What is Gibraltar?
Gibraltar is a British colony, an overseas territory of the UK. It’s a tiny area, less than six square kilometres (2.2 sq miles). The Rock of Gibraltar itself looks over the area, standing nearly 430 metres (1,400 feet) high. Gibraltar’s location is important. It stands at the mouth of the Mediterranean, at the bottom of the Iberian peninsula, and only 20km (12 miles) from the north coast of Africa. It has a Nato base, including a port and airstrip. Tourists enjoy the cheap alcohol and tobacco available because of the Rock’s tax-free status. And of course there are the famous apes. They were brought over from North Africa by British soldiers, and now roam freely on the Rock.
