   #copyright

Gibraltar

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

                       Gibraltar

   Flag of Gibraltar Coat of arms of Gibraltar
   Flag              Coat of arms
   Motto: Nulli Expugnabilis Hosti  (Latin)
   "Conquered By No Enemy"
   Anthem: Gibraltar Anthem
   Location of Gibraltar
   Capital
   (and largest city)   Gibraltar
                        36°8′N 5°21′W
    Official languages  English
   Government           UK overseas territory
    - Chief of state    Queen Elizabeth II
    - Governor          Lt. Gen. Sir Robert Fulton KBE
    - Chief Minister    Peter Caruana
       Independence
    - Captured          1704
    - Ceded             1713 ( Treaty of Utrecht)
    - National Day      10 September
                          Area
    - Total             6.5 km² ( 229th)
                        2.5 sq mi
    - Water (%)         0
                       Population
    - Jul 2005 estimate 27,921 ( 214th)
    - Density           4,290/km² ( 5th)
                        11,154/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)      2000 estimate
    - Total             $769 million ( 200th)
    - Per capita        $27,900 ( n/a)
        HDI  (n/a)      n/a (n/a) ( n/a)
         Currency       Pound Sterling ( GBP)
        Time zone       CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST)     CEST ( UTC+2)
       Internet TLD     .gi
       Calling code     +350^1
   ^1 9567 from Spain.

   Gibraltar is a UK overseas territory located near the southernmost tip
   of the Iberian Peninsula, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The
   territory shares a land border with Spain to the north. Gibraltar has
   historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is
   the site of a British naval base.

   The name of the territory is derived from the original Arabic name
   Jabal Ţāriq (جبل طارق), meaning "mountain of Tariq". It refers to the
   Berber Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who led the Moorish invasion of
   Iberia in 711. Earlier, it was known as Mons Calpe, one of the Pillars
   of Hercules. Today, Gibraltar is known colloquially as "Gib" or "the
   Rock".

   The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major issue of contention in
   Anglo-Spanish relations. Spain requests the return of sovereignty,
   ceded by Spain in perpetuity in 1713. Any transfer has been
   consistently and totally rejected by almost all Gibraltarians.

History

   Historical map of the promontory of Gibraltar
   Enlarge
   Historical map of the promontory of Gibraltar

   Human settlement in Gibraltar can be traced back to the Phoenicians
   around 950 BC, although there is earlier evidence of habitation by the
   Neanderthals, an extinct species of the Homo genus. Semi-permanent
   settlements were later established by the Carthaginians and Romans.
   After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Gibraltar came briefly under
   the control of the Vandals, and would later form part of the Visigothic
   Kingdom of Hispania until its collapse due to the Muslim conquest in
   711 AD. At that time, Gibraltar was named as one of the Pillars of
   Hercules, after the legend of the creation of the Straits of Gibraltar.

   On April 30, 711, the Umayyad general Tariq ibn Ziyad led a
   Berber-dominated army across the Strait from Ceuta. He first attempted
   to land at Algeciras but failed. Subsequently, he landed undetected at
   the southern point of the Rock from present-day Morocco in his quest
   for Spain. Little was built during the first four centuries of Moorish
   control.

   The first permanent settlement was built by the Almohad Sultan Abd
   al-Mu'min, who ordered the construction of a fortification on the Rock,
   the remains of which are still present. Gibraltar would later become
   part of the Taifa Kingdom of Granada until 1309, when it would be
   briefly occupied by Castilian troops. In 1333 it was conquered by the
   Marinids who had invaded Muslim Spain. The Marinids ceded Gibraltar to
   the Kingdom of Granada in 1374. Finally, it was reconquered
   definitively by the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1462, ending 750 years of
   Moorish control.

