housing estates and the sports centre, is separately
disputed by Spain.)
During the
American Revolutionary War, the Spanish, who had entered the conflict against the British, imposed a stringent blockade against Gibraltar as part of an unsuccessful siege (the
Great Siege of Gibraltar) that lasted for more than three years, from 1779 to 1783. On
14 September 1782, the British destroyed the floating batteries of the French and Spanish besiegers, and in February 1783 the signing of peace preliminaries ended the siege.
[5]
Gibraltar subsequently became an important naval base for the
Royal Navy and played an important part in the
Battle of Trafalgar. Its strategic value increased with the opening of the
Suez Canal, as it controlled the important sea route between the UK and colonies such as
India and
Australia. During
World War II, the civilian residents of Gibraltar were evacuated, and the Rock was turned into a fortress. An
airfield was built over the civilian racecourse. Guns on Gibraltar controlled the entrance to the
Mediterranean Sea, but plans by
Nazi Germany to capture the Rock, codenamed
Operation Felix, were frustrated by Spain's reluctance to allow the
German Army onto Spanish soil. Germany's Admiral
Wilhelm Canaris, head of the
Abwehr, also helped by filing a pointedly negative assessment of the options. Canaris was a leader of the German high command resistance to Hitler, and it is thought that he frustrated the attack to limit Germany's aggression..
In the
1950s, Spain, then under the dictatorship of
Francisco Franco, renewed its claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar, sparked in part by the visit of
Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Rock's capture. For the next thirty years, Spain restricted movement between Gibraltar and Spain, in application of one of the articles of the Treaty. A referendum was held on
September 10,
1967, in which Gibraltar's voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty, or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour of continuance of British sovereignty, with 12,138 to 44 voting to reject Spanish sovereignty. In response, in
1969 Spain completely closed the border with Gibraltar and severed all communication links.
View of the frontier from the Spanish side.
The border with Spain was partially reopened in 1982, and fully reopened in 1985 after Spain's accession into the
European Community. Joint talks on the future of the Rock held between Spain and the United Kingdom have occurred since the late
1980s, with various proposals for joint sovereignty discussed. However, another referendum organised in Gibraltar rejected the idea of joint sovereignty by 17,900 (98.97%) votes to 187 (1.03%). The British Government restated that, in accordance with the preamble of the constitution of Gibraltar, the "UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes." The question of Gibraltar continues to affect
Anglo-Spanish relations.
In 1981 it was announced that the honeymoon for the royal wedding between prince Charles and Diana Spencer would start from Gibraltar. The Spanish Government responded that King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia had declined their invitation to the ceremony as an act of protest.
[6]
In 1988,
SAS troops shot and killed three members of the
IRA who were planning an attack on the British Army band. The ensuing "
Death on the Rock" controversy prompted a major political row in the UK.
2006 saw representatives of the
United Kingdom, Gibraltar and
Spain conclude talks in
Córdoba, Spain, a landmark agreement on a range of cross-cutting issues affecting the Rock and the ''
Campo de Gibraltar'' removing many of the restrictions imposed by
Spain.
[7] This agreement resolved a number of long standing issues; improved flow of traffic at the frontier, use of the airport by other carriers, recognition of the 350 telephone code and the settlement of the long-running dispute regarding the pensions of former Spanish workers in Gibraltar, who lost their jobs when Spain closed its border in 1969.
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Gibraltar
As an overseas territory of the UK, the head of state is
Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by the
Governor of Gibraltar. The UK retains responsibility for
defence,
foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability. The Governor is not involved in the day-to-day administration of Gibraltar, and his role is largely as a ceremonial head of state. The Governor officially appoints the Chief Minister and government ministers after an election. He is responsible for matters of defence, and security. On
17 July 2006, Sir Francis left on HMS Monmouth leaving the symbolic keys of the fortress of Gibraltar with the Deputy Governor. A new governor,
Lt General Sir Robert Fulton KBE, replaced
Sir Francis Richards in September 2006
[8].
