The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from. Strait of Gibraltar - "the last point of the earth"

Being in the very south of Spain, one cannot afford not to go to such a geographically and historically significant place like Gibraltar. Until recently, it was not so easy for Russian citizens to get there. They weren't even allowed in British visa, needed a visa for the overseas territories of the United Kingdom. But from this year, for up to 30 days, they began to let Gibraltar on Schengen multivisas. When we found out, we were unstoppable.

As usual, at first we overslept everything, then we got ready for a long time and eventually arrived at the Gibraltar border by 10 in the morning. We stood in line for another hour and a half, plans for spotting at the Gibraltar airport disappeared. The last normal flight left for the United Kingdom just at the moment when we received the stamps in the passport.

Gibraltar, as a country, as a city, and as a peninsula, is one big rock and the isthmus connecting it to the mainland. Directly across this isthmus, from coast to coast is located runway strip Gibraltar airport. To get into the country, you must first pass the border, and then cross this lane.

Isthmus connecting the Gibraltar peninsula with mainland Spain. Please note that there are no permanent buildings on the isthmus, and the building density is very different from the main part of Gibraltar. More on that below.

Gibraltar today is overseas territory Great Britain. Gibraltar is a member of the European Union through UK membership. Gibraltar is not covered by the EU common agricultural policy, Schengen agreements, and is not a common customs territory of the EU, so there is no VAT in Gibraltar. Since 2004, residents of Gibraltar have been able to participate in elections to the European Parliament. All ~30 thousand citizens of Gibraltar are citizens of the UK and the EU. Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

The isthmus on which the airport and part of Gibraltar is located is still a disputed territory. The fact is that the Treaty of Utrecht does not contain maps or specific descriptions of the territories received by the British Crown, which allows each of the parties to interpret it in their own way.

Border close-up. View from the cliff. Most people, including tourists, cross the border on foot. It's faster.

The runway crossing at the Gibraltar airport was closed. A private jet is getting ready to take off. In the background is the local bus depot.

The board is gone. Once or twice a day from Gibraltar Airport regular flights performs airlines british airways. Usually it is Airbus A319/A320 or Boeing 737. EasyJet also flies during the season.

The passage was opened. In addition to regular flights, up to ten charter flights per day can be operated during the season. These are Monarch, Thomas Cook, etc.

Spain does not recognize British sovereignty over Gibraltar, believing that the UK owns only the fortified perimeter of the city, and the treaty does not apply to other territories. Thus, from the point of view of Madrid, this area was illegally occupied by Great Britain in 1815, when British barracks began to be erected on the isthmus, which "contradicts the principles of international law." Later, in 1938, while in Spain there was Civil War Britain built on disputed territories airport. Since Spain considers the Isthmus of Gibraltar illegally occupied, Spanish official documentation always uses the term "barrier" instead of the word "border".

However, the dispute doesn't really get in the way of the neighborhood. Thousands of Spaniards working in Gibraltar cross the border every day. Despite the official English, in Gibraltar the main spoken language is the local dialect of Spanish Andalusian.

The main residential areas and the port are located on west coast peninsulas, here the rock has a more gentle slope and the relief sea ​​day allows you to wash the shore. On east coast the rock breaks so abruptly into the sea that in some places even the road did not fit. She goes through the tunnel. However, there are a number of houses there.

First of all, after passing the border, we moved to the very southern point peninsulas, look at strait of Gibraltar. Upon arrival, we found out that this place is called "Europa Point" and this is quite a tourist attraction.

Minaret and coastal artillery battery (O'Harra's Battery). View from Europa Point.

WITH south side the rock is not so steep. It has a lot to look at.

Something active, something has long been a museum.

Europa Point has an excellent playground. The child had to be pulled out by the leg.

Europa Point is the only place in Gibraltar where we were able to park our car without any problems. It is difficult to move around Gibraltar without a car, not everywhere there is a pedestrian infrastructure, and the distances are rather big. And parking a car is extremely problematic, no matter how much you are willing to pay.

We spent a huge amount of time looking for parking. To find a free space paid parking, we had to cross the whole country several times :)

Traveling around Gibraltar. Accelerated 10 times.

The first thing that rushed after crossing the border was markings and signs. All inscriptions in English, British markings. There is only one difference, in Gibraltar, as in continental Europe, right-hand traffic.

