Gibraltar is a British Crown Colony located about 90 km west of Fuengirola. It’s a perfect day trip but don’t forget your passport. The Rock of Gibraltar is home to Europe’s only wild monkeys. Tradition says that as long as these remain, Gibraltar will remain under British control.
Gibraltar is a British colony.
In 1704 the British captured Gibraltar and the Treaty of Utrecht made it a British colony in perpetuity.
The Rock of Gibraltar is a 426 metre high limestone cliff at the point where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. Several thousand ships pass through the 23 kilometre long strait every month.
Majority in Gibraltar wants to belong to England.
In Europe’s last colony, around 28 000 people live on a waterless, inhospitable peninsula less than five kilometres long. Most residents are descendants of early British, Italian, Maltese and Jewish settlers and their common language is Ladino, a mixture of English and Spanish.
Be careful with the monkeys, they can be dangerous and fined if you feed them!
The Spanish have been trying to conquer Gibraltar by force for hundreds of years but have failed every time.
The people of Gibraltar want to belong to the United Kingdom. In a 1967 referendum, 97% voted. 12 138 voted to remain a British colony and only 44 voted to join Spain.
But the Spanish did not give up. In 1969, they imposed a blockade on the cape. The border was closed, exports stopped, telecommunications were cut, and ferry services ceased. Gibraltar’s economy collapsed and its people began to lose heart, but they persevered.
On 5 February 1985, the border with Spain was reopened. Now Spain is taking the issue to the UN, claiming that Gibraltar is a colony, and that the UN majority has clearly declared that colonies are outdated.
Approximately eight hundred meters up the cliff is Gibraltar’s massive water reservoir. It is fourteen hectares of steel plate and cement stretching along the cliff. From here, rainwater is piped through channels to underground reservoirs that hold around sixty million liters. Thanks to this reservoir and two desalination plants, Gibraltar has rarely gone thirsty.
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