Where Does Gibraltar Get Its Name From?

• The Rock of Gibraltar is named after Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslim governor of Tangier who landed here in 711, to launch the Islamic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. Jabal Tariq (Mountain of Tariq) eventually became Gibraltar.

The History of Gibraltar

• The Rock is mainly Jurassic Limestone, some 200 million years old.
• Evidence suggests that people have lived in and around Gibraltar for thousands of years. It is possibly the place where the Neanderthals died out.
• The Ancient Greek’s considered Gibraltar to be one of the Pillars of Hercules. This was a key landmark, the area controlling the shipping that passes this narrow part of the Mediterranean
• In 710, a Berber army invaded Spain from North Africa under the command of aforesaid Tariq ibn Ziyad. This invasion eventually led to the Islamic conquest of the entire Iberian Peninsula.
• The Muslims rulers controlled Gibraltar for centuries.
• Spain finally took over the territory in the year 1462 and the Spanish Catholic Monarchs Isabel and Fernando secured Gibraltar as part of Spain!
• In 1700, the Spanish King Charles II died without a designated heir. The British and Dutch were determined that France should not take control of Spain and supported Austria in the Spanish War of Succession. They took control of Gibraltar and The Treaty of Utrecht ceded Gibraltar to Britain permanently.
• Britain kept control of Gibraltar with relative ease over the next few centuries. One exception would by the siege of Gibraltar by France and Spain in the late 18th century – but the Rock resisted and remained a key part of Britain’s Empire.
• In the twentieth century, Gibraltar played an important role in the Second World War.as home to the British Royal Navy’s “Force H.” Eisenhower used Gibraltar as a base to plan and control the American’s landings in North Africa in 1942

Which Country Owns Gibraltar?

• Gibraltar, colloquially known as The Rock, (or simply 'Gib'), is therefore an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It was ceded in perpetuity to Great Britain, by Spain, in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Spain would very much like it back and has tried several times. The French have assisted. That explains all the cannons. Nowadays it's more about being as obstructive as possible, when it comes to border formalities.
• Gibraltar has its own government, making many decisions within the territory, although the UK government in London determines defence and foreign affairs policy.
• The official currency of Gibraltar is the Gibraltar pound (GIP). This is pegged to the British pound sterling at a 1:1 exchange rate. The British pound sterling is also legal tender in Gibraltar, and is accepted everywhere, but the Gibraltar pound is not legal tender in the UK.
• Because of its close proximity to the European mainland, traffic in Gibraltar moves on the right-hand side of the road and the speed limits are in kilometres per hour.
• Many bookmakers and online gaming operators relocated to Gibraltar, in the 2000s, to benefit from operating in the favourable corporate tax regime. They remained, even when the regulations changed.

Gibraltar - Facts and Factoids

• Gibraltar is situated at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula - the southernmost point of Europe, just south of La Linea, in Spain. It is NOT an island., though it is surrounded on three sides by the sea.
• Gibraltar is famous as home to the Barbary tailless macaque (incorrectly referred to as apes at times). This is the only population of wild monkeys in Europe. They were introduced into the area by the Moors. There is a saying that Gibraltar will remain under British rule as long as the 'apes' remain. This caused some agitation in 1913, when the monkey population dwindled to only ten.
• Anyone can get married in Gibraltar, with just one day's notice.
• Lack of space on the island causes some problems. It's only 1 kilometre by 5kilometres. The airport runway is crossed by its busiest road, Winston Churchill Avenue.
• The locals on this densely populated island speak “Llanito”, a mixture of Andalusian Spanish and English, with a few other words from European languages like Maltese, Portuguese and Hebrew, thrown in for good measure.

What to See and Do on Gibraltar?

• Gibraltar is a great place for a weekend break. Most of the accommodation is mid - range and not hugely cheap.
• EasyJet fly in regularly.
• There are beaches, the stuck in the last century town, and The Rock itself to visit - this hosts a multiplicity of attractions including caves, castles and the famous apes. Gibraltar - A Weekend on the Rock
• The shopping is tax free
• If you tire of the land and the views, there are plenty of excursions on the sea, leaving from the busy harbour,
• And if you want still more, Spain waits across the border.