Gibraltar and borders at sea
Publication date: 2008
Pages: 45-65
Subject: Scientist
Summary: Seen from Spain, the Gibraltar issue is usually dealt with from the perspective of the sovereignty claim and therefore as a matter framed within the scope of bilateral relations between Spain and Gibraltar. This unidirectional treatment seems to reduce Gibraltar to the status of an enclave of great political and geostrategic importance, but situated outside any social or cultural context. Little is known in Spain of the Gibraltarian society, of those "llanitos" or Gibraltarians and their culture, beyond the fact that they speak a Spanish identical to that spoken in the whole area of Cadiz in which it is located and that, for a strange reason that Spaniards never understand, they almost unanimously reject any possibility of becoming part of Spain again... And yet, the history of Gibraltar is as rich, complex and varied as that of the Mediterranean Sea to which it serves as a gateway. From Phoenicians and Greeks to Arabs and Jews, countless peoples have passed through, fought, traded or settled on the Rock. With this publication and the seminar on which it was based, the Fundación Tres Culturas has sought to provide the most complete treatment possible of the whole Gibraltar issue. Along with contributions dealing with the sovereignty of the Rock, others have been gathered that dive into those lesser known aspects of its culture and society and that aim to contribute to a better understanding of the history of Gibraltar and Gibraltarians.