~ GIBRALTAR ~
The Chronicles of Gibraltar
Once upon a time, over 2,900 years ago, a small peninsula on the southern Iberian coast near the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea began to write its history1. This place, known as Gibraltar, evolved from a place of reverence in ancient times into one of the most densely fortified and fought-over places in Europe1.
The first inhabitants of Gibraltar were Neanderthals, who made their home here over 50,000 years ago1. As time passed, the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Carthaginians, and Romans recognized and revered the genius loci of the place1. The Romans named the jutting protrusion of limestone Mons Calpe, the “Hollow Mountain”, and regarded it as one of the twin Pillars of Hercules1.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Gibraltar became part of the Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, only to come under Muslim Moorish rule in 711 AD1. It was permanently settled for the first time by the Moors and was renamed Jebel Tariq – the Mount of Tariq, later corrupted into Gibraltar1.
In 1462, the Christian Crown of Castile annexed Gibraltar, lost it again to the Moors in 1333, and finally regained it in 14621. Gibraltar became part of the unified Kingdom of Spain and remained under Spanish rule until 17041.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, an Anglo-Dutch fleet captured Gibraltar in the name of Charles VI of Austria, the Habsburg contender to the Spanish throne1. At the war’s end, Spain ceded the territory to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht of 17131.
Since then, Gibraltar has been a British territory, hosting a major shipping port and base for Britain’s Royal Navy2. Despite Spain’s attempts to regain control of Gibraltar, it remains a British Crown colony1.
Today, Gibraltar stands as a testament to the ever-changing nature of geopolitics and the transient nature of empires. Its rich history continues to shape its present and will undoubtedly influence its future.
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GIBRALTAR....VERY INTERESTIN HISTORY.