   In the initial years under Medina Sidonia, Gibraltar was granted
   sovereignty as a home to a population of exiled Sephardic Jews. Pedro
   de Herrera, a Jewish converso from Córdoba who had led the conquest of
   Gibraltar, led a group of 4,350 Jews from Córdoba and Seville to
   establish themselves in the town. A community was built and a garrison
   established to defend the peninsula. However, this lasted only 3 years.
   In 1476, the Duke of Medina Sidonia realigned with the Spanish Crown;
   the Sefardim were then forced back to Córdoba and the Spanish
   Inquisition. Gibraltar would not pass under the hands of the Spanish
   Crown until 1501. One year later, the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and
   Isabella granted Gibraltar a coat of arms.
   The 25th April, 1607, Battle of Gibraltar.
   Enlarge
   The 25th April, 1607, Battle of Gibraltar.

   The naval Battle of Gibraltar took place on 1607-04-25 during the
   Eighty Years' War when a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish
   fleet anchored at the Bay of Gibraltar. During the 4-hour action, the
   entire Spanish fleet was destroyed.

   During the War of the Spanish Succession, British and Dutch troops,
   allies of Archduke Charles, the Austrian pretender to the Spanish
   Crown, formed a Confederate fleet and attacked various towns on the
   southern coast of Spain. On 4 August 1704, after six hours of
   bombardment starting at 5 a.m., the confederate fleet, commanded by
   Admiral Sir George Rooke, captured the town of Gibraltar in the name of
   the Archduke Charles. Terms of surrender were agreed upon, after the
   majority of the population (some four thousand) chose to leave
   Gibraltar.

   Franco-Spanish troops failed to retake the town, and British
   sovereignty over Gibraltar was subsequently recognised by the 1713
   Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the war. Spain ceded Gibraltar and
   Minorca to the United Kingdom, which has retained sovereignty over the
   former ever since, despite all attempts by Spain to recapture it.

   Gibraltar subsequently became an important naval base for the Royal
   Navy and played an important part in the Battle of Trafalgar. Its
   strategic value increased with the opening of the Suez Canal, as it
   controlled the important sea route between the UK and its colonies in
   India and Australia. During World War II, the civilian residents of
   Gibraltar were evacuated, and the Rock was turned into a fortress. An
   airfield was built over the civilian racecourse. Guns on Gibraltar
   controlled the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, but plans by Nazi
   Germany to capture the Rock, codenamed Operation Felix, were frustrated
   by Spain's reluctance to allow the German Army onto Spanish soil.
   Germany's Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, also helped by
   filing a pointedly negative assessment of the options. Canaris was a
   leader of the German high command resistance to Hitler, and it is
   thought that he frustrated the attack to limit Germany's aggression.

   In the 1950s, Spain, then under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco,
   renewed its claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar, sparked in part by the
   visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 to celebrate the 250th anniversary
   of the Rock's capture. For the next thirty years, Spain restricted
   movement between Gibraltar and Spain. A referendum was held on
   September 10, 1967, in which Gibraltar's voters were asked whether they
   wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty, or remain under
   British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government. The vote was
   overwhelmingly in favour of continuance of British sovereignty, with
   12,138 to 44 voting to reject Spanish sovereignty. In response, Spain
   completely closed the border with Gibraltar and severed all
   communication links.

   In 1981 it was announced that The Prince and Princess of Wales would
   fly to Gibraltar to board the Britannia as part of their honeymoon. In
   response, the Spanish King, Juan Carlos I refused to attend their
   wedding in London.

   In 1988, SAS troops foiled an attempted terrorist attack on the British
   Army Garrison by members of the IRA, an event that was subsequently the
   subject of a controversial British television documentary, Death on the
   Rock.
   View of the frontier from the Spanish side.
   Enlarge
   View of the frontier from the Spanish side.

