Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom comprising a rocky peninsula attached to the southern coast of Spain. Captured in 1704, it was ceded to Great Britain by Spain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Since then it has provided Britain with an important naval and military base at the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea north of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Gibraltar is dominated by the huge Rock of Gibraltar, which is honeycombed with military tunnels. The rock is inhabited by the famous. Barbary Macaques, the only free ranging monkeys in Europe. Legend has it that Britain will hold Gibraltar as long as these roam the Rock. The Rock is 4.4 kilometers long and 1.2 kilometers wide and at is 419m in height.
The population comprises around 28,000 Gibraltarians, the largest ethnic group, of which 78% belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
Spain has called for Great Britain to return sovereignty of Gibraltar but the majority of the Gibraltarians reject this. In a referendum in 2002 over 99% voted against a proposal for shared sovereignty.
Politically Gibraltar is governed by a locally elected parliament under the 2006 constitution. The UK is responsible for defence and foreign affairs. It is part of the EU, having joined under the British Treaty of Accession.
