home > Interactive Voyage Chart > Voyage Location
Gibraltar
 |
|
Official name: Gibraltar
Area: 6,5 Km²
Population: 27,776
(2003 est.)
Density: 4254 pop/Km²
Capital: Gibraltar
Language 
Location: 36°07′N 5°21′W
Time Zone
CET (UTC+1)
In Summer CEST (UTC+2)
Time Now |
| ********************************************************************************* |
The territory covers 6.543 square kilometres (2.53 square miles). It shares a 1.2 kilometre land border with Spain and has 12 kilometres 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.
Its terrain is a narrow coastal lowland bordering the 426-metre (1.397.6-foot) high Rock of Gibraltar.
It has negligible natural resources and limited natural freshwater resources, until recently using large concrete or natural rock water catchments to collect rain water. It now has a desalination plant using reverse osmosis which is built into the rock itself.
Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with approximately 4,245 people per km2 (10,979 per sq mile). The growing demand for space is being increasingly met by land reclamation, which comprises approximately one tenth of the territory's total area.
The Rock itself is made of limestone and is 426 metres (1,396 feet) high. It contains many miles of roads, most of which are closed to the public. Most of its area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 250 Barbary Apes, the only wild monkeys in Europe. Superstition holds that if ever the Apes leave so will the British, so they are well looked after by the government (a situation rather analogous to the ravens of the Tower of London).
The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers.
Gibraltar Weather Now
The culture of Gibraltar reflects Gibraltarians' diverse origins. While there are Andalusian and British influences, the ethnic origins of most Gibraltarians is not confined to British or Andalusian ethnicities. Most ethnicities include Genoese, Maltese, Portuguese, and Germans. A handful of other Gibraltar residents are Jewish of Sephardic or of North African origin or even Hindu.
British influence remains strong. Although Gibraltarians often speak to each other in an English-influenced Andalusian dialect called Yanito or Llanito, 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 it there as private patients, paid for by the Gibraltar Government.
Gibraltar celebrates its National Day annually on 10th September, the date chosen to commemorate the 1967 Referendum which was the first act of self-determination of the people of Gibraltar. Despite the political undertones of the day, it is very much a festive occasion, with everyone dressing in Red & White and congregating in the main square (Casemates) to celebrate. 30,000 red and white balloons are released followed by music, dancing and other events around Gibraltar.
Gibraltar has a population of approximately 27,884 as of July 2005. The Gibraltarian's origins are Andalusian Spaniards, British, and settlers from elsewhere in the Mediterranean (mainly Genoese and Maltese). MORE
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 offically appoints the Chief Minister and government ministers after an election. He is responsible for matters of defence, security and the Royal Gibraltar Police.
The Government of Gibraltar is elected for a term of four years. The unicameral House of Assembly consists of fifteen elected members, eight Government members, seven opposition members and two ex-officio members appointed by the Governor, the Financial Development Secretary and the Attorney-General. The speaker is nominated by the Government.
The head of Government is the Chief Minister, currently Peter Caruana. There are three political parties currently represented in the House of Assembly: Gibraltar Social Democrats; Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party; and Gibraltar Liberal Party. New Gibraltar Democracy has has been formed subsequent to the 2003 election.
The Reform party and Gibraltar Labour Party having failed to achive any popular support, ceased operating in 2005.
Gibraltar is a part of the European Union, having joined under the British Treaty of Accession, with exemption from some areas such as the Customs Union and Common Agricultural Policy. Since 2004, the people of Gibraltar have been entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament as part of the South West England region.
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, instead supporting self-determination for the Rock. This policy is supported by the main UK opposition parties. In view of the UK Government's repeated commitment to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar, as laid out in the Constitution, the proposal for joint sovereignty is now considered dead.
MORE
The main religion is Christianity, the majority group being the Roman Catholic Church, then the Church of England. There is a long established Jewish community, a number of hindu Indians and a Moroccan muslim population.
The official language is English, which is the main language used for government and business purposes. Many locals also use Llanito, a mixture of English and Andalusian Spanish, with some words not native to either.
English (official), Spanish
Learn Spanish
Spanish is the fourth most-widely spoken language in the world according to some sources, while other sources list it as the second or third most spoken language. It is spoken as a first language by about 352 million people, or by 417 million including non-native speakers.
If you would like to learn some Spanish words you can download the Words Galore application below that has over 1,000 spanish words or follow the external web links to access some useful Spanish language sites.
Words Galore Appplication Download (WordsGalore.com web site)
Spanish Numbers Web SIte
To get you started and introduce you to Spanish, we have put some basic phrases in Spanish below.
Click to hear the Spanish phrase, the words to the right of the icon are how to say it.
