Gibraltar

Gibraltar (/dʒɪˈbrɔːltər/ jih-BRAWL-tər, Spanish: [xiβɾalˈtaɾ]) is a BritishOverseas Territory andcity^[6] located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.^[7][8][a] It has an area of 6.7 km² (2.6 sq mi)and is borderedto the north by Spain. Thelandscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, at the foot of which is a densely populated town area,home to over 32,000 people, primarily Gibraltarians.^[10]

In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War ofthe Spanish Succession. Theterritory was ceded to GreatBritain in perpetuityunder the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It became an important base for the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars and World WarII, as it controlled the narrow entrance and exit to the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, which is only 14.3 km (8.9 mi) wide.This choke point remains strategically important, with half theworld's seaborne trade passing through it.^[11][12][13] Gibraltar's economy is based largely on tourism,online gambling, financial services, and bunkering.^{[14][15][16][17]}

The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a point ofcontention in Anglo-Spanishrelations, as Spain asserts a claim to the territory.^[15][18] Gibraltarians overwhelmingly rejected proposals forSpanish sovereignty in a 1967referendum, and for sharedsovereignty in a 2002referendum. Nevertheless,Gibraltar maintains close economic and cultural links with Spain, with manyGibraltarians speaking Spanish as well as a local dialect known as Llanito.

Gibraltar is not a member of the EuropeanUnion, but attempts are underway to have it participate in the Schengen Agreement to facilitate border movements between Gibraltarand Spain.

The name is derived from Arabic: جبل طارق, romanized: JabalṬāriq, lit. 'Mount of Tariq' (named after the 8th-century Moorishmilitary leader Tariq ibn Ziyad).^[19]

Prehistory and ancient history

Evidence of Neanderthal habitation in Gibraltar from around 50,000 yearsago has been discovered at Gorham's Cave.^[20] The caves of Gibraltar continued to be usedby Homo sapiens after the final extinction of the Neanderthals.Stone tools, ancient hearths and animal bones dating from around 40,000 yearsago to about 5,000 years ago have been found in deposits left in Gorham's Cave.^[21]

Numerous potsherds dating from the Neolithic period have been found in Gibraltar's caves, mostlyof types typical of the Almerian culture foundelsewhere in Andalusia, especially around the town of Almería,from which it takes its name.^[22] There is little evidence of habitation in the Bronze Age when people had largely stopped living in caves.^[23]

During ancient times, Gibraltar wasregarded by the peoples of the Mediterranean as a place of religious andsymbolic importance. The Phoenicians were present for several centuries since around 950BC, apparently using Gorham's Cave as a shrine to the genius loci,^[24] as did the Carthaginians and Romans after them. Gibraltar was known as Mons Calpe, a name perhaps of Phoenician origin.^[25] Mons Calpe was considered by theancient Greeks and Romans as one of the Pillars of Hercules, after the Greek legend of the creation of the Strait of Gibraltar by Heracles.There is no known archaeological evidence of permanent settlements from theancient period.^[26] They settled at the head of the bay in what istoday known as the Campo (hinterland) ofGibraltar.^[27] The town of Carteia, near the location of the modern Spanish townof San Roque, was founded by the Phoenicians around 950 BC on thesite of an early settlement of the native Turdetani people.^[28]

Middle Ages

After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Gibraltar came briefly under the control of the Vandals, whocrossed into Africa at the invitation of Boniface, the Count (or commander) of the territory.

The area later formed part of the Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania foralmost 300 years, from 414 until 711 AD.

Following a raid in 710, a predominantlyBerber army under the command of Tariq ibn Ziyad crossed from North Africa in April 711 and landedsomewhere in the vicinity of Gibraltar (though most likely not in the bay or atthe Rock itself).^[29][30] Tariq's expedition led to the Islamicconquest of most of the Iberian peninsula. Mons Calpe was renamed JabalṬāriq (جبل طارق), "theMount of Tariq", subsequently corrupted into Gibraltar.^[25]

In 1160 the Almohad Sultan Abd al-Mu'min ordered that a permanent settlement, including acastle, be built. It received the name of Medinat al-Fath (City of theVictory).^[31] The Tower of Homage of the Moorish Castle remains standing today.

From 1274 onwards, the town was fought overand captured by the Nasrids ofGranada (in 1237 and 1374), the Marinids of Morocco (in 1274 and 1333) and the kingsof Castile (in1309).

In 1462, Gibraltar was captured by Juan Alonso de Guzmán, 1st Duke of Medina Sidonia, from the Emirate of Granada.^[32]

After the conquest, Henry IV of Castile assumed the additional title of King of Gibraltar, establishing it as part of the comarca ofthe Campo Llano de Gibraltar.^[33] Six years later, Gibraltar was restored to the Dukeof Medina Sidonia, who sold it in 1474 to a group of 4,350 conversos (Christian converts from Judaism) from Cordova and Seville andin exchange for maintaining the garrison of the town for two years, after whichtime they were expelled, returning to their home towns or moving on to otherparts of Spain.^[34] In 1501, Gibraltar passed back to the SpanishCrown, and Isabella I of Castile issued a RoyalWarrant granting Gibraltarthe coat of arms that it still uses.

In 1704, during the War ofthe Spanish Succession, acombined Anglo-Dutch fleet,representing the GrandAlliance, captured the town ofGibraltar on behalf ofthe ArchdukeCharles of Austria in hiscampaign to become King of Spain. Subsequently, most of the population left thetown, with many settling nearby.^[35] As the Alliance's campaign faltered, the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht was negotiated, which ceded control of Gibraltar toBritain to secure Britain's withdrawal from the war. Unsuccessful attempts bySpanish monarchs to regain Gibraltar were made, with the siegeof 1727, and again withthe GreatSiege of Gibraltar (1779to 1783), during the AmericanWar of Independence.