   The border with Spain was partially reopened in 1982, and fully
   reopened in 1985 after Spain's accession into the European Community.
   Joint talks on the future of the Rock held between Spain and the United
   Kingdom have occurred since the late 1980s, with various proposals for
   joint sovereignty discussed. However, another referendum organised in
   Gibraltar rejected the idea of joint sovereignty by 17,900 (98.97%)
   votes to 187 (1.03%). The British Government restated that, in
   accordance with the preamble of the constitution of Gibraltar, the "UK
   will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar
   would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely
   and democratically expressed wishes." The question of Gibraltar
   continues to affect Anglo-Spanish relations.

   In September 2006 representatives of the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and
   Spain concluded in Cordoba, Spain, a landmark agreement on a range of
   cross-cutting issues affecting the Rock and the campo Gibraltar
   removing many of the restrictions imposed by Spain.

Politics

   The Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton KBE.
   Enlarge
   The Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton KBE.

   As an overseas territory of the UK, the head of state is Queen
   Elizabeth II, who is represented by the Governor of Gibraltar. The UK
   retains responsibility for defence, foreign relations, internal
   security, and financial stability. The Governor is not involved in the
   day-to-day administration of Gibraltar, and his role is largely as a
   ceremonial head of state. The Governor officially appoints the Chief
   Minister and government ministers after an election. He is responsible
   for matters of defence, security, and the Royal Gibraltar Police. A new
   governor, Lt General Sir Robert Fulton KBE, replaced Sir Francis
   Richards in September 2006. . On 17th July 2006 Sir Francis left on HMS
   Monmouth leaving the symbolic keys of the fortress of Gibraltar with
   the Deputy Governor.

   The Government of Gibraltar is elected for a term of four years. The
   unicameral House of Assembly consists of fifteen elected members (eight
   Government members, seven opposition members) and two ex-officio
   members appointed by the Governor : the Financial Development
   Secretary, and the Attorney-General. The speaker is nominated by the
   Government.

   The head of Government is the Chief Minister, currently Peter Caruana.
   There are three political parties currently represented in the House of
   Assembly: the Gibraltar Social Democrats, the Gibraltar Socialist
   Labour Party, and the Gibraltar Liberal Party.

   New Gibraltar Democracy and the Progressive Democratic Party have been
   formed since the 2003 election. The Reform Party and Gibraltar Labour
   Party, having failed to achieve any popular support, ceased operating
   in 2005.

   Gibraltar is a part of the European Union, having joined under the
   British Treaty of Accession ( 1973), with exemption from some areas
   such as the Customs Union and Common Agricultural Policy.

   After a ten year campaign to exercise the right to vote in European
   Elections, from 2004, the people of Gibraltar participated in elections
   for the European Parliament as part of the South West England
   constituency.

   As a result of the continued Spanish claim, the issue of sovereignty
   features strongly in Gibraltar politics. All local political parties
   are opposed to any transfer of sovereignty to Spain, instead supporting
   self-determination for the Rock. This policy is supported by the main
   UK opposition parties. In view of the UK Government's repeated
   commitment to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar, as laid
   out in the Constitution, the proposal for joint sovereignty is now
   considered dead.

   In March 2006 Jack Straw announced that a new Gibraltar constitution
   had been agreed upon and would be published prior to a referendum on
   its acceptance in Gibraltar that year.

   In July 2006, Geoff Hoon Minister for Europe, in a statement to the UK
   Parliament confirmed that the new Constitution confirms the right of
   self-determination of the Gibraltarian people.

Geography

   The Rock of Gibraltar, West Side town area, 2006.
   Enlarge
   The Rock of Gibraltar, West Side town area, 2006.

   The territory covers 2.53 square miles (6.543 km²). It shares a
   three-quarter of a mile (1.2 km) land border with Spain and has
   7½ miles (12 km) of shoreline. There are two coasts (sides) of
   Gibraltar – the East Side, which contains the settlements of Sandy Bay
   and Catalan Bay, and the West Side, where the vast majority of the
   population lives.
   The Bay of Gibraltar, NASA Satellite view
   Enlarge
   The Bay of Gibraltar, NASA Satellite view

   The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers. There
   are two main prevailing winds, an easterly one known as the "levante"
   coming from the sahara in Africa which brings humid weather and warmer
   sea and the other as "poniente" which is westerly and brings fresher
   air in and colder sea. Its terrain is a narrow coastal lowland
   bordering the 1,397.6  foot (426  m) high Rock of Gibraltar.

