Here Are 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Gibraltar
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Just when we think we’ve learned all there is to know about Europe, we’re pleasantly surprised to find out that we’re wrong. Gibraltar is underrated, and it’s one of those places that you may have heard of in passing, but never understood. Maybe you knew that it’s a little chunk of land on the edge of Spain, but you’re about to learn a lot more. Here are five interesting facts you didn’t know.
1. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory.
Despite that it’s situated on the southeast end of Spain, Gibraltar is under British jurisdiction. To make things even more confusing, Gibraltar may be governed by England, but it’s not a part of England. Gibraltar is one of fourteen overseas territories England currently holds.
2. The territory is only nine miles from Africa.
The Gibraltar Strait is probably more famous than the territory itself because it is the sole passageway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, making it a crucial trade route. More importantly, the nine-mile-wide strait is the only thing between the southernmost point in Gibraltar and the northernmost point in Morocco.
3. Its international airport runway is not for the faint of heart.
Because it lacks flat land, Gibraltar was forced to get creative with how to structure its airport’s runway. The solution? Place the main runway strip directly perpendicular to the busiest road in the territory. When planes get ready to land, a section of the road is blocked off with only flimsy barriers to keep cars from running into aircrafts. The runway ends at the edge of the water, which to passengers can look like the plane is landing in the ocean.
4. Gibraltar is home to over five languages.
English is the main language of Gibraltar, though its proximity to other countries makes it diverse in every aspect, including languages. In fact, Gibraltar even houses a local language called Llanito, which is a combination of English, Spanish, Maltese, Portuguese, and even a bit of Italian. In addition to English and Llanito, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic are some of the other languages spoken here.
5. It is the only place in Europe with a wild monkey population.
Over 300 Barbary Macaque monkeys take up residence in Gibraltar. Though most areas in the territory are safe to hike, officials warn against feeding or getting close to the monkeys, who are aggressive in nature. The higher you climb, the more monkeys you’ll see. The monkey population got so out of control at one point that the territory had to deport over 100 of animals.
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