After the destructive Great Siege, the townwas almost entirely rebuilt.^[36] Giovanni Maria Boschetti, who arrived in Gibraltarin 1784 as a 25-year-old from Milan, where he is thought to have been astonemason or engineer, built the Victualling Yard (completed in 1812) and manyother buildings. Boschetti is regarded as having been responsible for settingthe old town's style, described by Claire Montado, chief executive of theGibraltar Heritage Trust, as "military-ordnance-style arched doorways,Italianate stucco relief, Genoese shutters, English Regency ironwork balconies,Spanish stained glass and Georgian sash and casement windows."^[36]

During the Napoleonic Wars, Gibraltar became a key base for the Royal Navy and played an important role leading up tothe Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805). Designated one of four Imperial fortresses (along with Halifax, Nova Scotia, Bermuda,and Malta),^[37] its strategic location made it a key base duringthe Crimean War of 1854–1856. In the 18th century, the peacetimemilitary garrison fluctuated in numbers from a minimum of 1,100 to a maximum of5,000. The first half of the 19th century saw a significant increase ofpopulation to more than 17,000 in 1860, as people from Britain and all aroundthe Mediterranean – Italian, Portuguese, Maltese, Jewish and French – took upresidence in the town.^[38]

Its strategic value increased with theopening of the Suez Canal, as it lay on the sea route between the UK and the British Empire east of Suez. In the later 19th century, majorinvestments were made to improve the fortifications and the port.^[39]

Contemporary history

During the Second World War, most of Gibraltar's civilian population was evacuated, mainly to London, but also to parts of Morocco and Madeira andto Gibraltar Camp in Jamaica. TheRock was strengthened as a fortress. On 18 July 1940, the Vichy French airforce attacked Gibraltar in retaliation forthe Britishbombing of the Vichy navy.The naval base and the ships based there played a key role in the provisioningand supply of the island of Malta during itslong siege. As well as frequentshort runs, known as "Club Runs", towards Malta to fly off aircraftreinforcements (initially Hurricanes, but later, notably from the USN aircraft carrier Wasp, Spitfires), the critical Operation Pedestal convoy was run from Gibraltar in August 1942. Thisresupplied the island at a critical time in the face of concentrated airattacks from German and Italian forces. Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's reluctance to allow the German Army onto Spanish soil frustrated a German plan tocapture the Rock, codenamed Operation Felix.

In the 1950s, Franco renewed Spain's claimto sovereignty over Gibraltar and restricted movement between Gibraltar andSpain. Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain under British sovereigntyin the 1967Gibraltar sovereignty referendum, which led to the passing of the GibraltarConstitution Order in1969. In response, Spain completely closed the border with Gibraltar andsevered all communication links.^[40] The border with Spain was partially reopened in1982 and fully reopened in 1985 before Spain's accession to the European Community.

In the early 2000s, Britain and Spain werein negotiations over a potential agreement that would see them sharingsovereignty over Gibraltar. The government of Gibraltar organised a referendum on the plan, and 99% of the population voted toreject it.^[41][42] In 2008, the British government committed torespecting the Gibraltarians' wishes.^[43] A newConstitution Order wasapproved in referendum in 2006. A process of tripartite negotiations started in2006 between Spain, Gibraltar and the UK, ending some restrictions and dealingwith disputes in some specific areas such as air movements, customs procedures,telecommunications, pensions and cultural exchange.^[44]

In the British referendum on membership of the European Union 96% of Gibraltariansvoted to remain on an84% turnout.^[45] Spain renewed calls for joint Spanish–Britishcontrol of the peninsula;^[46] these were strongly rebuffed by Gibraltar's ChiefMinister.^[47] On 18 October 2018, however, Spain seemed to havereached an agreement with the United Kingdom in relation to its objections toGibraltar leaving the EU with the UK, with Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez stating, "Gibraltar will no longer be aproblem in arriving at a Brexit deal."^[48]

On 31 January 2020, the UK left the European Union and consequently so did Gibraltar. Under the terms of the transitionphase in the Brexitwithdrawal agreement,Gibraltar's relationship with the EU continued unchanged until the end of 2020when it was replaced by the EU–UKTrade and Cooperation Agreement. On 31 December 2020, the UK and Spain agreed inprinciple on a basis for the EU and the UK to negotiate an agreement throughwhich Gibraltar would participate in the Schengen Area,^[49] to avoid a hard border with Spain. The arrangementshave not entered into force.^{[49][50][51][52][53]}

In 2022 Gibraltar bid to be awarded citystatus as part of the PlatinumJubilee Civic Honours. The bidwas refused, but when researchers looked through theNational Archives, they foundthat it had already been recognised as a city by Queen Victoria in 1842.^[54] The status came into force on 29 August 2022.^[54]

Under its current constitution, Gibraltar has almost complete internal self-governance through a parliament^[55][56][57] elected for a term of up to four years. The unicameral parliament presently consists of 17 electedmembers, and the Speaker whois not elected, but appointed by a resolution of the parliament.^[58] The government consists of 10 elected members. The head of stateis the British monarch King Charles III, who is represented by the Governor of Gibraltar. The governor enacts day-to-day matters on the advice ofthe Gibraltar Parliament, but is responsible to the British government inrespect of defence, foreign policy, internal security and general goodgovernance. Judicial and other appointments are made on behalf of the monarchin consultation with the headof the elected government.^[59][60][61]