The Government of Gibraltar is elected for a term of four years. The
unicameral Parliament presently consists of fifteen elected members, to be increased to seventeen at the next election. The speaker is appointed by a resolution of the Parliament.
Parliament of Gibraltar
The head of Government is the
Chief Minister, currently
Peter Caruana. There are three political parties currently represented in the Parliament: the
Gibraltar Social Democrats, the
Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, and the
Gibraltar Liberal Party.
New Gibraltar Democracy and the
Progressive Democratic Party have been formed since the 2003 election. The
Reform Party and
Gibraltar Labour Party, having failed to achieve any popular support, ceased operating in 2005.
Gibraltar is a part of the
European Union, having joined under the British Treaty of Accession (1973), with exemption from some areas such as the
Customs Union and
Common Agricultural Policy.
After a ten year campaign
[9] to exercise the right to vote in European Elections, from 2004, the people of Gibraltar participated in elections for the
European Parliament as part of the
South West England constituency
[10].
As a result of the continued Spanish claim, the issue of
sovereignty features strongly in Gibraltar politics. All local political parties are opposed to any transfer of sovereignty to Spain. They instead support
self-determination for the Rock. This policy is supported by the main UK opposition parties.
In March 2006, UK
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced that a new Gibraltar constitution had been agreed upon and would be published prior to a referendum on its acceptance in Gibraltar that year
[11]. In July, in a statement to the UK Parliament,
Geoff Hoon, the Minister for Europe, confirmed that the new Constitution confirms the right of self-determination of the Gibraltarian people.
[12]
On
30 November 2006,
a referendum was held for
a new constitution. The turnout was 60.4% of eligible voters of which 60.24% voted to approve the constitution and 37.75% against. The remainder returned blank votes. The acceptance was welcomed by the Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, as a step forward for Gibraltar's political development.
Geography
The Rock of Gibraltar, West Side town area, 2006.
The territory covers 2.53
square miles (6.543 km²). It shares a three-quarter mile (1.2 km) land border with
Spain and has 7½ miles (12 km) of shoreline. There are two coasts (''sides'') of Gibraltar – the
East Side, which contains the settlements of
Sandy Bay and
Catalan Bay, and the
West Side, where the vast majority of the population lives.
Satellite view of the Bay of Gibraltar (
NASA).
The climate is
Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers. There are two main prevailing winds, an easterly one known as the ''
Levante'' coming from the Sahara in Africa which brings humid weather and warmer sea and the other as ''Poniente'' which is westerly and brings fresher air in and colder sea. Its terrain consists of the 1,396
foot (426
m) high
Rock of Gibraltar and the narrow coastal lowland surrounding it.
Having negligible natural resources and few natural freshwater resources, limited to natural wells in the north, until recently Gibraltar used large concrete or natural rock water catchments to collect water. Fresh water from the boreholes is supplemented by two
desalination plants: a
reverse osmosis plant, constructed in a tunnel within the rock, and a
multi-stage flash distillation plant at North Mole.
[13]
Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with approximately 11,187 people per square mile (4,303/km²). The growing demand for space is being increasingly met by
land reclamation; reclaimed land currently comprises approximately one tenth of the territory's total area.
The Rock itself is made of
limestone and is 1,396 feet (426 m) high. It contains many miles of tunnelled roads, most of which are operated by the military and closed to the public.
Most of its upper area is covered by a
nature reserve, which is home to around 230
Barbary Macaques, commonly known as 'apes', the only wild
monkeys found in Europe. They sometimes visit the town area. Recent genetic studies and historical documents point to their presence on the Rock before its capture by the British. A superstition analogous to that of the
ravens at the
Tower of London states that if the monkeys ever leave, so will the British.