Adjustable pedestrian crossing.

It became clear why there are so many cars with British numbers in the south of Spain. Turns out, most of of them not British, but Gibraltar. Outwardly, they are exactly the same, only the inscription GB is replaced by GBZ.

It turned out that "Europa Point" is not the most the best place to see the Strait of Gibraltar. Firstly, the strait in this place is much wider than in Tarifa, and secondly, it is better to look at the strait from above. However, from there best review to ships in the roadstead and entering the Algeciras / Gibraltar Bay. Both respective ports are located in this bay.

Port of Gibraltar. Everything beyond the “water” is Spain. There on the right is La Linea de la Concepción, on the left is Algeciras.

Let's take a closer look. Independence of the Seas(Royal Caribbean) and MV Horizon (the smaller one, Pullmantur Cruises).

On the other side, in the Spanish city of Algeciras, there is one of the world's largest container terminals.

The container ship is coming from somewhere in the direction of Barcelona, ​​Genoa or Marseille.

The dry docks are busy.

Right after "Europe Point" we went to the city. For about an hour and a half we were spinning around in search of parking, in the end we left the city, climbed a rock and looked at a couple of coastal artillery batteries. On the rock, as in the city, parking a car is also not so easy. All roads are narrow, many of them are one-way because of this. There are several parking lots, but not all of them. interesting places. If you climb the rock for the whole day, then it is better to walk along it. We wanted to be in time for sunset Spanish city tariff. Because of this, we did not visit a single cave, but there are many of them, and mostly tourists climb the rock for them.

The Rock of Gibraltar is a national park and there is an entry fee. Moreover, it is paid not only for the car, but also for each passenger separately. We did not find out how the issue of payment with pedestrians and those climbing the funicular is being solved.

After visiting the cliff, we returned to the city and wound a few more circles in search of parking. As a result, by some miracle we found a free place near the airport. Almost with the same success it was possible to leave the car in front of the border, in Spain.

The city itself did not impress. Nice compact historic town with big amount forts, nothing more. There is also a modern part of the city in Gibraltar. It is very similar to the fact that it was built on the reclaimed territory. It contains hotels, apartment buildings and a large Morrisons supermarket. It was amazing to see such a big supermarket in such a small country. I won’t be surprised if it occupies 1-2% of the territory of Gibraltar :)

Almost the entire coastline of Gibraltar has been given over to the port. There are few beaches east coast And southwest coasts peninsulas. The Strait of Gibraltar is deep, with a strong current. The water in it is always cold. Nevertheless, resort hotels(resorts) in Gibraltar is enough.

The main street in Gibraltar is pedestrian. That's what it's called, Main street.

Gibraltar - the strait between the southern tip Iberian Peninsula and the northwestern coast of Africa, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.

Length - 65 km, width 14-44 km, depth in the fairway up to 338 m ( greatest depth 1181 m).

In the Strait of Gibraltar at different depths, the currents are directed towards opposite sides. The surface current, on average, brings from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea 55,198 km³ of water per year (with average temperature 17 °C and salinity above 36 ‰). The deep current brings 51,886 km³ to the Atlantic Ocean (at an average temperature of 13.5 ° C and a salinity of 38 ‰). The difference of 3,312 km³ is mainly due to evaporation from the surface mediterranean sea.

Along the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar are steep rock masses, which in ancient times were called the Pillars of Hercules: the Rock of Gibraltar in the north and Jebel Musa in the south.

The Strait of Gibraltar is of great strategic and economic importance. The Spanish ports of Ceuta, La Linea, Algeciras, the Moroccan Tangier and the British fortress and naval base of Gibraltar are located in the strait area.

In the 1920s, the German architect Hermann Sörgel proposed the Atlantropa project - to block the Strait of Gibraltar with a hydroelectric dam, and with a second smaller dam - to block the Dardanelles. There was also an option where a second dam connected Sicily with Africa. As a result, the water level in the Mediterranean would drop by about 100 meters. Thus, it was supposed not only to receive electricity in abundance, but also to supply desalinated sea ​​water into the Sahara to make it suitable for agriculture. Europe and Africa would become one continent - Atlantrope, and instead of the Mediterranean Sea, an artificial sea would appear - the Sahara.