The 2011election was contested bythe GibraltarSocial Democrats (GSD), GibraltarSocialist Labour Party (GSLP)-LiberalParty of Gibraltar (LPG)Alliance and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP was a new party, formed in 2006 andfielded candidates in the 2007 election, but none were elected. The head ofgovernment is the ChiefMinister (as ofDecember 2011, Fabian Picardo). All local political parties oppose any transfer ofsovereignty to Spain, instead supporting self-determination. The main UK opposition parties also support thispolicy, and it is British government policy not to engage in talks about thesovereignty of Gibraltar without the consent of the people of Gibraltar.^[62]

Gibraltar was part of the European Union, having joined through the EuropeanCommunities Act 1972 (UK), which gaveeffect to the Treatyof Accession 1972, as adependent territory of the United Kingdom under what was then article 227(4) ofthe Treaty Establishing the European Community covering specialmember state territories, withexemption from some areas such as the EuropeanUnion Customs Union, CommonAgricultural Policy andthe Schengen Area. It is the only BritishOverseas Territory whichwas part of the European Union. After a 10-year campaign for the right to votein Europeanelections, from 2004 to 2019 thepeople of Gibraltar participated in elections for the European Parliament as part of the South West England constituency.^[63] On 23 June 2016 Gibraltar voted along with theUnited Kingdom in the EU referendum; 96% of its population voted to remain, but the overallUnited Kingdom result gave a 51.9% majority to leaving the EU.^[64] Nevertheless, Spanish Prime Minister PedroSánchez stated on 18October 2018 that the Gibraltar protocol had been "resolved" and thatSpain will hold no objection when Gibraltar leaves the EU with Britain.^[65][66]

Gibraltar was nominated to be included onthe United Nations list of non-self-governing territories by the United Kingdom when the list was created in1946^[67] and has been listed ever since.^[68] The government of Gibraltar has actively worked tohave Gibraltar removed from the list,^[69] and in 2008 the British government declaredGibraltar's continued presence on the list an anachronism.^[70]

Gibraltar is not a member of the Commonwealthof Nations in its own rightand is represented by the United Kingdom but was granted Associate Membership of the CommonwealthFoundation in 2004. Gibraltarhas competed in the Commonwealth Games since 1958. International relations

Gibraltar is not part of the EuropeanUnion, but is a participant in the EU–UKTrade and Cooperation Agreement.

On 31 December 2020, the UK and Spainagreed in principle on a basis for the EU and the UK to negotiate an agreementthrough which Gibraltar would participate in the Schengen Area,^[49] to avoid a hard border with Spain. The arrangementshave not entered into force,^[49][71] but both sides aim to keep delays at the border ata minimum in the meantime.^[72][73][74] As of March 2023, talks remain stalled, with Spaininsisting that its PolicíaNacional control entry intothe Schengen area and the UK demanding that the work be done by officers of theEuropean Union agency Frontex. Allother entry points to the Schengen area are controlled by national authorities,supplemented by Frontex in some places.^[75]

Gibraltar's territory covers 6.7 km² (2.6 sq mi)and shares a 1.2 km (0.75 mi) land border with Spain. The townof LaLínea de la Concepción, a municipality of the province of Cádiz, lies on the Spanish side of the border. The Spanishhinterland forms the comarca of Campo de Gibraltar (literally "Countryside of Gibraltar").The shoreline measures 12 km (7.5 mi) in length. There are two coasts("Sides") of Gibraltar: the East Side, which contains the settlementsof Sandy Bay and Catalan Bay; and the Westside, where the vast majority of the population lives.Gibraltar has no administrative divisions but is divided into seven MajorResidential Areas.

Having negligible natural resources and few natural freshwater resources, limited to natural wells in the north,until recently Gibraltar used large concrete or natural rock water catchments to collect rainwater. Fresh water from theboreholes is nowadays supplemented by two desalination plants: a reverse osmosis plant, constructed in a tunnel within the rock, anda multi-stageflash distillation plantat North Mole.^[76]

Gibraltar's terrain consists of the426 m-high (1,398 ft) Rock of Gibraltar^[77] made of Jurassic limestone, and the narrow coastal lowland surrounding it. Itcontains many tunnelled roads, most of which are still operated by the militaryand closed to the general public.

Climate

Main article: Climateof Gibraltar

Gibraltar has a Mediterranean climate (Köppenclimate classification Csa),^[78][79] with mild, rainy winters and summers that are verywarm to hot and humid, but with very little rainfall. As is the case fornearby Algeciras and Tarifa, summers are significantly cooler and annual temperaturemore constant than other cities on the southern coast of the Iberian peninsulabecause of its position on the Strait of Gibraltar. Rain occurs mainly inwinter, with summer being generally dry. Its average annual temperature is21.7 °C (71.1 °F) as a daily high and 15.8 °C (60.4 °F) asthe overnight low. In the coldest month, January, the high temperature averages16.3 °C (61.3 °F) and the overnight low averages 11.2 °C (52.2 °F)and the average sea temperature is 16 °C (61 °F). In the warmestmonth, August, the daily high temperature averages 28.4 °C (83.1 °F),the overnight low averages 21.2 °C (70.2 °F), and the average seatemperature is 22 °C (72 °F).^[80] [81] Flora and fauna

Over 500 different species of flowering plants grow on the Rock. Gibraltar is the only place inEurope where the Gibraltar candytuft (Iberis gibraltarica) is found growing in the wild; the plant is otherwisenative to North Africa. It is the symbol of the Upper Rock nature reserve. Olive and pine treesare among the most common of those growing around the Rock.