Subdivisions
Map of Gibraltar
Gibraltar has no administrative divisions. It is, however, divided into seven Major Residential Areas, which are further divided into Enumeration Areas, used for statistical purposes. The Major Residential Areas are listed below, with population figures from the Census of 2001:
| | Residential area | Population | % of total |
|---|
1. | East Side | 429 | 1.54% | 2. | North District | 4,116 | 14.97% | 3. | Reclamation Areas | 9,599 | 34.91% | 4. | Sandpits Area | 2,207 | 8.03% | 5. | South District | 4,257 | 15.48% | 6. | Town Area | 3,588 | 13.05% | 7. | Upper Town | 2,805 | 10.20% | | ''Remainder'' | 494 | 1.82% | | 'Gibraltar' | '27,495' | 100% |
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Gibraltar
The British military traditionally dominated the economy of Gibraltar, with the naval dockyard providing the bulk of economic activity. This has however diminished in the last twenty years, and it is estimated to account for only 7% of the local economy, compared to over 60% in 1984. Today, Gibraltar has an extensive service-based economy, dominated by
financial services and
tourism.
A number of British and international banks have operations based in Gibraltar. Recently, many bookmakers and online gaming operators have relocated to Gibraltar, to benefit from operating in a regulated jurisdiction with a favourable corporate tax regime. However, this corporate tax regime for non-resident controlled companies is due to be phased out by 2010.
Tourism is also a significant industry. Gibraltar is a popular stop for cruise ships and attracts day visitors from resorts in Spain. The Rock is a popular tourist attraction, particularly among British tourists and residents in the southern coast of Spain. It is also a popular shopping destination, and all goods and services are
VAT free. Many of the large British high street chains have branches in Gibraltar, including
Marks and Spencer,
BHS,
Dorothy Perkins, and the supermarket
Morrisons.
Figures from the
CIA World Factbook show the main export markets in 2006 were
United Kingdom 30.8%,
Spain 22.7%,
Germany 13.7%,
Turkmenistan 10.4%,
Switzerland 8.3%,
Italy 6.7% while the corresponding figures for imports are
Spain 23.4%,
Russia 12.3%,
Italy 12%, UK 9%,
France 8.9%,
Netherlands 6.8% and
United States 4.7%
[14].
The Gibraltar Government state that economy grew in 2004/2005 by 7% to a GDP of 599.18 million pounds. Based on statistics in the 2006 surveys, the Government statisticians estimate it has grown by 8.5% in 2005/6 and by 10.8% in 2006/7 and that the GDP is probably now around 730 million. Inflation was running at 2.6% in 2006 and predicted to be 2% to 3% in 2007. Speaking at the 2007 budget session, Peter Caruana, the Chief Minister said "The scale of Gibraltar's economic success makes it one of the most affluent communities in the entire world."
Currency
Main articles: Gibraltar pound
The Currency Notes Act confers on the Government of Gibraltar the right to issue its own currency notes, at parity with
pound sterling[15]. The monetary unit of Gibraltar is described both as "pound sterling"
[16] [17] [18] and also referred to as the "Gibraltar pound"
[19][20]. The ISO code "GIP" is assigned to the Gibraltar pound. Government of Gibraltar notes in circulation bear the words "Pounds sterling".
[21] and are legal tender in Gibraltar, but not in the United Kingdom or the other territories of the
Sterling Area. Sterling currency notes issued by the
Bank of England are legal tender and are in circulation in Gibraltar alongside the local note issues. The
euro is unofficially accepted in Gibraltar, though not by post offices or all payphones.
[22]
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Gibraltar
The population of Gibraltar was 27,967 in July 2007.
[ Gibraltar - Population and Demographics ]
Gibraltarians are a racial and cultural fusion of the many European immigrants who came to the Rock over three hundred years. They are the descendants of economic migrants that came to Gibraltar after the majority of the Spanish population left in 1704. The few Spaniards who remained in Gibraltar in August 1704 were augmented by others who arrived in the fleet with Prince George of Hesse, possibly some two hundred in all, mostly Catalans.