For many years, Spain and Morocco have jointly studied the creation of a railway and/or road tunnel under the strait, similar to the one that connects France and Great Britain under the English Channel.

A group of American and British builders, for their part, considered building a bridge across the strait. Such a bridge was supposed to be the highest (over 900 meters). Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke described such a bridge in his novel The Fountains of Paradise.

The shores of the strait are rocky: Europe rises above the ocean in the form of a monolithic limestone rock of Gibraltar (426 m) located on the territory of Spain, and Africa - the Moroccan mountain Jebel Musa. These hills in ancient times were perceived as the last points of the mainland, and the strait itself was associated by sailors with a passage between the rocks.

Thus, the notion of Gibraltar pillars, passed from people to people, appeared in culture. By the name of their patron god of navigation, the Phoenicians designated this place as the Pillars of Melkart. The Greeks also called him the Pillars of Hercules and believed that in this way their hero marked the edges of the Oikumene (that is, the part of the world mastered by mankind). The Romans called the rocks the Pillars of Hercules. The legend says that along the edges of the strait, the tops of the rocks were crowned by two colossal statues that stood on columns-steles, hence the word pillars. The statues marked the transition to the world of the unknown.

The modern name appeared around the 8th century. and is associated with the name of the leader of the Arab troops who invaded here in 711, Tariq-ibn-Ziyad (670−720). The destruction of the legendary statues is attributed to the Arabs. They built a fortress, which was given the name of the leader of Gor Tariq, which in Arabic sounded like Jabal-at-Tariq. Over time, this name was simplified to the Gibraltar variant, from which it passed to the familiar Gibraltar. Now this is the name of the strait, the mountain and the city.

The Arabs held their power over the strait until 1309, when the Spaniards briefly managed to liberate these lands. After the defeat of the Spaniards in 1333, the fortress again fell into the hands of the Moors. Until 1462, the Spaniards could not change the situation, and the Europeans fell into dependence: Arab and Berber (African) pirates founded the port of Tarifa and demanded tribute from everyone passing through the strait. According to one version, the word tariff came from the name of this town.

Given the importance of Gibraltar for the Spaniards, there is another version of the origin of its name. The word is divided into two parts: Khiber, i.e. Iberia (future Spain) and altar, meaning altar, altar. In this version, the meaning of the name acquires a different symbolism: the Iberian (i.e., Spanish) altar.

In 1704, the British captured the fortress of Gibraltar during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). According to the Peace of Utrecht signed in 1713, the Gibraltar fortress was ceded to Great Britain. Fourteen times Spain tried to recapture the fortress, but failed. The most resounding British victory was the battle in 1805 at Cape Trafalgar at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. Then Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), who was mortally wounded in battle, led the British troops to victory over the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of Napoleon I (1769-1821).

The importance of this victory for the British can be judged by many facts: the legendary admiral, as a true hero of the nation, is buried in Westminster Abbey, central square London is called Trafalgar.

The British have a sign: as long as rare Magot monkeys live on the Rock of Gibraltar, the dominion of England will not end here. After the remark of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) about the dangerous decrease in the population of monkeys, the post of officer responsible for the safety of monkeys was established.

Today, the British position their base as a pan-European one, which is simply maintained by England. It hosts the western link of the chain of NATO Mediterranean naval bases.

The capital of the rock-state is the city of Gibraltar, which looks like a typical Mediterranean port, living with a mixture of different cultures: in architecture, buildings in Georgian and Victorian styles are interrupted by buildings with features of Spanish-Portuguese, Genoese and Moorish influences, and their own language locals ironically called Spanglish. Gibraltar is an offshore zone. The British presence is reminiscent of the names of streets and various establishments, an abundance of pubs, policemen in English uniforms and the currency - the Gibraltar pound.

On the opposite side from the British Gibraltar is the territory of Morocco. The most significant settlement in this part of the country is, of course, Tangier. The city has no less remarkable history than its neighbors on the other side of the strait. For half a century it constituted the international zone of Tangier. Territory with a special status, which in 1912-1956. managed by several European states(France, Spain and UK). But during the Second World War, the balance of power changed. France occupied by the Germans could no longer control its section of Tangier, it was occupied by Spain. And after the end of the war, the Arab population of the zone began to gain weight and showed dissatisfaction with the presence of Europeans.