Most of the Rock's upper area is covered bya nature reserve which is home to around 230 Barbarymacaques, the famous"apes" of Gibraltar, which are actually monkeys.These are the only wild apes or monkeys found in Europe.^[86] This species, known scientifically as Macaca sylvanus, is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List and is declining. Three-quarters of the worldpopulation live in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. Recent genetic studies and historical documents pointto their presence on the Rock before British control, having possibly beenintroduced during the Islamic period. A superstition analogous to that ofthe ravens atthe Tower of London states that if the apes ever leave, so will theBritish. In 1944, BritishPrime Minister Winston Churchill was so concerned about the dwindling population ofapes that he sent a message to the ColonialSecretary requesting thatsomething be done about the situation.^[87]

Other mammals found in Gibraltar includerabbits, foxes and bats. Dolphins and whales are frequently seen in the Bay of Gibraltar. Migrating birds are very common and Gibraltar is hometo the only Barbary partridges found on the European continent.

In 1991, Graham Watson, Gibraltar's MEP, highlighted conservationists' fears that urban development, tourism and invasiveplant species werethreatening Gibraltar's own plants as well as birds and bat species.^[88]

Environment

In May 2016, a report by the WorldHealth Organization showedthat Gibraltar had the worst air quality in any British territory. The reportconcentrated on PM10 and PM2.5 pollutantsin the air.^[89]

The Britishmilitary traditionallydominated Gibraltar's economy, with the naval dockyard providing the bulk of economic activity. This,however, has diminished over the last 20 years and is estimated to account foronly 7 per cent of the local economy, compared to over 60 per cent in 1984.Today, Gibraltar's economy is dominated by four main sectors: financialservices, online gambling, shipping, and tourism, which includes duty-free retailsales to visitors.^[90] The territory also has a small manufacturingsector, with one company (Bassadone Automotive Group) supplying ambulances andother project vehicles converted locally from SUV vehiclesto the United Nations and other agencies, employing some 320 staff across itsrange of activities.^[91]

Gibraltar's labour market employs around thirty thousandworkers, 80% in the private sector and 20% in the public sector. Theunemployment rate is extremely low, at around 1 per cent.

There is a significant share of frontierworkers (employees who are normally resident in Spain but are employed inGibraltar) and non Gibraltarians in Gibraltar's economy. According to theGovernment of Gibraltar's statistics, around 44% of the total employee jobs areheld by frontier workers. Around 63% of the frontier workers are Spanishnationals. More than half (53%) of the private sector employee jobs are held bypersons who are not Gibraltarians or Other British nationalities. The publicsector, on the other hand, employs mainly Gibraltarians and other British(90%) ^[92] As a consequence, according to the Hon FabianPicardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, during Brexit negotiations, a frontierwhich lacked the necessary fluidity for people to be able to access theirplaces of work would put directly at risk nearly half of the jobs of theGibraltar workforce.^[93][94]

In the early 2000s, many bookmakers and online gaming operators moved to Gibraltar tobenefit from operating in a regulated jurisdiction with a favourable corporate tax regime. This corporate tax regime for non-residentcontrolled companies was phased out by January 2011 and replaced by a stillfavourable fixed corporate tax rate of 10 per cent.^[95]

Tourism is also a significant industry.Gibraltar is a popular port for cruise ships and attracts day visitors fromresorts in Spain. The Rock is a popular tourist attraction, particularly amongBritish tourists and residents in the southern coast of Spain. It is also apopular shopping destination, and all goods and services are VAT free,but may be subject to Gibraltar taxes. Many of the large British high streetchains have branches or franchises in Gibraltar including Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Mothercare. Branches and franchises of internationalretailers such as Tommy Hilfiger and SunglassHut are also present in Gibraltar, as isthe Spanish clothing company Mango.

A number of Britishand international banks haveoperations based in Gibraltar. Jyske Bank claims to be the oldest bank in thecountry, based on Jyske's acquisition in 1987 of Banco Galliano, which began operations in Gibraltar in 1855. Anancestor of Barclays,the Anglo-Egyptian Bank, entered in 1888, and Credit Foncier (now Crédit Agricole) entered in 1920.

In 1967, Gibraltar enacted the Companies(Taxation and Concessions) Ordinance (now an Act), which provided for special taxtreatment for international business.^[96] This was one of the factors leading to the growthof professional services such as private banking and captive insurance management. Gibraltar hasseveral attractive attributes as a financial centre, including a common law legal system and access to the EU single market in financialservices. In January 2018, Gibraltar introduced a regulatory framework forDistributed Ledger Technology, with the aim of pursuing a “more flexible,adaptive approach... in the case of novel business activities, products, andbusiness models”. ^[97][98] The Financial Services Commission (FSC),^[99] which was established by an ordinance in 1989 (nowan Act) that took effect in 1991, regulates the finance sector.^[100] In 1997, the Department of Trade and Industryestablished its Gibraltar Finance Centre (GFC) Division to facilitate thedevelopment the financialsector development. As of2012, Gibraltar has 0.103 BigFour accounting firm offices per 1,000population, the second highest in the world after the BritishVirgin Islands, and 0.6 banksper 1,000 people, the fifth most banks per capita in the world.^[101] As of 2017, there is verysignificant uncertainty oncontinuing access to the EU single market after the forthcoming Brexit.^[102]

The currency of Gibraltar is the Gibraltar pound, issued by the Governmentof Gibraltar under the terms ofthe 1934 Currency Notes Act. These banknotes are legal tender in Gibraltar alongside Bank of England banknotes.^[103][104] In a currency board arrangement, these notes are issued againstreserves of sterling.^{[104][105][106]} Clearing and settlement of funds is conducted insterling.^[107] Coins in circulation follow British denominations buthave separate designs. Unofficially, most retail outlets in Gibraltar acceptthe euro,though some payphones and the RoyalGibraltar Post Office, along withall other government offices, do not.^[108]

Gibraltar is one of the most denselypopulated territories in the world, with a usually-resident population in 2012of 32,194^[109] equivalent to approximately 4,959/km² (12,840/sq mi).The growing demand for space is being increasingly met by land reclamation; reclaimed land makes up approximately one-tenth of theterritory's total area.