[23] By 1753
Genoese,
Maltese, and
Portuguese people formed the majority of this new population. Other groups include Minorcans (forced to leave their homes when
Minorca was returned to Spain in 1802), Sardinians, Sicilians and other Italians, French, Germans, and the British. Immigration from Spain and intermarriage with Spaniards from the surrounding Spanish towns was a constant feature of Gibraltar's history until General Francisco Franco closed the border with Gibraltar, cutting off many Gibraltarians from their relatives on the Spanish side of the frontier. The Spanish socialist government reopened the land frontier, but other restrictions remain in place.
Gibraltar's main religion is Christianity, with the majority of Gibraltarians belonging to the
Roman Catholic Church. Christian religious minorities include the
Pentecostals,
Church of England,
Church of Scotland, the
Methodist Church,
Plymouth Brethren, a ward of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
Jehovah's Witnesses. There are also a number of
Hindu Indians, a
Moroccan Muslim population, members of the
Bahá'í faith[24] and a long-established
Jewish community.
Language
Main articles: Languages of Gibraltar
The official language is
English, which is used by the courts, and for government and business purposes. Most residents also speak
Spanish to a varying degree due to Gibraltar's proximity to Spain. The majority of Gibraltarians also use
Llanito (pronounced "Yanito") as their
vernacular language, a
dialect of
Andalusian Spanish strongly influenced by English that also incorporates some words native to neither.
Arabic and
Hindi are also spoken by the Moroccan and Indian communities respectively. Other languages are also in use within minority groups. For example
Maltese (which used to be spoken widely during the 19th century in Gibraltar), is still spoken by a few local families of Maltese descent.
Education
Education in Gibraltar generally follows the
United Kingdom's system.
The first year of education in Gibraltar is done in nursery or
pre-school. Attendance is from 3 to 4 years and is not compulsory. This follows through to
Reception, where attendance is up to 5 years and still not compulsory. Compulsory education starts at the age of 5 years with
Primary education. In Gibraltar Primary education lasts for 7 years. Gibraltarian students enter a
single-sex Secondary school at the age of 12 (all education before this age follows a
coeducational system). Following a four-year course preparing for
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), students sit for final examinations at the age of 16. Students can take on up to 10 GCSE subjects including the core 5 (
English,
Mathematics,
Science,
Religious studies and
Spanish). Students willing to continue their studies after taking their GCSEs can move onto
sixth form providing they have obtained a minimum requirement of 5 subject passes at grade C or higher (generally including
English,
Mathematics and
Science). Here the student will go onto a two-year
A-Level course, sitting Advanced Subsidiary (AS) examinations at the end of the first year and Advanced 2 (A2) examinations at the end of the course. Gibraltarian students can take up to 4 different A-Levels simultaneously.
Gibraltar has fourteen
state schools, one
MOD school, one
private school and one
College of Further Education.
Primary schools
★
Governor's Meadow School
★ Loreto Convent First School and Nursery (
private)
★ Notre Dame First School and Nursery
★
St Bernard's First School and Nursery
★ St Joseph's First School and Nursery
★ St Mary's First School
★ St Paul's First School and Nursery
Middle schools
★ Bishop Fitzgerald School
★ Loreto Convent Middle School (
private)
★
Sacred Heart Middle School
★
St Anne's Middle School
★ St Christopher's Middle School (
MOD)
★ St Joseph's Middle School
Secondary schools
★
Bayside Comprehensive School (
single-sex)
★
Westside School (
single-sex)
Special needs schools
★ St Martin's School
Religious schools
★
Hebrew School
Higher education
There are no facilities in Gibraltar for full-time
higher education, and consequently, all students must study elsewhere at
degree or degree equivalent level and certain non-degree courses. The
Government of Gibraltar operates a
scholarship/grant system to provide funding for students studying in
Britain. All teacher-training takes place in UK
universities and
colleges.
[25]
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Gibraltar
Tercentenary celebrations in Gibraltar.
The culture of Gibraltar reflects Gibraltarians' diverse origins. While there are
Andalusian and British influences, the ethnic origins of most Gibraltarians are not confined to British or Andalusian ethnicities. Most ethnicities include
Genoese,
Maltese,
Portuguese, and
German. A handful of other Gibraltar residents are Jewish of
Sephardic origin,
North African, or
Hindu.
