Strait of Gibraltar and its history. International status of the strait
strait of Gibraltar or Gibraltar- international strait between the southern tip Iberian Peninsula and the northwestern coast of Africa, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with Atlantic Ocean.
currents
In the Strait of Gibraltar, as well as in Strait of Messina and the Bosporus, there is a strong surface current; caused by the fact that the water level in the Mediterranean Sea is lower than in the Atlantic Ocean. The fact is that the Mediterranean Sea, due to the rivers flowing into it, holds only a small part of the moisture that it loses as a result of evaporation, it receives another part of the water from the Black and Seas of Marmara through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, but the bulk of the water enters the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar at a speed of 2 knots (1 knot - 1.852 km / h).
At the same time, the Gibraltar threshold, blocking the strait, prevents the penetration of cold Atlantic deep waters into the Mediterranean Sea, which contributes to the occurrence of the phenomenon of homothermy, which is aggravated by the fact that Mediterranean waters are heavy due to high salinity (salinity of waters mediterranean sea in the eastern part it is 39%, and in the western part of the Strait of Gibraltar, it drops to 37%).
In turn, the Mediterranean Sea discharges its waters into the Atlantic Ocean, forming a second, undercurrent at a speed of 1.5 knots. The waters of the southeastern part of the basin, in which the salt concentration is 2.5% higher, sink and, returning to the west, form an intermediate layer at a depth of 200-500 m, part of which goes through the Strait of Gibraltar into the ocean.
The situation is complicated strong winds, slowing down the speed of the current or increasing it by almost 2 times, depending on the direction, as well as on the tides (two tides per day), and fogs.
International status of the strait
The question of the international legal status of the Strait of Gibraltar still remains open.
In accordance with the convention developed by the III UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, ships are granted the right of transit passage through the straits that are part of the international navigation system. Under this treaty, opened for signature in 1982, Spain and Morocco claim a 12-mile zone of territorial waters, i.e., they are in fact in favor of dividing the Strait of Gibraltar approximately in half. However, some countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, do not recognize such a division and consider the middle of the strait open sea. At the same time, they actively use the channel of the strait for military transportation. In particular, in 1973 the United States carried out military supplies to Israel through the Strait of Gibraltar despite the protests of the governments of Spain and Morocco. Such insistence of London and Washington is quite understandable: after all, the Mediterranean Sea is the zone of operation of the NATO submarine fleet, submarines of the United States, Italy and France, equipped with nuclear missiles, ply in its depths.
Cargo transportation across the strait
Every year, about 70,000 passengers pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, whose width ranges from 14 to 44 km. large ships. On average, eight ships pass through the strait per hour in both directions. These are mainly oil tankers coming from the Persian Gulf countries, Libya and Algeria to industrial the developed countries Western Europe and in the USA. About 5% of the world's oil transportation is carried through the strait.
In addition to oil, ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar carry other raw materials to European countries and to the United States, and from these, in turn, manufactured goods to Africa and further east. On average, the throughput of the Strait of Gibraltar is about 200 ships per day, i.e. it is the second largest "sea route" after the Pas de Calais (330 ships daily). Most of the Egyptian cotton is exported through the strait, about 80% of Turkey's export products, 90% of Greece, 60% of Italy and 60% of Spain.
Connection between Europe and Africa
With the help of ferry transportation through the Strait of Gibraltar, a connection is made between Europe and Africa. UN experts are also considering options for building a bridge for railway and road transport, which will connect the coast of Spain and Morocco. The decision to build this crossing across the Strait of Gibraltar was made at the 2nd session of the UN Economic and Social Council.
Malaga is a relatively small and compact city, one day is enough to visit it. In my case, the trip contained almost three full days, so it was advisable not to be limited only to Malaga, but also to travel around the surroundings. There are many in Andalusia interesting places- and Granada with its famous palace and park ensemble Alhambra (one of the most striking monuments of the Moorish period that have come down to us), and the capital of the Seville region, and the town of Ronda located on the cliff of the gorge, and a number of other cities. The south of Spain has its own culture, its own atmosphere, which is very different from both Catalonia and Castile, where I have been before. Nevertheless, I decided to go from Malaga not to one of the other ancient cities of Andalusia, but to make a more unusual and interesting sortie - I have long wanted to see the Strait of Gibraltar, a narrow neck connecting the Mediterranean Sea (and, consequently, many other seas with it connected) with the boundless Atlantic; a place where Europe meets Africa at arm's length.