Ethnic groups

See also: Gibraltarianpeople

The demographics of Gibraltar reflect themany European and other economic migrants who came to the Rock over 300 years ago, afteralmost all of the Spanish population left in 1704.

Origin of surnames in the electoral roll bypercentage is: British (27%), Spanish (26%, mostly Andalusian but also some 2% Menorcan), Genoese andother Italian (15%), Portuguese (15%), and Maltese (8%). There are also small (less than 1%)populations of other groups such as Moroccans, French, Austrians, Chinese, Japanese, Polish and Danish.^[110]

Language

Main article: Languages of Gibraltar

The official language of Gibraltar is English and is used by thegovernment and in schools. Most locals are bilingual, also speaking Spanish. However, because of the variedmix of ethnic groups which reside there, other languages are also spoken on theRock. Berber and Arabic arespoken by the Moroccan community,as are Hindi and Sindhi bythe Indian community. Maltese isspoken by some families of Maltesedescent.^[112]

Gibraltarians oftenconverse in Llanito (pronounced [ʎaˈnito]), a vernacular unique to Gibraltar. It is based on Andalusian Spanish with a strong mixture of British English and elements from languages such as Maltese, Portuguese, Genoese Italian and Haketia (a Judaeo-Spanish dialect). Llanito also ofteninvolves code-switching to English and Spanish.

The English language isbecoming increasingly dominant in Gibraltar, with the younger generationspeaking little or no Llanito despite learning Spanish in school.^[113]

Gibraltarians often callthemselves Llanitos.^[114]

Religion

According to the 2012 census, approximately 72.1% ofGibraltarians are Roman Catholics.^[115] The 16th-century Saint Mary the Crowned is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar, and also the oldest Catholic church inthe territory. Other Christian denominations include the Church of England (7.7%), whose Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the cathedral of theAnglican Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe; the Gibraltar Methodist Church,^[116] Churchof Scotland,various Pentecostal and independent churches mostlyinfluenced by the House Church and Charismaticmovements, as well asa PlymouthBrethren congregation.Several of these congregations are represented by the Gibraltar EvangelicalAlliance.

There is also a ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and two congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 7.1% advised that they have no religion.

The third religion insize is Islam (3.6%of the population). There is also an established Hindu population(2%), members of the Baháʼí Faith anda long-established Jewishcommunity, which, at 763 persons,accounts for 2.4% of the population.^[115] As a share of the total population, this is thesecond-largest Jewish population in the world, trailing only Israel.There are four functioning Orthodoxsynagogues in Gibraltar andseveral kosher establishments.

Educationin Gibraltar generally followsthe English model, operating within a three tier system. Schools in Gibraltar use the Key Stage modular approach to teach the National Curriculum. Gibraltar has 15 state schools, two private schools and a college of furthereducation, Gibraltar College. Government secondary schools are Bayside Comprehensive School for boys and WestsideSchool for girls, and Prior Park SchoolGibraltar is an independent coeducational secondary school.^[117]

On 31 March 2015, thegovernment of Gibraltar announced the adoption of the University of GibraltarAct and the Universityof Gibraltar opened inSeptember 2015.^[118][119] Previously, there were no facilities in Gibraltarfor full-time higher education, and consequently, all Gibraltarian studentsstudied elsewhere at degree levelor its equivalent and also for certain non-degree courses.^[120] The Government of Gibraltar operates ascholarship/grant system to provide funding for students studying in the UnitedKingdom. All Gibraltarian students used to follow the UKstudent loans procedure, applyingfor a loan from the Student Loans Company which was then reimbursed in full by the Governmentof Gibraltar. In August 2010, this system was replaced by the direct payment bythe government of grants and tuition fees. The overwhelming majority ofGibraltarians continue their studies at university level.^{[citationneeded]}

All Gibraltarians areentitled to health care in public wards and clinics at St Bernard's Hospital and primary health care centre. All other British citizens are alsoentitled to free-of-charge treatment on the Rock on presentation of avalid British passport during stays of up to 30 days. Other EU nationalsare equally entitled to treatment on presentation of a valid EuropeanHealth Insurance Card. Dental treatment and prescribed medicines are free of charge for Gibraltarian studentsand pensioners.^[121]

The Gibraltar HealthAuthority, established under the Medical (Gibraltar Health Authority) Act of1987^[122] is funded through the Gibraltar Group PracticeMedical Scheme. It employs around 900 people, handling 37,000 A&E attendances, 40,000 outpatient appointments, and90,000 GP visits a year. Some specialist care is provided byvisiting consultants and in UK and Spanish hospitals. First-line medical andnursing services are provided at the Primary Care Centre, which has 16 GPs,with more specialised services available at St Bernard's Hospital, a 210-bed civilian hospital opened in 2005. Psychiatriccare is provided by KingGeorge V Hospital.