British influence remains strong. English is the language of government, commerce, education, and the media. Gibraltarians going on to higher education attend university in the UK. Patients requiring medical treatment not available on the Rock receive as private patients paid for by the Gibraltar Government either in the United Kingdom, or more recently in Spain.
There exists a small but interesting amount of literary writings by native Gibraltarians. The first prominent work of fiction was probably Héctor Licudi's 1929 novel ''Barbarita'', written in Spanish. It is a largely autobiographical account of the adventures and misadventures of a young Gibraltarian man. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, several noteworthy anthologies of poetry were published by Leopoldo Sanguinetti, Albert Joseph Patron, and Alberto Pizzarello. The 1960s were largely dominated by the theatrical works of Elio Cruz and his two highly acclaimed Spanish plays ''La Lola se va pá Londre'' and ''Connie con cama camera en el comedor''. In the 1990s, the Gibraltarian
man-of-letters Mario Arroyo published ''Profiles'' (1994), a series of bilingual meditations on love, loneliness and death. Of late there have been interesting works by the essayist Mary Chiappe such as her volume of essays ''Cabbages and Kings'' (2006) and by the UK-educated academic M. G. Sanchez, author of the hard-hitting novel ''Rock Black 0-10: A Gibraltar fiction'' (2006).
National Day
Symbolic release of 30,000 red and white balloons on National Day, one for every person living on The Rock.
Gibraltar's National Day commemorates the 1967 referendum when the people of Gibraltar voted to reject Spanish annexation by a massive majority. It is celebrated annually on
September 10. The day is a public holiday, during which most Gibraltarians dress in the national colours of red and white and, among other events, attend a rally. The rally culminates with the release of 30 000 red and white
balloons representing the people of Gibraltar.
The
Conservative MP
Andrew Rosindell described the event as:
Tercentenary
Gibraltarians encircle the Rock in 2004.
In 2004, Gibraltar celebrated the tercentenary (the 300th anniversary) of its capture by British forces. In recognition of and with thanks for its long association with Gibraltar, the
Royal Navy was given the
freedom of the City. Another event saw nearly the entire population, dressed in red, white and blue, link hands to form a human chain encircling the Rock.
Sport
In
2007 there were eighteen Gibraltar Sports Associations with official recognition from their respective International Governing Bodies. Others, including the Gibraltar National Olympic Committee, have submitted applications for recognition which are being considered. The Government supports the many sporting associations financially.
Football
Main articles: Gibraltar Football Association
A long running application by the
Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) to join
UEFA, which would enable Gibraltar to field its own
national team in international matches, was rejected due to political objections expressed by the
Spanish Football Federation[26]. Despite a ruling in Gibraltar's favour by the world's highest sporting court ordering admission in 2006, in 2007 the UEFA Congress voted against admission of Gibraltar, after strong lobbying by the Spanish delegation.
Transport
The Cable Car.
Within Gibraltar, the main form of transport is the car. Motorbikes are popular and there is a good modern bus service. Unlike in other British territories, traffic drives on the right, as the territory shares a land border with Spain.
There is a
cable car which runs from ground level to the top of the rock, with an intermediate station at the apes' den.
Restrictions on transport introduced by the Spanish dictator
Francisco Franco closed the land frontier in 1969 and prohibited any air or
ferry connections. In 1982, the land border was reopened. As the result of an agreement signed in
Cordoba on
September 18 2006 between Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain,
[27] the Spanish government agreed to relax the
border controls at the frontier that have plagued locals for decades; in return, Britain will pay increased pensions to workers who lost their jobs when Franco closed the border. Restrictions on telephones were removed in 2007 and restrictions on movements at the airport were removed on
16 December 2006[28]
The first Iberia flight lands at Gibraltar.
Gibraltar maintains regular flight connections to
London and
Madrid. Flights to
Morocco and
Manchester were cancelled after insufficient demand to sustain the service.
