Gibraltar
Gibraltar behoort tot de Europese Unie maar niet tot de Schengen-landen, een paspoort en/of
identiteitskaart zijn dan ook verplicht om de grens over te mogen !
Gibraltar is zonder enige twijfel de vreemde eend in de bijt op het Iberische Schiereiland. Als 6
km² grote half-zelfstandige Britse Kroonkolonie staat het helemaal apart van de rest. Dit
minilandje heeft echter alles: water, elektriciteit, telefoon, mobiel netwerk, televisie, radio,
onderwijs, grondwet, verkiezingen, regering etc.
Gibraltar kan bereikt worden per vliegtuig. Het landje is zo klein dat je net na de grens de
landingsbaan van de luchthaven moet oversteken. Een verkeerslicht regelt het verkeer tussen
passanten en vliegtuigen ... Via één van de 3 jachthavens kan het schiereilandje over zee
bereikt worden, vanuit het Oosten via de Middellandse Zee, vanuit het Westen over de
Atlantische Oceaan. En tenslotte over land via de grens ("La Verja", "The frontier") met het
Spaanse dorpje La Línea de la Concepción.
Gibraltar is 5,2 km lang en 1,2 km breed. Het landje wordt gedomineerd door de indrukwekkende
rots "The Rock" die 426 hoog is. De strategische ligging met controle over alle scheepvaartverkeer
in de Straat van Gibraltar heeft sinds duizenden jaren zijn geschiedenis bepaalt.
Een ander bepalend punt voor Gibraltar is de nabijheid van Afrika, Marroko, slechts 21 km over
zee. Samen met de in Afrika gelegen berg Jebel Musa vormt Gibraltar de 2 zuilen van Hercules.
Zie ook de pagina over de klassieke mythologie.
History:
On the Rock there were remains found of the Neanderthal, a pre historical human race.
The Romans built a fortress on the Rock. In 711 the Rock was conquered by the Arab leader
Tarik ibn Zeyad, in orde of the governor of Tanger, Musa , that entered the peninsula with its
Moorish troops and who
gave his name to the mountain: "Djebel Tarik", what means "Mountain of Tarik".
The Arabs later extended the Roman castle and built a city named Medina al Faz, "city of
Victory".
In 1239 the city was captured by a Spanish count, who lost it 3 years later again to the Arabs.
They then built the city walls and the castle.
In 1487 Juan I de Castilla captured the city and give it to his sister Isabela Católica.
In 1704 it was conquered by Sir George Rocker for England during the Spanish Succession War by an
Anglo-Dutch fleet.
In 1713 Spain ceded the Rock to England with the Treaty of Utrecht but didn't stop though its
military aspirations on it until the failure of the Great Siege of 1779 till 1783.
During the dictatorship of General Franco, it was a very sore point Between Britain and Spain:
the border was closed from 1967 till 1985. In 1969 the Gibraltarians voted by 12.138 to 44 in
favour of British rather than Spanish sovereignty.
Another vote in 2002 had the same result, although the British as well the Spanish government
rejected the outcome of the vote.
Politics:
Gibraltar is quite small: less than six square kilometres in total. It is inhabited by some
30,000 people, made up of Gibraltarians, British, Moroccans, Indians and Spanish. Over 50,000
business societies are registered there, known as "off shore companies", because of being one of
the few fiscal paradises in the world.
Gibraltar is a British self-governing colony. It has a Governor who is the Queen's representative
on the Rock and Commander-in Chief of the British Forces stationed there. Britain is responsible
for Gibraltar's foreign affairs, defence and the political stability of the colony.
Gibraltar is a member of the European Union by virtue of Britain's membership. However, Gibraltar
is outside the Customs Union so travellers from EU member countries can still enjoy duty free
purchases.
The people:
The inhabitants of Gibraltar are nicknamed as "Los Llanitos", and speak a strange mixture of
English and Andalusian, although they also speak excellentl English and Spanish with a typical
Andalusian accent.
The apes:
There is a colony of apes, Silvana Macacos or Barbarian Apes, on the Rock, which is the only place in Europe where apes live completely free. There is a legend that the apes came to Gibraltar through an under sea tunnel and when the last ape dies, the colony has to go back to Spain.
There are 6 families of apes living on the hill that live separated. If one comes too close to the other, they will fight.
When you visit the apes, be careful with glasses, cameras, purses, a.s.o. that the apes could possibly steal. It is forbidden to feed the apes, a fine of 500 pounds (about 750 €) can be imposed if you do so. By feeding the apes, their natural behaviour will be disturbed what may cause changes in behaviour and bad health.
Shopping:
There is one important shopping street: Main Street (videos, electronics, …).
Amongst the shops of Main Street you'll find numerous money exchange centres. The vast majority offer a very good rate of exchange and charge no commission on cash exchanges. However, do be careful to check before you change your money. Both euros and pounds are accepted, there is no need to change euros to pounds.
Shop for Chinese linens, designer sunglasses, the latest CDs, electrical equipment, audio-visual gadgets, cigarettes, cigars, spirits, jewellery, watches, porcelain, perfumes and designer wear.
The majority of shops open from 09.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday. On Saturday most shops close at 13.30. The shops are closed on Sundays unless a cruise ship is in port.
It is allowed to bring up to 165 € of goods out of Gibraltar but there can only be 1 bottle of spirits (maximum 1 litre) and 1 box/carton of tobacco per person (200 cigarettes).
If you buy porcelain (Lladró is porcelain of Valencia and a very famous collection object) you have to keep in mind that you will have to pay 26 % at the customs. A good trick to omit this to put it in a plastic bag of a super market and put some other things like food on top of it.
American tourists are mostly interested in porcelain (Lladró) and perfumes. The shops give you commission. Americans want you to help them with shopping and accept you to get commission.
Gibraltar
In Spain there was a war for the succession of king Felipe II, he had a son of 8 years old, so the country was governed by his mother.
Other European kings as Louis XIV of France, Portugal and the Austrian Borbons, tried to take the Spanish throne and a civil war broke out between monarchs, republicans and nationalists. This weakened the coastal defence what allowed Gibraltar to be captured.
During the Great Siege of 1779 till 1783, the Spanish tried to recapture the Rock and were bombing it for 3 years. The British defenders then built galleries to protect themselves and to put in their artillery. There are 24 kilometres of tunnels and galleries.
Conference of The Hague: Spain came out of the war very poor and asked for economical help. To obtain it the Spanish had to give The Guyanas to the Dutch, Sicily, Palermo and Toscany to the Italians and Mallorca to England.
Treaty of Greenwich: Spain got 25 years more to pay of his debts. But then started the Spanish Civil War and the dictature of general Franco, so Spain had a bad time again and could not pay.
During the Second World War, Hitler had serious plans to conquer The Rock, he sent spies and some generals on a reconnaissance mission and had his troops and tanks ready at the Spanish border but general Franco did not want to let them enter Spain, so the plan was dismissed.
Getting married on the Rock:
Many people choose to follow in the footsteps of Sir Sean Connery and John Lennon and Yoko Ono and
get married on the Rock.
For most people, getting married in Gibraltar couldn't be simpler. There are no residency
restrictions and in theory you can get married with just 24 hours notice. However, as Gibraltar is
very popular as a location for getting married it is wise to plan well in advance.
To get married at Gibraltar's registry office you need to present yourself at the registry at
least 24 hours before you wish to get married. You will need your birth certificate, passport and
if you've been married before a copy of your divorce decree absolute. The registrar will only
accept originals not photocopies. No overnight stay in Gibraltar is required.