As of 2012 the authoritywas responsible for the health of some 27,000 individuals. The GHA and SocialWelfare System are closely based upon their British counterparts, namelythe NationalHealth Service.^[123] As of 2003 the organisation was funded throughroughly £19 million ($27 million) of social insurance stamp contributions through the Gibraltar GroupPractice Medical Scheme.^[124]

In September 2014 EgtonMedical Information Systems won a contract, worth up to £11.25mover 10 years, to deliver an electronicpatient record forthe health service of Gibraltar including a patientadministration system, anemergency department system, e-prescribing and other software from Ascribe,which Emis bought in September 2013.^[125] The A&E unit at St Bernard's Hospital went liveon 24 June 2015 using Emis' Symphony and it is planned that primary andcommunity services and the acute hospital will start to use the Ascribe CaMISpatient administration system.^[126]

A Community Mental HealthTeam was established in 2017, and in 2018 the Gibraltar Health Authority Schoolof Health Studies introduced a Mental Health Nursing degree to tackledifficulties in recruiting mental health nurses.^[127]

The culture of Gibraltar reflects Gibraltarians' diverse origins. Whilethere are Spanish (mostly from nearby Andalusia) and British influences, the ethnic origins of mostGibraltarians are not confined to these ethnicities. Other ethnicitiesinclude Genoese, Maltese, Portuguese, and German. Afew other Gibraltar residents are Jewish of Sephardic origin, Moroccan, or Indians.British influence remains strong, with English being the language ofgovernment, commerce, education and the media.

Gibraltar'sfirst sovereignty referendum iscelebrated annually on GibraltarNational Day (10 September). Itis a public holiday, during which most Gibraltarians dress in their national colours of red and white. Until 2016, the tradition hadbeen to also release 30,000 similarly coloured balloons, which represented thepeople of Gibraltar. However, this tradition has now been ended because of thethreat that it poses to wildlife, particularly marine.^[128] The 300th anniversary of Gibraltar's capture was celebrated in 2004 on Tercentenary Day (4August), when in recognition of and with thanks for its long association withGibraltar, the Royal Navy was given the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar and a human chain of Gibraltarians dressed in red,white and blue, linked hands to encircle the Rock. On 4 June 2012, the GibraltarDiamond Jubilee Flotilla, inspiredby the ThamesDiamond Jubilee Pageant, celebratedsixty years of the Queen's reign.^[129]

The GibraltarBroadcasting Corporation operatesa television and radio station on UHF, VHF and medium-wave. The radio serviceis also internet-streamed. Special events and the daily news bulletin arestreamed in video. The other local radio service is operated by the BritishForces Broadcasting Service whichalso provides a limited cable television network to HM Forces. The largest andmost frequently published newspaper is the Gibraltar Chronicle, Gibraltar's oldest established daily newspaper and theworld's second-oldest English language newspaper to have been in printcontinuously^[130] with daily editions six days a week. Panorama is published on weekdays, and 7 Days, TheNew People, and Gibsport are weekly.

Native Gibraltarianshave produced some literature of note. The first in fiction was probably Héctor Licudi's 1929 novel Barbarita, written in Spanish,^[131] chronicling the largely autobiographical adventuresof a young Gibraltarian man. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, severalanthologies of poetry were published by Leopoldo Sanguinetti, Albert Joseph Patron and Alberto Pizzarello. The 1960s were largely dominated by the theatricalworks of Elio Cruz and his two highly acclaimed Spanish languageplays La Lola se va pá Londre and Connie con camacamera en el comedor.^{[citationneeded]} In the 1990s, the Gibraltarian man-of-letters Mario Arroyo published Profiles (1994), aseries of bilingual meditations on love, loneliness and death. Trino Cruz is a bilingual poet originallywriting English but now mainly in Spanish, who also translates Maghreb poetry.^{[132][133][134]} Of late there have been works by the essayist Mary Chiappe, such as her volume of essays Cabbages and Kings (2006)and by M. G. Sanchez, author of the books Rock Black: TenGibraltarian Stories (2008) and Diary of a Victorian Colonial (2009).Mary Chiappe and Sam Benady have also published a series of detective bookscentred on the character of the nineteenth-century Gibraltarian sleuthBresciano.

Musicians from Gibraltarinclude Charles Ramirez, the first guitarist invited to play with the RoyalCollege of Music Orchestra,^[135] successful rock bands like Breed 77, Melon Diesel and Taxi, while Gibraltarian bassist Glen Diani played forIrish/British nu metal group One Minute Silence. Albert Hammond had top 10 hits in the UK and US and has writtenmany songs for international artists such as Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and Julio Iglesias.^[136]

Gibraltarian cuisine is the result of a long relationship between theAndalusian Spaniards and the British, as well as the many foreigners who madeGibraltar their home over the past three centuries. The culinary influencesinclude those from Malta, Genoa, Portugal, Andalusia and Britain. This marriageof tastes has given Gibraltar an eclectic mix of Mediterranean and Britishcuisine, such as calentita, abaked bread-like dish made with chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt and pepper.

·       The outbreakof yellow fever in 1804 is the subject of LetitiaElizabeth Landon's 1836poetical illustration  "Gibraltar. Scene During the Plague". to an engraving of a painting by CharlesBentley (Gibraltar fromAlgexiras).^[137] She published two further poetical illustrations onGibraltar the following year,  "Gibraltar—from the Sea".^[138] and  "Gibraltar, From the Queen of Spain’s Chair".,^[139] both of which are again to engravings of paintingsby CharlesBentley. All these can be foundin Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Books.