Basic Phrases |
| Hello |
Hola |
| Goodbye |
Adios |
| Good Morning |
Buenas Dias |
| Good Afternoon |
Buenas Tardes |
| Good Evening |
Buenas Noches |
| Do you speak English? |
Habla usted inglés? |
| I don't speak Spanish |
No Hablo español |
| I don't understand |
No Comprendo |
| Please |
Por Favor |
| I'm sorry |
Disculpame |
Human settlement in Gibraltar can be traced back to the Phoenicians around 950 BC, although there is earlier evidence of habitation by the Neanderthals, a prehistoric species of humanoids, closely related to humans. Semi permanent settlements were later established by the Carthaginians and Romans. Gibraltar was named at that time as one of the Pillars of Hercules, after the legend of the creation of the Straits of Gibraltar.
The first permanent settlement was built by the Almohad Sultan Abd al-Mu'min. Gibraltar then passed to a successive line of empires, eventually becoming a part of Castile and then Spain. The United Kingdom captured the territory in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. In the Treaty of Utrecht which ended the war, Spain ceded Gibraltar and Minorca to the United Kingdom, which has retained sovereignty ever since, despite early attempts by Spain to recapture the town.
Gibraltar then became an important naval base for the Royal Navy, playing 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 its colonies in 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. Plans by Nazi Germany to capture the Rock were frustrated by Spain's reluctance to allow the German Army onto Spanish soil.
In the 1950s, Spain 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. 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 Spain completely closed the border with Gibraltar and severed all communication links.
In 1981 it was announced that The Prince and Princess of Wales would visit Gibraltar onboard the Britannia as part of their honeymoon. In response the Spanish King, Juan Carlos I refused to attend their wedding in London.
In 1988, SAS troops foiled an attempted terrorist attack on the British Army Garrison by members of the IRA.
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 votes to 187. The question of Gibraltar continues to dominate Anglo-Spanish relations. MORE
Gibraltar Pound (GIP), British Pound
The British military traditionally dominated the economy of Gibraltar, with the naval dock yard providing the bulk of economic activity. This has however reduced in the last twenty years, and it is estimated to account or only 7% of the local economy, compared with over 60% in 1984.
Nowadays Gibraltar has an extensive service sector based economy, dominated by financial services and tourism. Favourable tax laws allow many of the large British banks to retain a presence in Gibraltar. Tourism is a significant industry, with Gibraltar utilising its port facilities for cruise ships; and capitalising on day visitors from resorts in Spain. Recently the Gambling sector has relocated from the UK to Gibraltar, to benefit from more lax tax and legal restrictions.
Figures from the CIA World Factbook show that Gibraltar has a GDP of over £432 million ($769 million); with a per capita figure of £15,700 ($28,000).
The main export markets in 2004 were France (19.4%), Spain 14.1%, Turkmenistan (12.1%), Switzerland (11.7%), Germany (10.1%), United Kingdom (9.1%) and Greece (6.8%) .
Within Gibraltar, the main form of transport is the car. Motor bikes are popular and there is a good modern bus service. Unlike other British territories, traffic drives on the right, as it shares a land border with Spain.
There is a cable car which runs from ground level in the centre of Gibraltar to one of the highest points, with a stop half way at the apes den.
The only transport link with Spain is by land, as Spain bans all air and ferry links with Gibraltar. Despite this, Gibraltar Airport, maintains regular flight connections to London and Manchester. There were flights to Morocco but there was insufficient demand to sustain the service.
Motorists, and on occasion, pedestrians crossing the border with Spain are randomly subjected to long delays and searches by the Spanish authorities. Spain has closed the border during disputes with the Gibraltar authorities, for example when the Aurora cruise ship called into Gibraltar. MORE
MORE
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 its 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 named Rooke after Sir George Rooke who captured the Rock for Archduke Charles (pretender to the Spanish throne) in 1704. Gibraltar's naval docks are an important base for NATO. Ships from the Spanish navy do not dock at Gibraltar.
British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Z berths at Gibraltar. 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.
The Rock is believed to be a sigint listening post for telecommunications throughout North Africa, and because of its strategic location it still remains a key base for NSA and GCHQ coverage of the Mediterranean.
Link - Provides detailed information and statistics on Geography, People, Government, Economy, Communications, Transportation, Military and Transnational Issues.
Link - link to a Wikipedia page providing a wealth of information from History and Culture through to Politics and Religion
Link - link to the latest New Headlines for this country
Link - link to GE Source World Guide providing country profile, demographics, economic data, satellite images
Government of Gibraltar
Government of Gibraltar - London Office
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (with radio streaming)
Q&A about Gibraltar at the BBC.co.uk