GB Airways has operated a service between Gibraltar and London and other cities for many years. The airline initially flew under the name "Gibraltar Airways" but changed its name to GB Airways in 1989 in anticipation of service to cities other than the UK citing the name change would incur fewer political difficulties. The airline now operates flights with British Airways.
Monarch Airlines operate a daily scheduled service between Gibraltar and Luton. The Spanish
national airline Iberia operates a daily service to Madrid. An annual return
charter flight to Malta is operated by Maltese national airline,
Air Malta.
Gibraltar Airport is unusual not only due to its proximity to the centre of the city resulting in the airport terminal being within walking distance of much of Gibraltar
[29] but also because the runway intersects Winston Churchill Avenue, the main north-south street, requiring movable barricades to close when aircraft land or depart. New roads and a tunnel for Winston Churchill Avenue, which will end the need to stop road traffic when aircraft use the runway, are planned with a completion date of 2009.
[23] [31]
Motorists, and on occasion pedestrians, crossing the border with Spain have been subjected to long delays and searches by the Spanish authorities. Spain has closed the border during disputes or incidents involving the Gibraltar authorities, such as the
''Aurora'' cruise ship incident and when fishermen from the Spanish fishing vessel ''Pirana'' were arrested for illegal fishing in Gibraltar waters.
[32]
Communications
Main articles: Communications in Gibraltar
Gibraltar has a digital telephone exchange supported by a fibre optic and copper infrastructure. The telephone operator
Gibtelecom also operates a
GSM network.
International subscriber dialling is provided, and Gibraltar was allocated the access code 350 by the
International Telecommunication Union. This works from all countries with IDD, including Spain, which has accepted it since
February 10 2007 when the
telecom dispute was resolved.
Dial-up, ADSL, high-speed Internet lines are available, as are some
wifi hotspots in hotels.
The
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation operates a television and radio station on UHF, VHF and medium-wave. The radio service is also Internet-streamed. Special events are streamed in video.
The largest and most frequently published newspaper is the ''
Gibraltar Chronicle'', Gibraltar’s oldest established daily newspaper and the world’s second oldest
English language newspaper to have been in print continuously
[33] with daily editions six days a week. ''Panorama'' is published on weekdays, and ''Vox'', ''7 Days'', ''The New People'', and ''Gibsport'' are weekly.
Military
Royal Navy base in Gibraltar.
Gibraltar's defence is the responsibility of the tri-service
British Forces Gibraltar. The army garrison is provided by the
Royal Gibraltar Regiment, originally a part-time reserve force which was placed on the permanent establishment of the
British Army in 1990. The regiment includes full-time and part-time soldiers recruited from Gibraltar, as well as
British Army regulars posted from other regiments.
The
Royal Navy maintains a
squadron at the Rock. The squadron is responsible for the security and integrity of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). The shore establishment at Gibraltar is called ''Rooke'' after
Sir George Rooke who captured the Rock for
Archduke Charles (pretender to the Spanish throne) in 1704. Gibraltar's strategic position provides an important facility for the
Royal Navy and Britain's allies. Ships from the
Spanish Navy do not call at Gibraltar.
British and U.S. nuclear submarines frequently visit the ''Z berths'' at Gibraltar
[34]. A Z berth provides the facility for nuclear submarines to visit for operational or recreational purposes, and for non-nuclear repairs.
The
Royal Air Force station at Gibraltar forms part of Headquarters British Forces Gibraltar. Although aircraft are no longer permanently stationed at
RAF Gibraltar, a variety of RAF aircraft make regular visits to the Rock and the airfield also houses a section from the Met Office.
The Rock is believed to be a
SIGINT listening post for
telecommunications throughout North Africa. Its strategic position also keeps it a key
GCHQ and
NSA base for
Mediterranean coverage.
[35]
During the
Falklands War, an Argentine plan to attack British shipping in the harbour using frogmen (
Operation Algeciras) was foiled.
[36] The naval base also played a part in supporting the task force sent by Britain to recover the Falklands.