   It has negligible natural resources and limited natural freshwater
   resources, until recently using large concrete or natural rock water
   catchments to collect rain water. It now has a desalination plant using
   reverse osmosis, built into the Rock itself.

   Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated territories in the
   world, with approximately 11,154 people per square mile (4,290/km²).
   The growing demand for space is being increasingly met by land
   reclamation, which comprises approximately one tenth of the territory's
   total area.

   A Gibraltar 'Ape'
   Enlarge
   A Gibraltar 'Ape'

   The Rock itself is made of limestone and is 1,396 feet (426 m) high. It
   contains many miles of tunnelled roads, most of which are operated by
   the military and hence closed to the public.

   Most of its upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to
   around 250 Barbary Macaques, the only wild monkeys in Europe. Recent
   genetic studies and historical documents point to their presence on the
   Rock before the British capture. Superstition holds that if ever the
   monkeys leave, so will the British; as a result, they are well looked
   after by the government (a situation rather analogous to the ravens of
   the Tower of London).

Subdivisions

   A map of Gibraltar.
   Enlarge
   A map of Gibraltar.

   Gibraltar has no administrative divisions. It is divided into seven
   Major Residential Areas, which are further divided into Enumeration
   Areas, used for statistical purposes. The Major Residential Areas are
   listed below, with population figures from the Census of 2001:
     Residential area  Population    %
   1 East Side                429   1.54%
   2 North District         4,116  14.97%
   3 Reclamation Areas      9,599  34.91%
   4 Sandpits Area          2,207   8.03%
   5 South District         4,257  15.48%
   6 Town Area              3,588  13.05%
   7 Upper Town             2,805  10.20%
     other                    494   1.82%
     Gibraltar             27,495 100.00%

Economy

   The British military traditionally dominated the economy of Gibraltar,
   with the naval dockyard providing the bulk of economic activity. This
   has however diminished in the last twenty years, and it is estimated to
   account for only 7% of the local economy, compared to over 60% in 1984.

   Today, Gibraltar has an extensive service-based economy, dominated by
   financial services and tourism. Referred as an International Finance
   Centre , Gibraltar was among 35 jurisdictions identified by the OECD as
   a Tax haven in June 2000 . As a result of having made a commitment in
   accordance with the OECD's 2001 Progress Report on the OECD's Project
   on Harmful Tax Practices, Gibraltar will not be included in the next
   OECD's list of unco-operative tax havens . It has also never been
   listed on the FATF Blacklist of unco-operative countries in the fight
   against money laundering. It may also be referred to as an Offshore
   Financial Centre, by international institutions such as the IMF .

   Fiscal advantages, including no tax on capital income, are offered to
   the over 8.000 offshore qualified companies registered in Gibraltar .
   After an agreement with the European Union in 2005, this tax-exempt
   regime is due to disappear on the 31st of December 2010 .

   Financial services and persons involved in the industry are regulated
   by the Financial Services Commission, which operates in a similar
   manner to the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority.

   A number of British and international banks have operations based
   Gibraltar. Recently, a number of large bookmakers and online gaming
   operators have relocated to Gibraltar, to benefit from operating in a
   well regulated jurisdiction with a favourable tax regime.

   Tourism is also a significant industry. Gibraltar is a popular stop for
   cruise ships and attracts day visitors from resorts in Spain. The Rock
   is a popular tourist attraction, particularly among British tourists
   and residents in the southern coast of Spain. It is also a popular
   shopping destination, and all goods and services are VAT free. Many of
   the large British high street chains have branches in Gibraltar,
   including Marks and Spencer, BHS, Dorothy Perkins, and the supermarket
   Morrisons.