·       The firsttrack in Beirut's2015 album No No No is named "Gibraltar", and the music videois set in a dystopian version of the island.^[140]

·       Mark Twain describes a stop at Gibraltar and comments on itin The Innocents Abroad, an account of his pilgrimage to the holy land.^[141]

·       As Molly Bloom is a native Gibraltarian, references to Gibraltarappear throughout James Joyce's Ulysses (1922). A sculpture of Molly Bloom as imagined bylocal artist Jon Searle is on display in the AlamedaGardens.^{[citationneeded]}

·       John Masters' book The Rock is a collection of shortstories set in Gibraltar: ranging from a story set in prehistoric times to onesuggesting a possible future for the Rock.^{[citationneeded]}

·       RaymondBenson's James Bond novel Doubleshot dealswith a fictional plot to forcibly return Gibraltar to Spain. The climax takesplace in Gibraltar.^{[citationneeded]}

·       In1782, WolfgangAmadeus Mozart composeda fragment for voice and piano to celebrate the Great Siegeof Gibraltar titled Bardengesang auf Gibraltar: O Calpe!Dir donnert's am Fusse.^{[citationneeded]}

·       Thefilm The SilentEnemy was filmed on location in Gibraltarin 1958. It is a dramatisation of the period during the Second World Warwhen Lionel "Buster" Crabb served as a mine and disposal officer in Gibraltarwhile frogmen of the Italian Navy's Tenth Light Flotilla were sinking vital shipping.

·       The Beatles song Ballad ofJohn and Yoko (1969)features the line "You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain".

·       Thegame Overwatch contains a map named "Watchpoint:Gibraltar" which is set on the Rock of Gibraltar.

·       The Kanye West featuring Jay-Z song Diamondsfrom Sierra Leone (Remix) featuresthe line "How could you falter when you're the rock of Gibraltar?".

Football is a popular sport in Gibraltar. The GibraltarFootball Association appliedfor full membership of UEFA, buttheir bid was turned down in 2007 in a contentious decision.^[142] Gibraltar was confirmed as UEFA's 54th member on 24May 2013 as a result of Courtof Arbitration for Sport (CAS)arbitration and played in Euro 2016 qualifications.^[143][144] Their first match was a 0–0 draw against Slovakia.Gibraltar's national team won its first-ever match in UEFA competition on 13October 2018, beating Armenia in the 2018–19UEFA Nations League D.^[145]

Subsequently, Gibraltarapplied for FIFA membership but this bid was also turned down. On 2 May 2016,the CAS upheld the appeal filed by the Gibraltar Football Association regardingits request to become a full-time member of FIFA. CAS ordered FIFA to stopblocking Gibraltar's application for membership and allow it "withoutdelay".^[146]

Rugbyunion is fairly popular and one of thefastest-growing team sports. GibraltarRugby Football Union appliedfor membership of Europe's governing body for rugby. Gibraltar is believed tobe the birthplace of the rugby variant Tag Rugby.^[147][e]

Gibraltar has adigital telephone exchange supported by a fibre optic and copper infrastructure; thetelephone operator Gibtelecom alsooperates a GSM network.Internet connectivity is available across the fixed network. Gibraltar'stop-level domain code is .gi.

InternationalDirect Dialling (IDD)is provided, and Gibraltar was allocated the access code +350 bythe InternationalTelecommunication Union. This hasbeen finally accepted by Spain since 10 February 2007, when the telecom dispute was resolved.

Road

Within Gibraltar, themain form of transport is the car. Motorcycles are also very popular and there is a good modernbus service. Unlike in the UK and other British territories, traffic driveson the right and speed limitsare in km/h, as the territory shares a land border with Spain. The E15 route connecting with Spain, France, England andScotland is accessible from the Spanish side using the CA-34 autovía.

Restrictions ontransport introduced by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco closed the land frontier in 1969 and alsoprohibited any air or ferry connections. In 1982, the land border was reopened.As the result of an agreement signed in Córdoba on18 September 2006 between Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain,^[148] the Spanish government agreed to relax border controls at the frontier that have plagued locals fordecades; in return, Britain paid increased pensions to Spanish workers who losttheir jobs when Franco closed the border.^[149] Telecommunication restrictions were lifted inFebruary 2007 and air links with Spain were restored in December 2006.^[150][151]

Motorists andpedestrians crossing the border with Spain are occasionally subjected to verylong delays.^[152] Spain has occasionally closed the border duringdisputes or incidents involving the Gibraltar authorities, such as the Aurora cruise shipincident^[153] and when fishermen from the Spanish fishingvessel Piraña were arrested for illegal fishing in Gibraltar waters.^[154]

Air

As of 2017, Gibraltarmaintains regular flight connections with London (Heathrow, Gatwick &Luton), Manchester and Bristol in the UK, and with Casablanca and Tangier in Morocco.^[155] This is via the Royal Air Force's military aerodrome in Gibraltar, which also servesas theterritory's civilian airport.^[156]

GB Airways operated a service between Gibraltar and London andother cities for many years. The airline initially flew under the name"Gibraltar Airways". In 1989, and in anticipation of service tocities outside the UK, Gibraltar Airways changed its name to GB Airways withthe belief that a new name would incur fewer political problems. As afranchise, the airline operated flights in full British Airways livery. In 2007, GB Airways was purchasedby easyJet,^[157] which began operating flights under their name inApril 2008 when British Airways re-introduced flights to Gibraltar under theirname. EasyJet have since added Bristol and Manchester and also operated flights to Liverpool between 2011 and 2012. Until enteringadministration in October 2017, Monarch Airlines operated the largest number of flights between theUnited Kingdom and Gibraltar, with scheduled services between Gibraltar and Luton, London Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester. The Spanish national airline, Iberia, operated a daily service to Madrid whichceased for lack of demand. In May 2009, Ándalus Líneas Aéreas openeda Spanish service,^[158] which also ceased operations in March 2010.^[159] An annual return charter flight to Malta is operated by Maltese national airline, Air Malta.

