Travel Guide to Gibraltar, Spain

Gibraltar is a rocky half-island that is 426 meters high above the sea level. The land is connected with Iberian Peninsula by a narrow neck 1.5 km long. The name Gibraltar comes from the modified Arabian name Jabal al-Tariq that can be translated as “the mountain of Tariq”. Such name was chosen to honor the leader of the Moor tribe that conquered the city in VI century. The city, as well as its port, is located on the western side of the rock. Initially, yet in 1713, Gibraltar was a British colony and it got independence only in 1967 by order of Elizabeth II. According to this order Gibraltar got independence in many areas except for financial stability, foreign policy and security. The city also got its own constitution. Later Britain joined EU and so did Gibraltar. However, this place got the special status in the union. Currently the population of Gibraltar estimates 29 thousands of people. 20 thousands of them are native Gibraltarians that are descendants of expatriate Spanish, English, Maltese, and Genoa people.

Starting from the beginning of XIX century Gibraltar became famous in manufacturing alcohol drinks. That’s why here you will see numerous bars and pubs. The main sight of this place is the rock itself. In order to see it in all its splendor, you need to walk through the main street to South Gates, reach funicular and enjoy fantastic views of the city from its cabin. Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated cities of the world. There is too little land here and so new buildings are created already on water. For example, landing strip of Gibraltar International Airport is created on a manmade embankment. Another peculiarity about this city is a huge number of wild monkeys. The monkeys are protected by law as Macaca Sylvanus are officially protected starting from the middle of the 19th century.