   Other areas of activity are services related to shipping, like
   bunkering, and ship repair and construction. The economy is considered
   to be strong and diversified.

   Figures from the CIA World Factbook show that Gibraltar has a GDP of
   over £432 million ($769 million) with a per capita figure of £15,700
   ($28,000). The main export markets in 2004 were France (19.4%), Spain
   (14.1%), Turkmenistan (12.1%), Switzerland (11.7%), Germany (10.1%),
   the United Kingdom (9.1%), and Greece (6.8%).

   The unit of currency in use is the Pound Sterling with notes issued by
   the Government of Gibraltar although there is an ISO code of GIP for
   the Gibraltar Pound.

Demographics

   The population of Gibraltar was 27,884, (2005) and has been fairly
   constant around that number.

   The Gibraltarians are often described either as English or Spanish, but
   they are a distinctive racial and cultural fusion of the many European
   immigrants who came to the Rock over 300 years. Gibraltarians are the
   descendants of economic migrants that came to Gibraltar after the
   majority of the Spanish population left in 1704 (185 Spaniards remained
   in 1753). Subsequently, Genoese, Maltese, and Portuguese formed the
   majority of this new population. Other groups including Minorcans
   (forced to leave their homes when that island was returned to Spain in
   1802), Sardinians, Sicilians, French, Germans, Italians, and, of
   course, the British. Immigration from Spain and intermarriage with
   Spaniards from the surrounding Spanish towns was a constant feature of
   Gibraltar's history until General Francisco Franco decided to close the
   border with Gibraltar, cutting off many Gibraltarians from their
   relatives on the Spanish side of the Frontier. The land frontier was
   opened by the Spanish Socialist Government, however other restrictions
   remain in place.

   The main religion is Christianity, with the majority of Gibraltarians
   belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. Christian religious minorities
   include the Church of England, Church of Scotland the Methodist Church,
   a ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
   Jehovah's Witnesses. There are also a number of Hindu Indians, a
   Moroccan Muslim population, and a long established Jewish community.

   The official language is English, which is used for government and
   business purposes. Most Gibraltarians use Llanito (pronounced "Yanito")
   as their vernacular language - a dialect of Andalusian Spanish,
   strongly influenced by English while incorporating some words not
   native to either.

Culture

   The culture of Gibraltar reflects Gibraltarians' diverse origins. While
   there are Andalusian and British influences, the ethnic origins of most
   Gibraltarians are not confined to British or Andalusian ethnicities.
   Most ethnicities include Genoese, Maltese, Portuguese, and Germans. A
   handful of other Gibraltar residents are Jewish of Sephardic origin,
   North African, or Hindu.

   British influence remains strong. Although Gibraltarians often speak to
   each other in an English-influenced Andalusian dialect called Yanito or
   Llanito, English is the language of government, commerce, education,
   and the media. Gibraltarians going on to higher education attend
   university in the UK. Patients requiring medical treatment not
   available on the Rock receive it there as private patients paid for by
   the Gibraltar Government.

   National Day is celebrated annually on September 10th.
   Gibraltarians encircle the Rock
   Enlarge
   Gibraltarians encircle the Rock

   In 2004 Gibraltar celebrated the tercentenery of its capture by British
   forces. To honour them for their effort and in recognition of the long
   association as a naval base, the freedom of the City was awarded to the
   Royal Navy.

   In another event, as a political gesture of solidarity, almost the
   entire population took to the streets dressed in red, white and blue
   and linked hands to form a human chain encircling the rock.

Transport

   The Cable Car.
   Enlarge
   The Cable Car.

   Within Gibraltar, the main form of transport is the car. Motorbikes are
   popular and there is a good modern bus service. Unlike other British
   territories, traffic drives on the right, as it shares a land border
   with Spain.

   There is a cable car which runs from ground level to the top of the
   rock, with an intermediate station at the apes den.

