Gibraltar - The Rock of Gibraltar

Gibraltar is officially a British overseas territory located adjacent to the eastern side of the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.

We have visited Gibraltar twice now once in the 1950s and again in 1991 - And not much has changed in forty years, except there are some higher buildings. We will be returning for another holiday on Gibraltar again soon.

The people are just as friendly and the Rock is still British!

The territory of Gibraltar shares a border with Spain to the north and is only a few miles from Morocco and Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa. Gibraltar has historically been a base of major important for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a large Royal Navy base.

The name of Gibraltar is probably derived from Arabic - Jebbal Tariq, meaning 'mountain of Tariq, or from Gibbel Tariq, meaning 'rock of Tariq'. Referring to the famous geological formation.

The Rock of Gibraltar was occupied by the Berber Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad, whilst under orders of the Caliph Al-Walid I who led the initial incursion into the Iberian Peninsular as the vanguard of the main Moorish forces in the year 711 AD. Before that time the rock was known as Le Mons Calpe, (prescribed as one of the Pillars of Hercules). Today, Gibraltar is known colloquially as 'Gib' or just 'The Rock'.

The sovereignty of Gibraltar remains a major issue of contention in modern Anglo-Spanish relations. Spain continues to request the return of sovereignty, ceded by Spain in perpetuity in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht. The overwhelming majority of Gibraltarians have shown their strong opposition to this move in recent referenda, this, along with any proposal of shared Anglo-Spanish sovereignty. A fully independant Gibraltar is not even on the cards.

WE are researching as much information about holidays on Gibraltar as we can before we return for another holiday on Gibraltar.