Gibraltar History

History

In 711 Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslim governor of Tangier, landed at Gibraltar to launch the Islamic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. The name Gibraltar is derived from Jebel Tariq (Tariq’s Mountain).

Castilla wrested the Rock from the Muslims in 1462. Then in 1704 an Anglo-Dutch fleet captured Gibraltar during the War of the Spanish Succession. Spain ceded the Rock to Britain in 1713, but didn’t abandon military attempts to regain it until the failure of the Great Siege of 177983. Britain developed it into an important naval base (bringing in a community of Genoese ship repairers). During the Franco period, Gibraltar was an extremely sore point between Britain and Spain: the border was closed from 1967 to 1985. In 1969, Gibraltarians voted, by 12,138 to 44, in favour of British rather than Spanish sovereignty and a new constitution gave Gibraltar domestic self-government. In 2002 the UK and Spain held talks about a possible future sharing of sovereignty over Gibraltar, but Gibraltarians expressed their feelings in a referendum (not recognised by Britain or Spain), which voted resoundingly against any such idea.

In December 2005, the governments of the UK, Spain and Gibraltar set up a new, trilateral process of dialogue. The three parties have reached agreement on some issues but tricky topics remain, not the least Britain’s military installations and ‘ownership’ of Gibraltar airport. Gibraltarians want self-determination and to retain British citizenship, making joint sovereignty improbable. Few foresee a change in the status quo but at least relations are less strained. On 18 September 2006, a three-way deal was signed by Spain, Gibraltar and Britain relating to telecommunications on the Rock, Gibraltar airport and other issues, but not sovereignty. Gibraltar airport will be expanded across the border into Spain and flights from Spanish cities and other European destinations direct to Gibraltar airport will be introduced.

The mainstays of Gibraltar’s economy are tourism, the port and financial services (including, Spanish police complain, the laundering of proceeds from organised crime, though Gibraltar counters that money laundering is tightly controlled). Investment on the Rock continues apace with a huge, luxury waterfront development on its western side.