As a result, in 1956 the Moroccans annexed Tangier. Now it's big seaport, retaining its autonomy and strategic importance. It remains the most Europeanized in the country, with French, Spaniards, Germans, Italians, British and other Europeans (including a small Russian-speaking enclave) permanently residing in it. Not only mosques are noticeable on the city skyline, but also Catholic, Protestant (Anglican and Lutheran) churches, synagogues and other places of worship.

During its history, the Strait of Gibraltar closed and opened at least 11 times. This happened, for example, 6 million years ago. The closure of the strait led to an increase in salinity in the Mediterranean Sea and the formation of a layer of evaporites (a product of the evaporation of salt water) 2 km thick. Approximately 5.3 million years ago, the strait reopened, which allowed the Mediterranean Sea to come to life. The movement of lithospheric plates will lead to another closure of the strait in a few million years.

General information about the Strait of Gibraltar

Countries: Spain, Morocco and Gibraltar (overseas territory of Great Britain).

Extreme points: Capes Trafalgar and Carnero (Europe), Cape Spartel and Jebel Musa (Africa).

Languages: Gibraltar - English (as well as Janito or Lla Nito/Janito Andalusian Spanish combined with English and elements of Italian, Maltese, Arabic and Hebrew); Spain - Spanish; Morocco - Moroccan dialect of Arabic and Berber.

Ethnic composition: Gibraltar - English 27%, Spaniards 24%, Genoese and other Italians about 20%, Portuguese 10%, Maltese 8%, Jews 3%, others (Moroccans, French, Austrians, Chinese, Japanese, Poles, Danes and illegal migrants Indians, Pakistanis) 8%. More than 83% of the population consider themselves Gibraltarians; Spain - predominantly Spaniards; Moroccan-Moroccans (Arabs and Berbers) and Europeans (French, Spanish, Portuguese).

Religions: Gibraltar - Catholicism 70%, Islam 8%, Anglicanism 8%, other (including Judaism, atheism) 11%; Spain is predominantly Catholic; Morocco - Islam (Sunnism).

Monetary units: Gibraltar pound (Gibraltar), euro (Spain), Moroccan dirham (Morocco).

The most important ports: Gibraltar (Great Britain), La Linea, Ceuta, Algeciras (Spain), Tangier (Morocco).

Airports: international Airport Gibraltar (Gibraltar), Ibn Batuta International Airport (Tangier).

From Europe to Africa, a ferry runs through the Strait of Gibraltar (35 min).

Average January temperature: +13C.
Average July temperature: +24C.
Average annual rainfall: 767 mm.

ATTRACTIONS
■ Natural Park the Gulf of Gibraltar (Tarifa, Spain), artificial tunnels of different times in the Rock of Gibraltar and Observation deck on it, the cave of St. Michael (Gibraltar);
■ City of Gibraltar: Moorish castle (since the 11th century), the Church of Our Lady of Europe (middle of the 15th century), the Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (1825). St. Andrew's Church (1854), Great Synagogue (1724), Gibraltar Museum;

■ City of Tangier: Old city, Dar el-Makhzen Palace (XVII century), the building of the American mission, Gran Sokko and Petit Sokko (large and small squares), great mosque Tangier, Kasbah Mosque, St. Andrew, Hotel Continental.
■ Landscape: Grottoes of Hercules (in the caves near Cape Spartel), beaches from Cape Spartel (length 47), Remilla Park, Slukja Terrace.