The most classic option would be to travel from Malaga to the city of Gibraltar - an overseas British territory, which has occupied a huge 400-meter rock in the most prominent and strategically important point of the Strait of Gibraltar since the beginning of the 18th century. However, there is one caveat: Gibraltar is a territory of Great Britain, and to visit it Russian tourists You need either a special Gibraltar visa or a UK visa valid for more than 12 months. My UK visa ended in October, and even then it was six months, that is, in any case, it was not suitable for Gibraltar, and naturally I did not begin to deal with new visa formalities for the sake of a few spontaneous hours in the city. At the entrance to Gibraltar there is a border control - for holders of European passports, it is, of course, formal; I read on the Internet that some Russians, making a confident stone face, managed to get there without a local visa (at the entrance to Gibraltar, local border guards slow down about one car out of four to check). Being a law-abiding person, I didn’t even consider such an option for myself - but I came up with another interesting route: on the opposite shore of the same bay on which Gibraltar stands, there is a large Spanish town of Algeciros - industrial centre and a major port from where ferries leave for Morocco. Algeciros is even closer than Gibraltar to the narrowest part of the Strait of Gibraltar, and buses from Malaga run there every half an hour. Well, let's go to Algeciros. I came to the Malaga bus station, took a ticket, two hours away (from Algeciros to Malaga a little over 100 kilometers) - and we are on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar.
I must say, I did not manage to look at Africa from Europe the first time. As soon as we arrived in Algeciros, such a downpour charged that it was not necessary to think about any kind of walks.
1. There is a wall of water on the street - it’s good that a successful tavern turned up where you could sit, dry off and taste ravioli with some local beer.
2. I figured in advance on the map where to go in order to find myself in the narrowest point of the Strait of Gibraltar, from which Africa is clearly visible. It is five kilometers from the center of Algeciros along a country road. The rain subsided a little - well, you can leave the tavern and continue your walk. Along the way, we found a beautiful place with excellent views of the bay, the coast of Algeciros and located on high rock on the other side of the bay is the British city of Gibraltar.
3. The rock of Gibraltar is shrouded in a large whitish cloud after rain.
4. The “first line” of houses lined up along the coast.
5. Africa is already visible in the other direction! far coast- This is Morocco. The ship in the photo turns right and heads for the Strait of Gibraltar. It is on that road that runs along the coast, which is visible in the photo, that we need to keep the path. The weather is bad - it’s about to start raining again, but it’s interesting not to sit still when Africa literally beckons because of the cape: you have to take a chance, and it’s interesting to diversify the trip with some kind of extreme outing. :)
6. Well - said done: to that place offhand forty minutes walk. Approximately choose shortest way- and forward along the coast! :)
7. A somewhat overcast beach landscape with palm trees. :)
8. Travel guides in Spain write that on the coast of Andalusia the sun shines on average more than 310 days a year. I must admit that I had a rare luck - I ended up in this place in one of the rare remaining 55. :) In less than a third of the way, large drops began to fall from the sky one after another, and soon the rain charged again with all its might - and this time completely and irrevocably. :)
9. This time there was no tavern nearby - I found myself caught in a downpour in the middle of a country road: there is nowhere to go, getting wet through is fate anyway, so we continue on our way: only forward, and not a step back. :)
10. Another half an hour on the road in the pouring rain - and we are on the shore of the Strait of Gibraltar in its narrowest point. Here is the lighthouse - the guardian of these places.
11. However, if in 310 sunny days fantastic panoramas open from here sea spaces And high mountains Morocco is on the opposite shore, then in the remaining 55 days - this is the picture: water is all around - from above, below, from the side, forward, backward, somewhere in the shroud of rain you can see ships going to the Strait of Gibraltar, but almost immediately covered by a rain curtain.
12. However, it must be said that such rain-drenched landscapes have their own charm, some kind of zest :)
13. But this is how I write now when I look at photographs on a computer screen. And then the sensations were completely different - the water was literally everywhere, from the top of the head to the tips of the socks and in other hidden places organism. And how wonderfully squelched in sneakers! And only the camera felt dry and relatively comfortable in the case - finding itself in the thick of the rain bacchanalia only in those moments when I took it out to take another picture: for example, this half-abandoned fishing village.
