IV.

History

Gibraltar and ancient Abila (now Mount Acho at Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in Morocco) form the classical Pillars of Hercules, which were crowned with silver columns by Phoenician mariners to mark the limits of safe navigation for the ancient Mediterranean peoples. The Rock of Gibraltar was named Jabal Tariq (Arabic, “Mount of Tariq”) in honour of the Muslim general Tariq ibn-Ziyad (died about 720), who invaded Spain in 711. In 1309 Gibraltar was captured by the Castilians but was regained by the Moors in 1333 and held until 1462, when it finally passed from Moorish possession. In 1502, it was annexed to the Spanish Crown.

After the sacking of Gibraltar by the Algerian corsair Barbarossa II (Khayr ad-Din) in 1540, the Rock was furnished with strong defences by command of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. On July 24, 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Gibraltar was captured by combined English and Dutch forces. The English commander took possession in the name of Queen Anne. Nine years later the acquisition was formalized by the Peace of Utrecht.

During the European phase of the American War of Independence, the Spanish, who had entered the conflict against the British, imposed a stringent blockade against Gibraltar as part of an unsuccessful siege that lasted for more than three years (1779-1783). On September 14, 1782, the British destroyed the floating batteries of the French and Spanish besiegers. In February 1783 the signing of peace preliminaries ended the siege. In 1830, Gibraltar was made a Crown Colony.

In World War I, the Rock served as a strategic base for Allied naval units and was used as a coaling station for transports en route to theatres of war in the eastern Mediterranean. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the town of Gibraltar served as a haven for large numbers of Spanish refugees.

When Great Britain gave almost complete control over internal affairs to the dependency in 1964, Spain contended that under terms of the Peace of Utrecht it should acquire sovereignty over Gibraltar. The British step led to strained relations between the two countries and economic isolation of the dependency by Spain. In a referendum held on September 10, 1967, the people of Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain under British rule and to reject ties with Spain. Spain, however, pursued its claim and in 1969 closed its border to the 5,000 Spanish workers who crossed it daily on their way to work in Gibraltar. The dependency consequently adapted its economy, which benefited from a general diversification, increased tourism, and military spending by the British.

Towards the end of the 1970s Spain began to show more flexibility on the question of Gibraltar. In 1980 an agreement in principle was reached on the reopening of the border, but it was not implemented because of labour problems. It was further delayed in 1981, when the Prince and Princess of Wales selected the Rock as the first stop on their honeymoon, a choice that Spain regarded as an affront. In 1982, however, both countries again committed themselves to resolving their differences, and in February 1985, for the first time in 16 years, the border with the Spanish mainland was fully reopened. This was due to Spain’s imminent accession to the European Union (then the European Community), where open borders are required between all member states.

In December 1987 new EC aviation legislation decreed that unless the Gibraltarians accepted joint control of their airport with Spain, Gibraltar airport would be excluded from a measure of EC law on civil aviation. The Gibraltarian administration refused and continues to refuse to implement the 1987 Airport Agreement as they believe it makes concessions on sovereignty to the Spanish. As a result, certain restrictions still remain in place over the use of the airport and Gibraltarian airspace.

Hostile relations between Spain and Gibraltar continued through the 1990s, with the Spanish government claiming that the Rock was a haven for drug and tobacco smuggling, money laundering, and tax evasion.

In January 1997 Spain’s prime minister Felipe González made a new offer to the United Kingdom of joint sovereignty over Gibraltar, which was rejected, although discussions between the British and Spanish governments over the future of Gibraltar continued.

Two main parties dominate domestic politics in Gibraltar—the ruling centre-right Social Democrats and the opposition alliance of the Socialist Labour Party and the Liberal Party. The Social Democrats formed the present government after their victory in the November 2003 elections, under the leadership of Peter Caruana, Chief Minister of Gibraltar since May 1996.

In late 2000 Britain and Spain agreed to reach a deal over sovereignty. However, in protest at any suggestion of Spanish involvement in their future, thousands of Gibraltarians, thought to be the vast majority of the population of the island, demonstrated in the streets against the idea of joint sovereignty. Continued lengthy border delays and restrictions on telephone lines imposed by the Spanish government have not helped to improve relations.

After 12 months of talks, in July 2002 Britain’s foreign secretary Jack Straw announced revised plans for Britain to share the sovereignty with Spain. The finalization of any such deal would be based on the following three conditions: Gibraltar should have more self-government; Gibraltar should maintain British traditions, customs, and way of life; and its citizens should retain the right to British nationality as well as gain the right to Spanish nationality. The plans were immediately rejected by Caruana, who is opposed to the idea of a shared sovereignty.

If the British and Spanish governments reach a consensus on the issue of Gibraltar’s sovereignty, the ultimate decision is likely to be down to the people of Gibraltar, who would vote in a referendum. Gibraltar held its own independent referendum in November 2002, in which the people voted overwhelmingly to reject any agreement that would give Spain joint sovereignty. However, Britain and Spain both stated that they would not recognize the outcome of any vote that has not been officially organized by their governments.