CURIOUS FACTS

■ According to one version, the Pillars of Hercules became the prototype of two vertical lines in the symbolic image of the dollar, and the mythological serpent Python wrapped around them could turn into a winding S-shaped line.
■ During World War II, all German submarines that entered the Mediterranean through this strait were blown up there. Except one - U-26.
■ Even during the travels of the Phoenicians, the Rock of Gibraltar became, as it were, a vast altar under open sky: sacrifices were made here before entering the waters of the Atlantic.
■ One ambitious project of power engineers of the 20th century. proposed to artificially lower the level of the Mediterranean Sea by 200 m in order to install dams with several power plants in the strait.
■ In the Strait of Gibraltar, currents are directed in different directions: surface to the east, and deep to the west.
■ In Gibraltar, on Casemates Square, the ceremony of handing over the keys is still held, because before the gates of the fortress were really locked with a key.
■ The latest women's world record belongs to 49-year-old Penny Palfi, who in 2010 swam across the Strait of Gibraltar in 3 hours and 3 minutes.
■ The Strait of Gibraltar is open to civil and military vessels of all countries. And also for the flight of all civil aircraft.
■ The idea of ​​creating either a tunnel under the strait or a bridge across it periodically arises, and then such a bridge would become the highest (over 900 m) in the world.
■ Heracles (or Hercules) pillars of the rocks of the Strait of Gibraltar were nicknamed because in different versions of the myth of the feat associated with his journey for the miraculous cows of the giant Geryon, Hercules is credited with either the creation of these pillars or their discovery on the edge of the Western world.
■ The waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean do not mix. They retain their distinct properties. Moreover, this was known in ancient times, and modern scientists simply managed to explain this fact by the presence of surface tension of water.

■ According to legend bottle mail invented in the 3rd century BC. the Greek philosopher Theophrastus, throwing several sealed vessels with messages across the Strait of Gibraltar for the sake of experience. So this naturalist was convinced that the water in the Mediterranean comes from the Atlantic: months later, one of the vessels was discovered in Sicily.
■ Another name for the strait: the Arabic Bab-el-Zakat, means the Gate of Mercy.

Gibraltar is a member of the European Union through the membership of the UK (in 1973 the UK joined the EU along with Gibraltar (but without the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) in accordance with Article 299 (4) of the Treaty on the European Community. After the ratification and entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon 2007 this Treaty became known as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). It is not covered by the common agricultural policy of the EU, the Schengen agreements, and it is not a common customs territory of the EU, so there is no VAT.

Since 2004, residents of Gibraltar have been able to participate in elections to the European Parliament. Gibraltar citizens are UK and EU citizens.

Exempt companies have ceased to exist in Gibraltar since 2011. The current corporate tax rate has been reduced to 10% since July 1, 2009, which allows it to compete with Ireland, and possibly with Cyprus, in contrast to which Gibraltar has no obligations to Russia in the field of tax cooperation.

Location and purpose of the Strait of Gibraltar

Geographical coordinates:
Latitude 36° 11′ N. sh., Longitude 5°22′ W d.
Purpose of the object:
Shipping link between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to ensure maritime maneuver. The Strait of Gibraltar is an important maritime object of great strategic and economic importance. It is not for nothing that Spanish and Moroccan ports and even an English fortress are located in the strait ( military base Great Britain).

Legends and history of the Strait of Gibraltar

Legends:
In ancient times, there were many myths about the strait. It was believed that it is the gate between the world of people and the world of complete unknown, the edge of the earth. And rocky shores, awe-inspiring confirmation of this. The banks were called the Pillars of Hercules.
History of occurrence and geographical features:
The first (scientific) hypothesis is that the Mediterranean Sea is the remains of a single (Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea) Tethys ocean, which decreased as a result of movement tectonic plates and as a result, a narrow isthmus was formed.
The second (near-scientific) hypothesis is that 5 million years ago, as a result of some influence, the waters of the Atlantic "rammed" the strait and formed the Mediterranean Sea.
There are two opposite currents in the strait. Surface current from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Deep current into the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea.

Travel, visa regime, communication

The most preferred place for tourists cultural city Gibraltar (UK territory) - You must have a valid Schengen multivisa, or a standard 6-month British visa.
Connection
Excellent signal level of all telecom operators.

Gibraltar Hotels

Sunborn Gibraltar
Rock Hotel
Callaghan Eliott Hotel
Marina Bay Gibraltar
Jasmine Coral Jay
Continental Hotel

Background information about the city of Gibraltar

Area 6.5 km²
Population 30,001
Currency Pound Sterling
Gibraltar pound
Telephone code 9567 (for Spain), 350
National domain gi
English language

The international strait, dividing Africa and Europe and giving access from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, today, like hundreds of years ago, remains a strategic point. The length of the natural formation is 65 km, the depth in the fairway is from 338 m, and the width is 14-44 km. The Strait of Gibraltar also serves as a Mecca for tourists who prefer the fabulous Pyrenees with architecture and the widest opportunities to relax on the coast of the Strait in the company of defilers. marine mammals accustomed to constant attention. Be sure to visit.