14. Another forty minutes in the cold pouring rain - and we are back in Algeciros. For a couple of minutes, the rain subsided - and again, somewhere in the distance, the rocks of Africa and the lights of the city of Ceuta appeared - located on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar quite major port Morocco. Africa beckoned for ten minutes, and again disappeared in the veil of heavy rain.
Two hours in a cold bus in wet clothes, and finally, the long-awaited hotel in Malaga. Wring out clothes faster - and then for an hour in saving hot bath. Yes, the first attempt to look at Africa from Europe turned out to be very specific - I can’t say that it was completely unsuccessful, but I wouldn’t really want to repeat such a five-hour ice shower in the future either. Although they say that hardening is useful for the body. However, I wanted to stand on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar in a slightly different way, so the next day I got on the bus again and went to Algeciros - in the hope that this time there would still be one of the promised 310 solar days of Andalusia. :)
16. And again the familiar road winding along the shore in a winding serpentine, and again the mighty rock of Gibraltar rises on the other side of the bay, and again dozens of ships on the surface of the water. But this time everything has grown together - the blue sky, the sun and not a hint of yesterday's bad weather! Hooray! Let's go see Africa and the Strait of Gibraltar! :)
17. Many old fortifications have survived to this day on the coast. No wonder - the area of the Strait of Gibraltar has long been one of the strategic places in Europe.
20. We go ashore of the Strait of Gibraltar in the narrowest place. Africa is only about 20 kilometers away. The lighthouse looks fantastic against the backdrop of the foggy mountains of Morocco!
23. Vessel traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar is very busy. There are also many ferries linking Europe with Africa - ferries run from Gibraltar, Algeciros, Cadiz across the strait to Tangier and other cities of Morocco on the African coast.
24. Between Europe and Africa - a photo for memory.
26. On a small spot on a rocky shore, a group of enthusiasts with huge cameras were on duty - they take pictures of birds soaring over the Strait of Gibraltar.
28. Europe, Africa in the distance and a small Spanish village in the foreground.
29. Mountains of Africa and a sea bulk carrier, which in the wide expanses seems to be a tiny boat. Africa is very close here - the local is finishing off cellular, and MTS gladly welcomes you to Morocco. :)
30. Some more panoramas of the Strait of Gibraltar and its environs.
34. And it's time for us to go back to Algeciros - along a winding road along the coast. Yesterday there was a wall of rain here, and now it is exceptionally pleasant to walk five or six kilometers to the city! :)
35. Lighthouse on the coast, the distant coast of Morocco and fast ferry bound for Algeciros from Tangier.
36. Today, the majestic rock of the British Gibraltar appears before us in all its glory!
38. What a fantastically clear turquoise water!
Gibraltar, a British possession on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Known since ancient times as one of the two " Pillars of Hercules» According to the legend, when Hercules was going to perform one of the famous feats of stealing the cows of Geryon, the Atlas Mountains blocked his path. Then the hero broke through them and pushed them apart to clear the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
The map can be enlarged or reduced
Gibraltar. Satellite map
Scientists confirm that the legend has a rationale and probably symbolizes a tectonic process that broke through the barrier, after which the ocean waters rushed into the lower Mediterranean Sea, flooding part of the coastal lands. Only with dating they find it difficult, believing that the process of connection with the Atlantic began about 5 million years ago. More details are not yet known - additional studies are underway.
The area here is legendary, so the legends continue. In particular, one of the newest is associated with magot monkeys, which are also called Maghreb macaques. According to local belief, as long as the Magots are alive, Gibraltar will be British. The monkeys are under the protection of the British Navy. The ironic response of the British is known, symbolizing, nevertheless, the determination to keep Gibraltar behind us: “We will protect the monkeys, to the last Englishman”
Now Gibraltar is known as a military base of Great Britain and a port with excellent docks, in which up to 200 ships call daily. Gibraltar is also famous as an offshore zone and, in addition to repairs, receives considerable income from the re-export of petroleum products.
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The official language of Gibraltar is English, but the locals speak its Spanishized version of Yanito, which has absorbed many words from Italian, Maltese, Arabic and Hebrew. And until recently, the traditional “pass the salt shaker” sounded in restaurants and kitchens. However, now more and more in the fashion of the menu is a salt-free diet. People who switched to it, suddenly very quickly get rid of a dozen or one and a half extra pounds. The fact is that salt binds water, which is then accumulated by fat cells, forming a shaking gelatinous fat, characteristic of many.
