Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article

These are selected articles related to the Gibraltar which appear on Portal:Gibraltar.

Biographical articles are at Portal:Gibraltar/Selected biography.

Selected article 1

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/1

The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the last in the whole of the European continent, which, unlike that of North Africa, is thriving. At present there are some 230 animals in five troops occupying the area of the Upper Rock, though occasional forays into the town result in monkey mayhem. Because they are a tailless species, they are also known locally as Barbary Apes or Rock Apes despite the fact that they are monkeys (Macaca sylvanus).

A popular belief holds that as long as Barbary Macaques exist on Gibraltar, the territory will remain under British rule. In 1942 (during World War II), after the population dwindled to just a handful of individuals (just seven monkeys), British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill ordered that their numbers be replenished immediately from forest fragments in both Morocco and Algeria due to this traditional belief.

A story tells that Gibraltar is linked to Africa by a subterranean passage over 15 miles (24 km) which begins at Lower St. Michael's Cave long under the Strait of Gibraltar. Legend has it that the Barbary Macaques entered The Rock from Morocco this way. (more...)

Selected article 2

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/2

The military history of Gibraltar during World War II exemplifies Gibraltar's position as a British fortress since the early 18th century and as a vital factor in British military strategy, both as a foothold on the continent of Europe, and as a bastion of British sea power. During World War II, Gibraltar served a vital role in the Mediterranean Theatre, controlling virtually all naval traffic into and out of the Mediterranean Sea from the west.

Inside the Rock of Gibraltar itself, miles of tunnels were excavated from the limestone. Masses of rock were blasted out to build an "underground city". In huge man-made caverns, barracks, offices, and a fully equipped hospital were constructed, complete with an operating theatre and x-ray equipment.

Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942, was coordinated from the "Rock". General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was given command of the operation, set up his headquarters in Gibraltar during the planning phases of the operation. (more...)

Selected article 3

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/3

Llanito (IPA: [jɑˈnito] or [ʒɑˈnito]) or Yanito is an Andalusian Spanish-based creole spoken in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It consists of an eclectic mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English as well as languages such as Maltese, Portuguese, Italian of the Genoese variety and Haketia. Gibraltarians also call themselves Llanitos.

Andalusian Spanish is the main constituent of Llanito, but is also heavily influenced by British English. However, it borrows words and expressions of many other languages, with over 500 words of Genoese and Hebrew origin. Among more educated Gibraltarians, it also typically involves code-switching to English. Some Llanito words are also widely used in the neighbouring Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción (due to the influx of people from La Línea working in Gibraltar over many years). (more...)

Selected article 4

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/4

The Gibraltar Parliament is the legislature of the British territory of Gibraltar. Between 1969 and 2006 it was called the Gibraltar House of Assembly.

This unicameral body consisted of fifteen members elected by vote of the Gibraltar electorate. The now obsolete House of Assembly also contained two appointed members, including the Attorney-General. This body was mandated by Gibraltar's 1969 constitution. The term "House of Assembly" has been commonly used for the legislatures of British territories that are less than fully sovereign. Its replacement institution being called a parliament reflects the increased autonomy that Gibraltar has gained with its new 2006 constitution. (more...)

Selected article 5

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/5

The Governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the Governor is to act as the de facto head of state, and he or she is responsible for formally appointing the Chief Minister, along with other members of the Government after an election. The Governor also has sole responsibility for defence and security.

The current Governor is Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton KBE, RM, who succeeded his predecessor Sir Francis Richards in the Autumn of 2006. (more...)

Selected article 6

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/6

There has been a Jewish presence in Gibraltar for more than 650 years. There have been periods of persecution, but for the most part the Jews of Gibraltar have prospered and been one of the largest religious minorities in the city, as well as making contributions to the culture, defense, and government of Gibraltar.

The first record of Jews in Gibraltar comes from the year 1356, when the community issued an appeal asking for the ransom of a group of Jews taken captive by pirates. Another document indicates that a number of Jews fleeing Cordoba sought refuge in Gibraltar in 1473. Jews were expelled from the entire Iberian Peninsula under the Alhambra decree in 1492, effectively ending all Jewish activity there, except in the cases of Conversos or possible Crypto-Jews.(more...)

Selected article 7

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/7

The coat of arms of Gibraltar was first granted by a Royal Warrant passed in Toledo on July 10, 1502 by Isabella of Castile. The arms are still in use in two slightly different versions by the present-day Government of Gibraltar (under British authority) and by the municipality of San Roque, Cádiz (under Spanish authority).

It is the oldest coat of arms in use in an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and is unique in that it is the only armorial insignia that dates from before the period of British colonial administration.

The arms of the government of Gibraltar are the same as the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom plus a badge featuring the coat of arms of Gibraltar underneath. (more...)

Selected article 8

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/8

The Treaty of Utrecht that established the Peace of Utrecht, rather than a single document, comprised a series of individual peace treaties signed in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713. Concluded between various European states, it helped end the War of the Spanish Succession. The treaties were concluded between the representatives of Louis XIV of France and Philip V of Spain on the one hand, and representatives of Queen Anne of Great Britain, the Duke of Savoy, and the United Provinces on the other.

Spain's European empire was divided by the treaty: Savoy received Sicily and parts of the Duchy of Milan, while Charles VI (the Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria), received the Spanish Netherlands, the Kingdom of Naples, Sardinia, and the bulk of the Duchy of Milan. In addition, Spain ceded Gibraltar and Menorca to Great Britain and agreed to give to the British the Asiento, a valuable monopoly slave-trading contract. (more...)

Selected article 9

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/9

The Rock of Gibraltar (sometimes called the Pillar of Hercules or by its Latin name, Calpe) is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 426 metres (1,396 feet) high. The Rock is Crown property of the United Kingdom, and borders Spain. The sovereignty of Gibraltar was transferred to the Kingdom of Great Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 after the War of the Spanish Succession. Most of the Rock's upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 250 Barbary Macaques, commonly known as 'apes'; they are the only wild monkeys found in Europe. These macaques, as well as a labyrinthine network of tunnels, attract a large number of tourists each year.

In ancient times the Rock of Gibraltar was one of the Pillars of Hercules and was known to the Greeks as Mons Calpe, the other pillar being Mons Abyla on the African side of the Strait. The Rock of Gibraltar marked the limit to the known world and to pass beyond it was to sail to certain destruction over the bottomless waterfall at the edge of the world. (more...)

Selected article 10

Portal:Gibraltar/Selected article/10

Gibraltar Airport (IATA: GIB, ICAO: LXGB) is the civilian airport that serves the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on the Iberian Peninsula. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence for use by the Royal Air Force as RAF Gibraltar. Civilian operators use the airport; currently the only scheduled flights operate to the United Kingdom and Spain. Passengers depart and arrive through the civilian operated terminal.

Gibraltar Airport has the distinction of being the closest airport to the city that it serves, being only 500 metres from Gibraltar's city centre. In 2004 the airport handled 314,375 passengers and 380 tonnes of cargo. Gibraltar Airport is one of the few Class A airports in the world. (more...)