 |
Europe: Iberian Peninsula: Gibraltar |
Gibraltar is a tiny overseas territory of the United Kingdom, located on the southernmost point of Spain. Apart from bordering Spain, Gibraltar also faces the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and the North Atlantic Ocean. The total area is just 6.5 km. The total coastline measures 12 km. The highest elevation of the rock is 426m. As Gibraltar is a British colony, you will find all the similarities associated with a visit to the UK; the famous red post box, the telephone booth, the English policeman and English pubs. Gibraltar is also home to a fascinating troop of monkeys that have become famous for their ability to cleverly fleece hapless tourists of practically anything.
Gibraltar enjoys a strategic location and this is why the British wanted it so badly when it was handed to them from Spain in 1713. The British garrison is still present in modern Gibraltar and was responsible for first establishing a colony in 1830. The population is comprised of a mix of Spanish, Maltese, English, Italians and Portuguese. The official language is English although many people also speak Spanish. The unit of currency is the Gibraltar Pound. The capital of Gibraltar is Gibraltar.
The economy of Gibraltar is kept ticking over by it's
tourist numbers, shipping trade, prosperous offshore banking
and the British military. 60% of the workforce are employed
within services and 40% within industry.
Gibraltar's climate is similar to much of southern Spain in that it experiences very mild winters and long, hot scorching summers, with many days of almost continuous sunshine. Wintertime sees the arrival of large rainy spells due to Gibraltar's close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its storms.»
Iberian Peninsula |
|
|
|
|
|