Strait of Gibraltar. To the left - Spain, to the right - Morocco.
The Strait of Gibraltar (Spanish Estrecho de Gibraltar, English the Strait of Gibraltar) is an international strait between the southern tip of the 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). (True length 59 km).
In the Strait of Gibraltar, at different depths, the current is directed in opposite directions. In the surface current directed to the Mediterranean Sea, an average of 55,198 km³ of Atlantic water flows per year ( average temperature 17 °C, salinity above 36‰). In the deep current directed to the Atlantic Ocean, 51,886 km³ of Mediterranean water flows (average temperature 13.5 ° C, salinity 38 ‰). The difference of 3312 km³ is mainly due to evaporation from the surface of the 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 Musa in the south.
Due to its convenient geographical position, the Strait of Gibraltar is of great economic and strategic importance, it is under the control of the English fortress and the naval base of Gibraltar. In the area of the strait are Spanish ports Ceuta, La Linea, Algeciras, as well as Moroccan Tangier.
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. In 2003, a new three-year research program was launched.
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) and the longest (15 km) existing in the world. Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke described such a bridge in his novel The Fountains of Paradise (1979).
Strait of Gibraltar regime
The Strait of Gibraltar is the most important route of communication between the Mediterranean powers and the Atlantic Ocean. The significance of this strait increased even more after the construction of the Suez Canal in 1869, when not only Mediterranean communication routes, but also routes to East Africa, India, China and the Far East.
The strait is convenient for swimming. Its length is about 90 km, width from 14.2 to 45 km, depth from 366 to 1180 m. The exceptionally great economic and strategic importance of the strait predetermined for many centuries the struggle between England, Spain and France for dominance and control over it. Only in 1704, as a result of a long war for the Spanish inheritance, England managed to capture the very strategically convenient peninsula of Gibraltar with an area of 5 square meters. km, on which a naval base and a fortress were then built.
Gibraltar is a massive rock up to 429 m high. The length of the rock is 4.5 km, the width is up to 1.4 km. A significant part of the fortifications is carved inside the rock and is well protected both from the air and from the sea. long time Gibraltar was one of the most important strongholds of English naval power.
With the appearance in the Mediterranean of the 6th American fleet, the former naval power of England in this area was actually lost. As a British colony, Gibraltar is governed by a British governor who is also commander of the colony's armed forces.
The regime of the strait from 1904 to 1907 was regulated by the bilateral "Treaty of Morocco" between England and France, to which Spain joined in 1907. The agreement provided that the strait was open for unhindered navigation of ships and vessels of all countries.
In 1907, England, France and Spain concluded a new agreement, which declared the demilitarization of the Strait of Gibraltar and confirmed the unlimited freedom of navigation for ships and ships of all countries. This principle was approved by the majority of states, and the strait was considered by all states as part of the high seas.
Currently, any ships and warships can pass through the strait without any restrictions. Even at its narrowest point, the strait is not completely blocked by the territorial waters of Spain and Morocco. As you know, Spain has 6-mile territorial waters. However, according to existing international rules, it does not have the right to distribute them beyond the median line of the strait.
The width of the territorial waters of Morocco is 3 miles. Therefore, in the narrowest part, south of the median line of the strait between the territorial waters of Spain and Morocco, there is a strip of high seas 1.2 to 2.5 miles wide, not blocked by the territorial waters of coastal states.
Based on the principles of modern international law on the freedom of navigation on the high seas, enshrined in the Geneva Conventions of 1958, the claim of any state to a dominant position in the strait should be considered a gross violation of international law, since the strait connects huge open water basins, is of exceptionally great economic importance as the most important transport artery and is part of the open sea. In the interests of all mankind, the Strait of Gibraltar must always be free for the navigation of ships and vessels of all nations.
IN last years Spain insists on the return of Gibraltar, captured by England 260 years ago. In October 1964, the dispute between Spain and England was considered at the UN in a special Committee of 24. At the meeting of the Committee, the representative of the USSR made a proposal to liquidate military base NATO in Gibraltar and turn it into a demilitarized zone.
