Driving Directions Gibraltar
GIBRALTAR, or “The Rock”, is a limestone promontory situated at the end of a peninsula that forms the southernmost tip of Spain.
Its strategic importance, guarding as it makes the western approaches to the Mediterranean and separated from Morocco by the narrow Straits of Gibraltar, has meant that it has had a fascinating human history stretching back over thousands of years to Neolithic times.
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It has variously been occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Spaniards, and the British. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht awarded Gibraltar to Britain, and its present status is that of a self-governing British colony. Spain has never relinquished its claim to the Rock, and relations have sometimes been tricky, but at present, there is easy access across the border in both directions.
Google maps™ Gibraltar
There are over 100 natural caves in the limestone, in addition to human-made tunnels, and the steep, rocky slopes are home to a famous and much-photographed colony of Barbary Apes.
The British armed forces, tourism, banking, and construction are the main sources of employment, and most imports are from Britain.
The Mediterranean climate and many sites of natural and historical interest ensure that Gibraltar attracts numerous visitors each year, and there is easy access to Tangier in Morocco for those wanting to travel further afield.
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