From the Pillars of Hercules to the Strait of Gibraltar

The sea strait in antiquity was called none other than the Pillars of Hercules. Do you want to know why? The fact is that heading to the island of Erithia to the west of his native Greece, the son of Zeus reached the strait, beyond which, as he believed, was the end of the human world. To mark this place, the strong man erected on both sides of the Strait of Stella - the so-called pillars of Hercules.

The most daring historians suggest that before the appearance of the famous hero of Greece, no strait existed at all. As if Hercules cut a channel, pushing the rocks apart, thus giving direction to the water. Other lovers of ancient Greek legends and myths, on the contrary, assure that Hercules narrowed the existing strait in order to protect Greece from the monsters of Poseidon, which teemed with the Atlantic. However, whales often visit here, debunking this myth.

Attractions of the Strait of Gibraltar

In the area of ​​the strait are resort towns: from the Spanish side - Algeciras, Linea, Ceuta, from the Moroccan side - Tangier, as well as the naval base of Her Majesty the Queen of England, an old British fortress and, in fact, the city of Gibraltar.

The local cave of St. Michael is a rock formation of several halls at a depth of up to 65 m. Stalactites and stalagmites, according to scientists, formed 200 million years ago. They say that you can get to Africa exactly through this cave, but no one dares to check this version. In a unique natural system, you can find a grotto, underground lake. They previously housed a military hospital, and today - a concert hall.

Gibraltar is the only place in the world where anurans (barbary monkeys) are found. According to the legend, monkeys appeared here from Africa, and they came here without permission, through underground tunnels.

How people discovered their land Tomilin Anatoly Nikolaevich

strait of Gibraltar

strait of Gibraltar

If, going around the Iberian Peninsula, move first along the Spanish and then the Portuguese coast, to about 37 degrees north latitude, and then turn east, then the ship will soon find itself in front of the gates of the Mediterranean - the Strait of Gibraltar.

A deep fault trough separates Europe from Africa here. The distance between the two continents is only twenty kilometers. And in the narrowest place from the captain's bridge you can see both banks.

Gibraltar itself is a naval and air base and fortress. The peninsula is formed by a massive rock dominating the strait and connected to the mainland by a low sandy isthmus. Gibraltar belongs to Great Britain to this day. Moreover, the British are very proud of their possessions in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.

In the old sailing directions of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, compiled by the hydrographer of the English fleet John Purdy, translated by Lieutenant I. Shestakov and published in our city of Nikolaev in 1846, it is written:

“The huge rock of Gibraltar, 1,400 feet high, rises suddenly from the abyss of water and proudly towers over Spain and Africa ... The fortifications and spacious galleries carved into the limestone rock amaze with surprise. The place, according to the most skillful strategists, is decidedly impregnable.

In ancient times, the peoples who lived along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea called the rocks near the Strait of Gibraltar (according to Roman myths) the Pillars of Hercules and considered the edge of the world, beyond which sailors cannot go, because imminent death awaits them there. The ancient Greeks and Romans were well aware famous rock and called it Calpe. But its importance of strategic importance the Arabs were the first to appreciate it around the 8th century, when they invaded Spain from Africa. They founded a fortress on its steep slopes, which they named after their commander Tariq-Ibn-Seid Jebel-at-Tariq, that is, Mount Tarik. Over time, this name was distorted and turned into Gibraltar ...

The Strait of Gibraltar is a considerable obstacle for those who wish to European continent move to Africa. Every year, ferries transport up to 3.7 million people and about 370 thousand cars through it. In the summer, during the holiday season, there are always long queues for ferries and boats.

In 1981, 500 experts from 20 countries gathered in the city of Tangier, located in the northwest of Morocco near the Strait of Gibraltar, to discuss a project for a direct connection from Europe to Africa.

British specialists with experience in building bridges with extra-long spans proposed to build a suspension structure across the strait. At home, the British have already built a bridge across the estuary (from the Latin "aestuarium" - a flooded mouth) of the Humber River with a central span of 1410 meters long. Between two supporting masts at a height of 155 meters, two cables are stretched as thick as a railway tank. They hold a giant span. But how do you set up supports? The depth of the Strait of Gibraltar, strong winds and powerful currents make the implementation of the proposed solution very difficult.