   The only transport link with Spain is by land, as the Government of
   Spain prohibited any air or ferry connections. An agreement signed in
   Cordoba   between Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain on September
   18, 2006 aims to improve areas of mutual interest. The Spanish
   government is to relax border controls at the frontier, which have
   plagued locals for decades, and in return Britain will pay increased
   pensions to workers who lost their jobs when Spain's former dictator,
   General Francisco Franco, closed the border in 1969. Restrictions on
   telephones and the Gibraltar Airport would also be removed by Christmas
   2006. Gibraltar maintains regular flight connections to London and
   Manchester. Flights to Morocco were cancelled after insufficient demand
   to sustain the service. A new airline, Fly Gibraltar promises to
   operate flights to the UK and Ireland from March 2007.

   Motorists, and on occasion pedestrians, crossing the border with Spain
   are randomly subjected to long delays and searches by the Spanish
   authorities. Spain has closed the border during disputes with Gibraltar
   authorities, including when the Aurora cruise ship called at Gibraltar,
   and for an evening by fishermen from Algeciras after a Spanish fishing
   vessel, The Pirana, was arrested by the Gibraltar police for illegal
   fishing in Gibraltar waters.

Communications

   Gibraltar has a digital telephone exchange supported by a fibre optic
   and copper infrastructure. The telephone operator Gibtelecom also
   operate a GSM network.

   International subscriber dialling is provided, and Gibraltar was
   allocated the access code 350 by the International Telecommunication
   Union. This works from all countries with IDD, apart from Spain which
   insists on using 9567 as an access code due to the telecom dispute

   Dial-up, ADSL, and high speed Internet lines are available along with
   wifi hotspots in the hotels.

   The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation operate a television and radio
   station on UHF, VHF, Medium Wave and with Internet streaming of the
   radio service.

Military

   A Royal Navy base in Gibraltar.
   Enlarge
   A Royal Navy base in Gibraltar.

   The army garrison is provided by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment,
   originally a part-time reserve force which was placed on the permanent
   establishment of the British Army in 1990. The regiment includes
   full-time and part-time soldiers recruited from Gibraltar, as well as
   British Army regulars posted from other regiments.

   The Royal Navy maintains a squadron at the Rock. The squadron is
   responsible for the security and integrity of British Gibraltar
   Territorial Waters (BGTW). The shore establishment at Gibraltar is
   named Rooke after Sir George Rooke who captured the Rock for Archduke
   Charles (pretender to the Spanish throne) in 1704. Gibraltar's
   strategic position provides an important facility for the Royal Navy
   and Britain's allies. Ships from the Spanish Navy do not call at
   Gibraltar.

   British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Z berths at
   Gibraltar (source: Hansard). A Z berth provides the facility for
   nuclear submarines to visit for operational or recreational purposes,
   and for non-nuclear repairs.

   The Royal Air Force station at Gibraltar forms part of Headquarters
   British Forces Gibraltar. Although aircraft are no longer permanently
   stationed at RAF Gibraltar, a variety of RAF aircraft make regular
   visits to the Rock and the airfield also houses a section from the Met
   Office.

   The Rock is believed to be a SIGINT listening post for
   telecommunications throughout North Africa, and because of its
   strategic location it still remains a key base for NSA and GCHQ
   coverage of the Mediterranean.

   The Naval Base played a part in the Falklands war and there was an
   aborted plan Operation Algeciras to attack shipping in the harbour
   using frogmen.

Death on the Rock

   In 1988 the British SAS killed three unarmed Provisional IRA
   volunteers, Mairéad Farrell, Sean Savage and Daniel McCann in Gibraltar
   as part of Operation Flavius. They were in Gibraltar on a PIRA
   operation to plant a car bomb. A car hired by the three was
   subsequently discovered with 100 lb of Semtex explosive. This incident
   was the subject of a contentious Thames Television documentary, Death
   on the Rock.

