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 -Gorham's Cave (Spanish: Cueva de Gorham, pronounced [ɡoˈɾam]) is a sea-level cave in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Though not a sea cave, it is often mistaken for one. Considered to be one of the last known habitations of the Neanderthals in Europe, the cave gives its name to the Gorham's Cave complex, which is a combination of four distinct caves of such importance that they are combined into a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the only one in Gibraltar. The three other caves are Vanguard Cave, Hyaena Cave, and Bennett's Cave. It is located at Governor's Beach on the southeastern face of the Rock of Gibraltar. When first inhabited some 55,000 years ago, it would have been approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) from the shore, but, due to changes in sea level, it is now only a few metres from the Mediterranean Sea. (Full article...) Selected picturePainting credit: John Singleton Copley
The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782, an oil-on-canvas painting by Boston-born American artist John Singleton Copley. It depicts the defeat of the floating batteries at Gibraltar during the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
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Selected biography -Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Bruce Cooper (22 November 1914 – 3 December 2010) was a native of Castle Eden, England. He obtained his medical degree from Durham University. Early in his career, he tended to coalminers and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The physician served with distinction in the early period of the Second World War and was mentioned in despatches. In 1941, he was recruited for a highly classified mission, Operation Tracer. In the event that Gibraltar was taken by the Axis powers, he was to be sealed into a secret chamber in the Rock of Gibraltar with five other men for about a year and report the movements of enemy vessels. Over a period of two years, the secret complex was completed and the team assembled and trained. However, the mission was never activated. Cooper returned to England and served in both civilian and military capacities. The location of the secret chamber remained a mystery for decades, but was finally discovered in 1997. However, many questions remained, including the identity of the team members. Upon Cooper's return to Gibraltar in 2008, he confirmed that the cave in question was that which had been destined for himself and his five colleagues. Dr Cooper was the last surviving team member of Operation Tracer in Gibraltar. (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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