The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone
promontory located in a strategic position at the British overseas territory of
Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is
1,398 ft high and most of the Rock’s upper area is beautifully covered by a
nature reserve, which is home to around 250 Barbary macaques. These macaques,
as well as a labyrinthine network of tunnels, entice a large number of tourists
every year.
The Rock of Gibraltar is the only landmark of
the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to nearly
30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities i.e., British, Moroccans, Indians and
Spanish. Gibraltar is Famous Worldwide for its dramatic rock, because it
overlooks the Straits of Gibraltar and is linked to Spain by a narrow isthmus.
It is more interesting that Gibraltar is imposing but small and measures less
than 6 square kilometres in total. There is also a colony of the famous apes,
the only ones in Europe to run free in a semi-wild state.
Gibraltar is a British self-governing oversees territory (colony) that
is responsible for Gibraltar's foreign affairs, defense and the political
stability of the colony. Though, the Rock has its own Chief Minister, Fabian
Picardo, plus a House of Parliament and a government, which oversees the
day-to-day affairs of the Rock. The adjacent cliffs, along the eastern side of
the Rock, drop down to a series of wind-blown sand slopes that date to the
Glaciations, when sea levels were lower than they’re today. As the mineral that
makes up limestone dissolves gradually in rainwater, but with the passage of
time this process can form caves and consequently the Rock contains over one
hundred caves, created during the history of Gibraltar.
St Michael’s Cave is located halfway up the western slope and is the
most protuberant and widespread cave. Britain has 300 years of sovereignty over
the Rock and almost all of its populations want to remain with Britain
nationality. It has rock'n'roll history that collides with monkeys. In ancient
times Gibraltar was one of the Pillars of Hercules, and it was recognized to
the Greeks as Mons Calpe, the other pillar being Mons Abyla on the Moroccan
side of the Strait. An exclusive feature of the Rock is its system of
underground passages, known as the Galleries or the Great Siege Tunnels.