   The families of the deceased took the case to the European Court of
   Human Rights. In 1995 the court held by ten votes to nine that the
   British Government had violated Article 2 of the Convention. It also
   ruled that the three had been engaged in an act of terrorism, and
   consequently dismissed unanimously the applicants’ claims for damages,
   for costs and expenses incurred in the Gibraltar Inquest and the
   remainder of the claims for just satisfaction.

National Day

   Symbolic release of red and white balloons
   Enlarge
   Symbolic release of red and white balloons

   Every year Gibraltar celebrates its National Day on 10th September to
   commemorate the 1967 referendum where with a massive majority the
   people of Gibraltar voted to reject annexation by Spain.

   The day is a public holiday, and most Gibraltarians participate by
   dressing up in the National Colours of red and white and attending the
   political rally and other events held that day.

   The political rally culminates with the release of 30,000 red and white
   balloons representing the number of people of Gibraltar.

   A good description of the occasion by Andrew Rosindell MP is:

   "Gibraltar's national day, 10 September, is a magnificent celebration
   not only of Gibraltarians' pride in being British but of their love of
   their homeland."

Gibraltar UEFA Membership

   The Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) applied to UEFA for
   independent membership of the football confederation, which would
   enable it to play as a national team in international matches in Europe
   and around the world (as participation in FIFA flows from UEFA
   membership).

   The Spanish football federation has objected strongly to Gibraltarian
   membership, leading UEFA to deny entry to the GFA. However, following
   an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), UEFA have now
   been ordered to overturn their decision, and admit Gibraltar. The
   Spanish Government has threatened to withdraw Spanish teams, including
   their national side, from UEFA, although under current rules this would
   preclude Spanish involvement in all international football.

   The GFA was founded in 1895 making it one of the oldest associations,
   and complies with all aspects of membership. The Spanish objection is
   based on its facilities being built on 'disputed land'.

Famous people from Gibraltar

     * Joseph 'Pepe' Forbes - Boxing Matchmaker
     * William George Penney - Nuclear Scientist.
     * John Galliano - Fashion designer.
     * Albert Hammond - Gibraltarian Singer, Songwriter and Producer
     * Henry Francis Cary - Translator and poet (1772-1844)
     * Paul Cavilla - Artist.

Gibraltar in popular culture

     * The Silent Enemy, was filmed on location in Gibraltar in 1958 and
       was a dramatisation the period during the Second World War when
       Lionel 'Buster' Crabb served as a mine and disposal officer in
       Gibraltar, and Italian frogmen of the Italian navy's Tenth Light
       Flotilla were sinking vital shipping.
     * Gibraltar was the opening location in the 1987 James Bond film, "
       The Living Daylights" which featured 00 trainees using parachutes
       James Bond landing on the top-of-the-Rock, a fall from the rock
       face, and a fight aboard a moving jeep containing explosives.
     * Gibraltar is where Beatle John Lennon married Yoko Ono, and is
       mentioned for this in the Beatles' hit The Ballad of John and Yoko
     * Satirical novel " Gil Braltar" by Jules Verne (1887) describes an
       almost successful attack of the monkeys on the fortress.
     * "Raffles' crime in Gibraltar", by Barry Perowne a Sexton Blake
       story as featured on TV, set in Gibraltar in 1937. Contains a lot
       of interesting period descriptions of the territory pre-war, 185
       pages. US Title: "They Hang Them in Gibraltar".
     * The rock's image as a symbol of strength and fortification led to
       its use as a corporate logo by the Prudential Financial Company.
     * In the Cosmic Era universe of the Gundam megaseries (specifically
       Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny),
       Gibraltar is the site of one of the major ZAFT bases.
     * In the 2006 Electronic Arts game ' Battlefield 2142' a futuristic
       Gibraltar is featured as one of the playable maps.

Rock bands

     * Breed 77
     * Melon Diesel
     * No Direction

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