Gibraltar is a British overseas territory. It is located on the south of the Iberian Peninsula, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. 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 a Spanish corruption of the original Arabic name Jabal Ţāriq, 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 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. 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.
The territory covers 2.53 square miles (6.543 km˛). It shares a three-quarter of a mile (1.2 km) land border with Spain and has 7˝ 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 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 consists of the 1,396 foot (426 m) high Rock of Gibraltar and the narrow coastal lowland surrounding it.
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.
Gibraltar has no administrative divisions. It is, however, divided into seven Major Residential Areas, which are further divided into Enumeration Areas, used for statistical purposes.
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 that also incorporates some words native to neither. Arabic is also spoken by the Moroccan community.