In January 2007, the Ministry of Defence announced that services to the base would be provided by the private company SERCO, resulting in industrial action from the trade unions involved.
''Death on the Rock''
Main articles: Operation Flavius
On
March 6 1988, as part of
Operation Flavius, the British
SAS killed three members of the
Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Mairéad Farrell,
Sean Savage and
Daniel McCann. They were in Gibraltar on a IRA operation to plant a car bomb. All three were unarmed at the time, but a car hired by the three was subsequently discovered in Spain with of
Semtex explosive. The incident became the subject of a contentious
Thames Television documentary, ''
Death on the Rock''.
An inquest was held which ruled the SAS's action to be lawful.
[37] The families of the deceased, however, took the case to the
European Court of Human Rights and in 1995 it held by ten votes to nine that the British government had violated Article 2 of the
European Convention on Human Rights. It also ruled, however, that the three killed had been engaged in an act of
terrorism, consequently dismissing unanimously the applicants' claims for damages, for costs and expenses incurred by the original inquest, and for any remaining claims for just satisfaction.
[38] [39]
Gibraltar in popular culture
★ The film ''
The Silent Enemy'' was filmed on location in Gibraltar in 1958. It is a dramatisation of the period during the Second World War when
Lionel "Buster" Crabb served as a mine and disposal officer in Gibraltar while frogmen of the
Italian Navy's Tenth Light Flotilla were sinking vital shipping.
★
Anthony Burgess's novel ''
A Vision of Battlements'' (1965), chronicling the troubled love-life of the British soldier Richard Ennis, is set in Gibraltar.
★ The satirical novel ''
Gil Braltar'' by
Jules Verne (1887) describes an almost successful attack of the monkeys on the fortress.
★ "The Day of an American Journalist in 2889", an 1889 Jules Verne short story, also mentions Gibraltar as the last territory of a British Empire that has lost the British Isles themselves.
★ In 1782
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a
fragment for voice and piano to celebrate the
Great Siege of Gibraltar titled ''.
★
''Raffles' Crime in Gibraltar'' (aka ''They Hang Them in Gibraltar'').
''Raffles' Crime in Gibraltar'' by
Barry Perowne, a
Sexton Blake story set in Gibraltar in 1937 (
U.S. title: ''They Hang Them in Gibraltar'').
★ ''Scruffy'' by
Paul Gallico is set on Gibraltar during World War II. It follows the steady decline in the size of the Macaque colony and the possible fulfilment of the superstition that Gibraltar will fall if it disappears.
★ As
Molly Bloom is a native Gibraltarian, references to Gibraltar appear throughout
James Joyce's ''
Ulysses'' (1922). A sculpture of Molly Bloom as imagined by local artist
Jon Searle is on display in the
Alameda Gardens.
★ The opening scene of the film ''
The Living Daylights'' (from the
James Bond film series) takes place in Gibraltar.
★ In the German film ''
Das Boot'', the submarine has to get past Gibraltar in order to relocate to a base in the Mediterranean sea.
★ The last chapters of the Swedish book ''Luftslottet som sprängdes'' by
Stieg Larsson take place in Gibraltar.
★
Arthur C. Clarke's novel ''
The Fountains of Paradise'' mentions about the '
Gibraltar Bridge', a novel infrastructure connecting Europe and Africa.
★
Arturo Perez-Reverte's novel
Queen of the South, is set in and around Gibraltar.
Notable people from Gibraltar
★
William George Penney - physicist responsible for the development of British
nuclear technology following World War II.
★
John Galliano - fashion designer.
★
Albert Hammond - singer, songwriter and producer.
★
Henry Francis Cary (
1772 -
1844) - translator and poet.
★
Thomas William Bowlby (
1818 -
1860) - correspondent for ''
The Times'' in Germany and China. He was captured and imprisoned by the Tartar General
Sengge Rinchen whilst on correspondence in
Tongzhou,
Beijing.
★
Frederick Stanley Maude (
1864 -
1917) - general who led the successful campaign in
World War I to capture
Baghdad over the winter of 1917.