But what the Japanese engineers came up with. In this country, work has long been underway to lay a tunnel 54 kilometers long between the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. It is clear that Japanese firms are behind the tunnel between Europe and Africa, they are more familiar with this.

The construction of the bridge of cooperation and brotherhood - that's what the politicians of both continents think to call it - will take place if 2.5 billion dollars can be raised. This is the estimated cost of the building. If funds are found, construction work may begin after 1985. Their completion is planned for the year 2000, or even 2050 ...

The first siege of Gibraltar was carried out by Castilian troops in 1309. At that time, a reconquista was underway on the land of the Iberian Peninsula - the reconquest by the peoples inhabiting the peninsula of their lands captured by the Arabs and Berbers, whom the local population called the Moors. The Spanish commander took the fortress. By order of the king, criminals released from prisons were settled in it.

Several times the fortress passed from hand to hand. The Spaniards were replaced by the Arabs. Then she again found herself with the Spaniards. Once Algerian pirates besieged the fortress, but it withstood the siege.

The importance of Gibraltar grew. After all, he stood at the very junction of the sea routes of the era of the initial colonial conquests.

In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, a combined Anglo-Dutch squadron under the command of the English Admiral Rock captured Gibraltar. No matter how hard the Spaniards tried to recapture the fortress, they failed. And nine years later, under the Treaty of Utrecht, Gibraltar was finally assigned to the British. Since then, it has become the UK's stronghold for its colonial conquests Africa, the Middle East and even India.

Throughout the 18th century, the Spaniards tried either to take away by force or to exchange Gibraltar from the British. But their attempts came to nothing. In Great Britain they perfectly understood the importance of an impregnable rock in the throat of the Mediterranean Sea.

Interest in Gibraltar especially increased when the Suez Canal was built. At that time, the position of France strengthened in Africa. In 1904, the British signed a declaration with the French, according to which both governments agreed not to allow the construction of fortifications or strategic installations in the Spanish zone on the Moroccan coast. Spain had to join this declaration. The European powers agreed to permanently maintain the achieved position in the Strait of Gibraltar. In legal language international law this state is called the "status quo".

IONIAN SEA. Part of the Mediterranean Sea between the Balkan and Apennine peninsulas and the islands of Crete and Sicily. Its depth in the southern part is up to 5121 meters. The area is 169 thousand square kilometers. Large bays: Squillache, Catania, Taranto, Patraikos, Kyparisiakos, Messiniakos. Main ports: Patras, Kerkyra, Taranto, Catania.

It is named after one of the main ancient Greek tribes - the Ionians who inhabited Attica, part of Euboea, the islands of Chios, Samos and others. In the 11th-9th centuries BC, these tribes colonized part of the coast of Asia Minor (the region of Ionia), as well as the shores of the Marmara and Black Seas.

In both the first and second world wars, Gibraltar was a British military base. It would seem that a seagull cannot fly by without being noticed by the sentinels. And yet fascist submarines ruled on both sides Pillars of Hercules. How could it be...

Back in the last century, the Russian admiral and scientist Stepan Osipovich Makarov discovered that a lot of water evaporates from the surface of the Mediterranean Sea due to the hot climate. Few rivers flow into the sea. And the level of the Mediterranean Sea is always, for this reason, lower than the level of the Atlantic Ocean. Naturally, the waters from the Atlantic flow in a continuous stream through the Strait of Gibraltar, creating a rather powerful current.

But even more surprising was the fact that at a depth, under this current, there was a countercurrent that went from the sea to the ocean.

During the Second World War, both of these currents were very cleverly used by fascist submarines. IN Atlantic Ocean, at the entrance to the strait, they plunged to a shallow depth at night and turned off the engines. The current silently carried them out to sea, past the unsuspecting English acousticians. Underwater raiders acted in the same way when leaving the sea into the ocean. Only they plunged deeper and used not the current, but the countercurrent.

11. 10. St. George's Channel in England Let's make an addition here to our work on the history of England, vol. 2. In it, we put forward and substantiated the hypothesis that initially in X-XII centuries AD Constantinople was called London in some chronicles. Then after the fall