Portal:Gibraltar
The Gibraltar PortalGibraltar (/dʒɪˈbrɔːltər/ jib-RAWL-tər, Spanish: [xiβɾalˈtaɾ]) is a British Overseas Territory and city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean (Strait of Gibraltar). It has an area of 6.8 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and is bordered to the north by Spain (Campo de Gibraltar). The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to some 34,003 people, primarily Gibraltarians. Gibraltar was founded as a permanent watchtower by the Almohads in 1160. It switched control between the Nasrids, Castilians and Marinids in the Late Middle Ages, acquiring larger strategic clout upon the destruction of nearby Algeciras c. 1375. It became again part of the Crown of Castile in 1462. In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession, and it was ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It became an important base for the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars and World War II, as it controlled the narrow entrance and exit to the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, with half the world's seaborne trade passing through it. The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations, as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians overwhelmingly rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum, and for shared sovereignty in a 2002 referendum. Nevertheless, Gibraltar maintains close economic and cultural links with Spain, with many Gibraltarians speaking Spanish as well as a local dialect known as Llanito. (Full article...) Selected article -Water supply and sanitation in Gibraltar have been major concerns for its inhabitants throughout its history, from medieval times to the present day. The climate of Gibraltar is a mild Mediterranean one with warm dry summers and cool wet winters. Since daily records of rainfall began in 1790, annual rainfall has averaged a mean of 838 millimetres (33.0 in) with the highest volumes in December and the lowest in July. However, most of Gibraltar's small land area is occupied by the Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone outcrop that is riddled with caves and crevices. There are no rivers, streams, or large bodies of water on the peninsula, which is connected to Spain via a narrow sandy isthmus. Gibraltar's water supply was formerly provided by a combination of an aqueduct, wells, and the use of cisterns, barrels and earthenware pots to capture rainwater. This became increasingly inadequate as Gibraltar's population grew in the 18th and 19th centuries; the settlement was a breeding ground for lethal diseases such as cholera and yellow fever, which killed thousands of its inhabitants and members of the British garrison in repeated outbreaks. In the late 19th century, a Sanitary Commission instigated major improvements which saw the introduction of large-scale desalination and the use of giant water catchments covering over 2.5 million square feet (nearly 250,000 m2). Today Gibraltar's supply of drinking water comes entirely from desalination, with a separate supply of saltwater for sanitary purposes—both supplies are delivered from huge underground reservoirs excavated under the Rock of Gibraltar. (Full article...) Selected picturePhoto credit: Gibnews
The West face of the Rock of Gibraltar, a monolithic limestone promontory. It is 426 metres (1,396 feet) high.
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Selected biography -Simón Rodríguez Susarte, commonly known as Simón Susarte, was a Spanish goatherd from Gibraltar, who in 1704 aided a Bourbon Spanish attempt to seize Gibraltar during the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar by revealing a concealed path to the attackers which led to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Susarte then guided a Bourbon contingent along this difficult trail, aiming to surprise the Grand Alliance garrison in hopes of recovering the town. (Full article...) Did you know...
General imagesThe following are images from various Gibraltar-related articles on Wikipedia.
TopicsBuildings: The Convent | Dudley Ward Tunnel | Garrison Library | Moorish Castle Communications: .gi | Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation | Gibraltar Chronicle | Telecom dispute Culture: Cuisine | Gibraltarian people |Gibraltarian status | Languages | Llanito | Music Flora and fauna: Gibraltar Barbary Macaques | Gibraltar candytuft | GONHS | List of birds of Gibraltar | Mammals | List of reptiles and amphibians in Gibraltar | Rock of Gibraltar | The Alameda Gardens History: Battle of Gibraltar | Death on the Rock | Explosion of the RFA Bedenham | George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield | George Rooke | Gibraltar real | Great Siege of Gibraltar | History of the Maltese | History of Nationality | Kingdom of Gibraltar | Military history of Gibraltar during World War II | Moorish Castle | Aurora incident | Pillars of Hercules | Treaty of Utrecht Military: British Forces Gibraltar | Royal Gibraltar Regiment | RAF Gibraltar | HMS Gibraltar | Gibraltar Services Police | Royal Gibraltar Police Symbols: Coat of arms | Flag | Gibraltar Anthem | Other Flags Politics and economy: Chief Minister | Constitution Order (1969, 2006) | Disputed status | Elections | Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 | Parliament | Gibraltarian pound | Governor | Political parties Religion: Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned | Cathedral of the Holy Trinity | Great Synagogue | Hinduism | History of the Jews in Gibraltar | Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque | Methodism | Roman Catholicism | St Andrew's Church Related portalsThings you can doSee alsoAssociated WikimediaThe following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
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