Where is Gibraltar?
It is a stony outcrop at the southern end of the Iberian peninsula, to which it is linked by a narrow isthmus. It marks the meeting point of the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean.
Is it strategically important?
In historical terms, it was one of the great maritime prizes; these days, given the awesome weaponry of the world's great powers and the range of their navies, it is a great deal less important.
How did Britain acquire sovereignty over Gibraltar?
Gibraltar was captured in 1704 during the war of Spanish succession by an Anglo-Dutch fleet. British sovereignty was formalised in 1713 by the treaty of Utrecht and Gibraltar became a British colony in 1830.
Spain has made several unsuccessful attempts to recapture it: the Rock has endured 15 sieges, the most famous of which started in 1779 and lasted more than three years. General Franco, the Spanish dictator, closed the border with Gibraltar in the 1940s and a second cut-off was imposed in the 60s.
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