★
John Beikie (
1766 -
1839) - merchant and political figure in
Upper Canada.
★
Don Pacifico (
1784 -
1854) - Gibraltar-born
Portuguese Jew, most famous for the
Pacifico incident
★
John Montresor (
1736-
1799) - Gibraltar-born
military engineer in the
British service active in
North America, his amorous exploits inspired the best-selling novel ''
Charlotte Temple''.
Music
★
Breed 77
★
Melon Diesel
Twin towns
★
Goole,
England (1969, but lapsed)
★
Ballymena,
Northern Ireland (2006)
[40]
References
1. Origin of Name
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/3851047.stm
3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/gibraltar/story/0,,634007,00.html
4. Terms of Surrender 1704
5. "Gibraltar." Microsoft® Encarta® 2006 [DVD]. Microsoft Corporation, 2005.
6. NYT article
7. Details of 18 September tripartite agreement
8. [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391638&a=KArticle&aid=1148478185999
9. http://www.gibnet.com/eurovote
10. http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/media-centre/newsreleasereviews.cfm/news/226
11. http://www.gibnet.com/texts/con061.htm
12. http://www.gibnet.com/texts/hoon1.htm
13. http://www.aquagib.gi/gibraltar_water_supply.html
14. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gi.html#Econ CIA World Fact Book
15. Currency Notes Act, 11 May 1934, Section 6
16. Gibraltar Government Website on the economy
17. Official Government of Gibraltar London website
18. Official Government of Gibraltar London website
19. Government Website on the Constitution and Legal Services
20. KCountryProfile&aid=1018965242498 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Gibraltar Country Profile
21. http://www.guardianfx.com/information/europe/gibraltar.html
22. p. 232 Lonely Planet Andalucia, Susan Forsyth, John Noble, Vesna Maric
23.
24. Bahai in Gibraltar
25. Government of Gibraltar Education & Training page
26. http://www.gfa.gi/uefa.htm
27. The Cordoba Trilateral Agreement 2006
28. Madrid flights resume
29. http://www.gibnet.com/airport/index.htm
30.
31. http://www.7daysgibraltar.com/article.php?id=655
32. http://www.gibnet.com/fish/pirana.htm
33.
Gibraltar: Fact File
34. http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo981109/text/81109w21.htm
35. COMINT in Gibraltar
36. Operation Algeciras
37. Journal of Law and Society
38. Summary of ECHR review and full report.
39. World News Briefs; Rights Court Says Britain Illegally Killed 3 in I.R.A.
40. Mayor set for Gibraltar - Ballymena ‘twinning’
See also
External links
Maps
General information
★
WIKI on Gibraltar
★
PJHQ Overseas Bases — Gibraltar
★
Reference Documents and images
★
Government of Gibraltar
★
Gibraltar Financial Services Commission
★
Political comment and live webcam
★
Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society GONHS
★
Gibraltar,
CIA Factbook
★
Jewish Gibraltar, The Jerusalem Post
★
Many articles on Gibraltar
★
Gibraltar Local Disability Movement
Culture
★
Literary Figures with connections to Gibraltar, 1700–1900
★
Musicians with Gibraltar connections, 1600–1950
Television, radio and new media
★
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (with radio streaming)
★
Gibfocus
★
Gibnews
Newspapers with online editions
★
The Gibraltar Chronicle
★
Panorama Daily
★
VOX - Gibraltar weekly, with site updated daily
★
The New People
Photo sites
★
Gibraltar News Online Pictures Gallery
★
Gibraltar Photographic Society
★
Photos of Gibraltar by Gibraltarian Photographer
★
Gibraltar Image Databank based in Gibraltar
★
Online galley of people and places in Gibraltar
★
A photographic tour of Gibraltar
★
Gibraltar photo gallery
★
Virtual Tour of Gibraltar
★
Gibraltar image gallery
★
Image gallery and panoramic views
★
Interactive Map of Gibraltar and Wiki Pages
★
Postcard of Gibraltar
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