Gibraltar

There are a few misconceptions about Gibraltar. It is not the southernmost point of Spain nor is it the closest point between Europe and Africa where the Atlantic Ocean joins the Mediterranean Sea. And “Barbary Apes” are not apes but are a species of monkey called macaques.

In the map below, you will find three languages. Spanish at the top, Gibraltar is English, and Arabic at the bottom in northern Africa. I doubt that from the top of the rock it is possible to see the Atlantic Ocean, however, I do not know where in the Strait of Gibraltar the dividing line is between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The dark blue lines on the maps are international borders.

The picture above and below are screen captures from a “Galileo” GPS app on my iphone. I was on the cruise ship docked at the cruise ship terminal. It is indicated by the blue dot inside the white circle. (donut) The numbers at the top, 0.00 km/h and 27.0 m, are the speed I am travelling, and the elevation above sea level 27 meters. The numbers at the bottom are the latitude and longitude of the iphone when the screen capture was made.

The highest point of the rock is listed in Wikipedia as 36° 7′ 33″ N, 5° 20′ 35″ W. and 426 meters high.

The Gibraltar airport is an interesting place. The best place to build an airport is on flat ground. In Gibraltar, the flattest ground was across the narrowest part of the isthmus but that was only about one kilometer wide. To make a long enough runway, they had to build out over the water by filling in the sea with rocks and sand.. It happens to be only 500 meters from the Spanish border. Another interesting point is that there is a road which crosses the middle of the runway. It is actually the highway that links Gibraltar with the rest of the mainland.  When an airplane is taking off or approaching for a landing, the highway is closed. Surprisingly, there is a lot of pedestrian traffic as well.

 

In the satellite image from Google Earth the red line near the top is the international border.

The Spanish city of La Linea de la Concepcion is just the other side of the border control gates.

 

The Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population in the European continent. Although most populations in Africa are facing declining populations due to hunting and deforestation, the population of Barbary monkeys in Gibraltar is growing.

 

– Where do you want to go today? –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_macaques_in_Gibraltar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Gibraltar