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Gibraltar

Coat of Arms with text "Montis insignia calpe" (Latin: "Badge of the Rock of Gibraltar") (In detail) (In detail)
Motto: Nulli Expugnabilis Hosti (Latin: Conquered By No Enemy)
Languages	English (official), an English-influenced Spanish dialect called Yanito is also spoken
Capital	(Gibraltar)
Coordinates	36°07′N 5°21′W / 36.117°N 5.350°W / 36.117; -5.350
Head of state	Queen Elizabeth II
Governor and Commander-in-Chief	Sir Francis Richards
Chief Minister	Peter Caruana
Area  - Total  - % water	not ranked (192 if) 6.5 km² -
Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density	not ranked (190 if) 27,776 4270/km²
Currency	Gibraltar Pound (ISO 4217: GIP)
Time zone  - in summer	CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2)
Anthem	Gibraltar Anthem
National day	10 September
National colours	red and white
Internet TLD	.gi
Calling code	350¹
1. 9567 from Spain

Gibraltar is a colony of the United Kingdom on the southern coast of Spain, a strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar that links the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, also placing it between Europe and Africa. The British Armed Forces had a major presence on the territory, and although the forces' presence now is much reduced, there are many reminders of their previous importance.

The issue of sovereignty over Gibraltar is a major issue of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations. Spain requests the return of sovereignty over Gibraltar since it was conquered in 1704. A majority of 98.97 percent of the Gibraltar population voted in a referendum in November 2002 not to share sovereignty with Spain.

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 & Common Agricultural Policy.

The name of the rock comes from the Arabic name of Jebel Tarik (جبل طارق) meaning Tariq's mountain. It refers to the Ummayad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad who led the Muslim conquest of Spain in 711 at the head of an army of Berbers, Syrians and Yemenis. Earlier it was Calpe, one of the Pillars of Hercules. Today, Gibraltar is also known colloquially as 'Gib' or 'the Rock'.

History

Politics

Main article: Politics of Gibraltar, see also Disputed status of Gibraltar.

As an overseas territory of the UK, Gibraltar has had considerable internal self-government since the introduction of its present constitution in 1969. The Governor of Gibraltar, appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, is responsible for defence, foreign relations, internal security and financial stability. All other matters, defined as 'domestic', are the responsibility of the Council of Ministers, with the leader of the majority party in the elected House of Assembly appointed as Chief Minister.

The issue of sovereignty continues to dominate Gibraltar politics. Both main political parties, the Gibraltar Social-Democrats (GSD) and the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) are opposed to any transfer of sovereignty to Spain. Spain continues to request the return of sovereignty over the territory, and the British Government, whilst stating that no change would take place without the consent of the people of Gibraltar, in 2002 accepted the principle of joint sovereignty between the United Kingdom and Spain. All local political parties opposed this move, instead supporting self-determination for the Rock, as do the main UK opposition parties. The notion of accepting an arrangement with Spain was resoundingly rejected by the population in two referenda held in 1967 and in 2002, the latter just months after the joint sovereignty principle was accepted by the British government. On the former occasion well over 95 percent of voters said they wanted to remain British; on the latter occasion, 98.97 percent rejected any proposal for shared sovereignty.

In view of the UK Government's repeated committment to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar, as laid out in the Constitution, the proposal for joint sovereignty is now considered dead.

(For details on Gibraltar's status in the EU, see Special member state territories and their relations with the EU.)

Defence

Defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. Military forces are commanded by Headquarters British Forces Gibraltar.

Army

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.

Royal Navy

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.

From that date onwards, Gibraltar has been an important base for the Royal Navy. In recognition of this importance it was awarded the Freedom of the City in 2004.

British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Z berths at Gibraltar (source: Hansard). A Z berth provides the facility for nuclear submarines to visit for operational or recreational purposes, and for non-nuclear repairs.

Royal Air Force

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.

Intelligence Services

The Rock is 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.

Death on the Rock

In 1988 the British SAS killed 3 unarmed Provisional IRA volunteers, Mairead Farrell, Sean Savage and Daniel McCann on Gibraltar as part of Operation Flavius. They were in Gibraltar on a PIRA operation. A car, hired by the 3 was subsequently discovered laden with Semtex explosive. This incident was the subject of a contentious Thames Television documentary, Death on the Rock, which many credit with being the main factor in Thames losing its ITV licence in 1992.

The families of the deceased took the case to the European Court of Human Rights which by ten votes to nine held that the British Government had violated Article 2 of the Convention. It also ruled that the three were engaged in an act of terrorism, and consequently dismissed unanimously the applicants’ claims for damages, for costs and expenses incurred in the Gibraltar Inquest and the remainder of the claims for just satisfaction.

Military Significance

Throughout modern history, from when it was captured by the British Navy and held as a naval base thereafter, Gibraltar has been of great military importance as a garrison and base for logistical protection in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic. In every major war involving the United Kingdom it has been a naval and since WW2 an aviation facility of key strategic value.

Geography

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.

The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers. 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 soon to be replaced by a reverse osmosis plant (currently operational) built into the rock itself.

Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with approximately 4,245 people per km (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).

Subdivisions

Gibraltar has no known administrative divisions. However, it can be divided into 7 residential areas. They are listed below, with population figures from the Census of 2001:

Culture

Main article: Culture of Gibraltar

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, and patients requiring medical treatment not available on the Rock receive it there.

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.

Miscellaneous

• Communications in Gibraltar
• Transport in Gibraltar

See also

• Gibraltar Services Police
• Royal Gibraltar Police

External links

• Government of Gibraltar including tourist office
• The Official Gibraltar Homepage
• National Symbols
• CIA Factbook
• Gibraltar ccTLD NIC
• Gibraltar, the Unofficial Homepage
• Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation with daily news
• Gibraltar at Google Maps
• Q&A about Gibraltar at the BBC.co.uk

• Disputed territories
• European dependencies
• Gibraltar
• Arabic words