Gibraltar International Airport is unusual not only because of its proximity to thecity centre resulting in the airport terminal being within walking distance ofmuch of Gibraltar but also because the runway intersects WinstonChurchill Avenue, the mainnorth–south street, requiring movable barricades to close when aircraft land ordepart. New roads and a tunnel, which will end the need to stop road trafficwhen aircraft use the runway, were planned to coincide with the building of anew airport terminal building with an originally estimated completion date of 2009,^[160][161] although it has not been completed because ofdelays.

The most popularalternative airport for Gibraltar is Málaga Airport in Spain, some 120 km (75 mi) to theeast, which offers a wide range of destinations, second to Jerez Airport which is closer to Gibraltar. In addition,the Algeciras Heliport across the bay offers scheduled services to Ceuta.

Sea

GibraltarCruise Terminal receivesa large number of visits from cruise ships. The Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Passenger and cargoships anchor in the Gibraltar Harbour. Also, a ferry links Gibraltar with Tangier inMorocco. The ferry between Gibraltar and Algeciras, which had been halted in 1969 when Franco severedcommunications with Gibraltar, was reopened on 16 December 2009, served by theSpanish company Transcoma.^[162] A vehicle ramp at the western end of the North Moleallows vehicles to be unloaded from a RORO ferry.^[163]

Ferries by FRS runningtwice a week from Gibraltar to Tanger-Med port provide access to the Moroccanrailway system.^[164][165]

Rail

While railway trackextends to the outskirts of LaLínea from an abortedrail expansion project in the 1970s,^[166][167] the closest railway station in Spain is San Roque station, accessible via buses from LaLínea.

Water supply and sanitation in Gibraltar have been major concerns for itsinhabitants throughout its history. There are no rivers, streams, or largebodies of water on the peninsula. Gibraltar's water supply was formerlyprovided by a combination of an aqueduct, wells, and the use of cisterns, barrelsand earthenware pots to capture rainwater. This became increasingly inadequateas Gibraltar's population grew in the 18th and 19th centuries and lethaldiseases such as cholera and yellow fever began to spread. In the late 19th century, aSanitary Commission instigated major improvements which saw the introduction oflarge-scale desalination and the use of giant water catchments covering over2.5 million square feet (nearly 250,000 m²). Today Gibraltar'ssupply of drinking water comes entirely from desalination, with a separate supply of saltwater for sanitarypurposes. Both supplies are delivered from huge underground reservoirsexcavated under the Rock of Gibraltar.

The RoyalGibraltar Police (RGP), GibraltarDefence Police (GDP)and HisMajesty's Customs (Gibraltar) areGibraltar's principal civilian lawenforcement agencies. Outsidethe United Kingdom, the RGP is the oldest police force of the former British Empire, formed shortly after the creation of London's Metropolitan Police in 1829 when Gibraltar was declared a crown colony on 25 June 1830.^[168]

In general, theGibraltar force follows British police models in its dress and its mostly male constablesand sergeants on foot patrol wear the traditional custodian helmet, the headgear of the British "bobby on thebeat". The helmet is traditionally made of cork covered outside by feltor serge-likematerial that matches the tunic. The vehicles also appear virtually identicalto typical UK police vehicles, but are left hand drive.

The force, whose namereceived the prefix "Royal" in 1992, numbers over 220 officersdivided into a number of units. These include the CID, drug squad, special branch, firearms, sceneof crime examiners, traffic,marine and operations units, sections or departments.

On 24 September 2015,the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar was conferred upon the RGP by the Mayor,Adolfo Canepa.

The defence ofGibraltar, as a British territory, is the responsibility of the national (i.e.,British) government, with its tri-services BritishForces Gibraltar.

·       The RoyalGibraltar Regiment providesthe army garrison with a detachment of the British Army, based at Devil's Tower Camp.^[169] The regiment was originally a part-time reserveforce until the British Army placed it on a permanent footing in 1990. Theregiment includes full-time and part-time soldiers recruited from Gibraltar aswell as British Army regulars posted from other regiments.

·       The Royal Navy maintains a squadron of severalpatrol vessels and craft at theRock. The squadron is responsible for the security and integrity of BritishGibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). The shore establishment at Gibraltar iscalled HMS Rooke after Sir George Rooke, who captured the Rock for ArchdukeCharles (pretender to theSpanish throne) in 1704. The naval air base was named HMS Cormorant. Gibraltar'sstrategic position provides an important facility for the Royal Navy andBritain's allies. British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Zberths at Gibraltar.^[170] A Z berth provides the facility for nuclear submarines tovisit for operational or recreational purposes and for non-nuclear repairs.During the Falklands War, an Argentine plan to attack British shipping in theharbour using frogmen (Operation Algeciras) was foiled.^[171] The naval base also played a part in supporting thetask force sent by Britain to recover the Falklands.

·       The Royal Air Force station at Gibraltar forms part of HeadquartersBritish Forces Gibraltar. Although aircraft are no longer permanently stationedat RAF Gibraltar, a variety of RAF aircraft make regular visits and theairfield also houses a section from the Met Office. The Gibraltar Air Cadets is an active squadron.^[172]

In January 2007, theMinistry of Defence announced that the private company Serco wouldprovide services to the base. The announcement resulted in the affected tradeunions striking.

Gibraltar has animportant role in UKSIGINT and provides a vital strategic part of the UnitedKingdom communications gathering and monitoring network in the Mediterraneanand North Africa.^[173][174]