Which country is separated from Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar? Strait of Gibraltar and its history

The international strait separating Africa and Europe and giving access to mediterranean sea 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. 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.

strait of Gibraltar or Gibraltar - international strait between the southern end Iberian Peninsula and the northwestern coast of Africa, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the 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 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 phenomenon of homothermy, which is aggravated by the fact that the Mediterranean waters are heavy due to high salinity (the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea in the eastern part is 39%, and in the western region 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.

At the Pillars of Hercules
My road lies
At the Pillars of Hercules
Where Odysseus sailed...
A. Gorodnitsky

G the Strait of Ibraltar is a kind of window, so the wind is serious here ...
There is also such a territory - Gibraltar. Oddly enough, it belongs to Great Britain, which wrested these territories from Spain by military means and without any referenda, and Spain still does not recognize them and wants to return it))) This place has a strategic position, because the strait connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. Whoever controls the strait controls the maritime trade of countries with access to the Mediterranean Sea ...

There is a NATO naval base here. And the motto of Gibraltar is "The enemy will not drive us out." Wait and see. These are the views from the restaurant.

Behind the stern is the Mediterranean Sea, but soon there will be the Atlantic.

Table for pensioners))

The cake... turned out to be quite edible.

restaurant sculptures

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I splashed a little, but the water is at least hot, but with some kind of chemistry. So I climbed into the hot tub for the first and last time.

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Strait from space. Photo (C) https://upload.wikimedia.org/

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View of Gibraltar and the Rock of Gibraltar 426 meters high. It is from the side of the Iberian Peninsula. In ancient times, the rock was known as one of the Pillars of Hercules, as evidenced by the monument in the southern part of the rock. " pillars of Hercules"- this is the end of the world, the limit of the world))) but Hercules did not know geography well. According to one version, Hercules broke through the channel. And according to another, on the contrary, he narrowed it so that sea monsters would not penetrate the Mediterranean Sea.

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Not everyone knows that the dollar sign ( $ ) is a stylized image of the Pillars of Hercules entwined with the mythical serpent Python. According to Plato, mythical Atlantis located right behind the Pillars of Hercules. So maybe we passed over it ...)))

The rock is also called Mount Tariq, Djebel al-Tarik, in honor of the Arab commander Tariq ibn Ziyad, from whose name Gibraltar was named. About 250 Barbary macaques live on the mountain in the upper part - the only species of wild primates in Europe. There is a reserve. People come to the rock to see the monkeys and the labyrinth of tunnels.

On the northern part of the rock stands the Jabal-at-Tariq fortress. The fortress was well fortified, and the Algerian pirates could not take it.

The unique feature of the rock is the system underground tunnels, whose length exceeds 50 km. In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, English troops led by Admiral George Rook captured Gibraltar, after which the Treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1713, recognizing the peninsula as the possession of the English crown. Subsequently, the Spaniards tried many times to regain the peninsula by storming the fortress. In the fourteenth siege, called the Great Siege of Gibraltar and lasting from 1779 to 1783, the first tunnel was dug into the rock. The commander of the garrison, George Augustus Eliott, decided to fire on the Spanish batteries, standing on the plain in front of northern part rocks. A tunnel was dug to connect the Willis battery with a recess on the northern face of the rock (where it was planned to install the guns), which at first had no embrasures, but the ventilation holes were excellent for firing.

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The galleries that show tourists finished in 1797. The British dug 304 meters of tunnels and made several halls. The embrasures offer a unique view of the Gulf of Gibraltar, the isthmus and the territory of Spain.

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The length of the strait is 65 km, the width is 14 - 44 km, the depth in the fairway is up to 338 m ( greatest depth 1181 m). In the Strait of Gibraltar, at different depths, the currents are directed in opposite directions.

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There are no waves, and the wind is very strong.

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View from the last deck 12.

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People got coats))

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The breeze even blows off your feet)))

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There are no waves, the wind blows the wave))

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Vichka is saved by a plaid)))

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The wind pleased with freshness ... we are wet after the pool, but nothing)) It's good to have protective screens.

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Two banks...

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I put the cap on my very ears, otherwise it blew off twice)) I almost flew away))

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Most travelers know from their school geography course that the Strait of Gibraltar separates the coast of Spain from Morocco. He ties together southern part the Iberian Peninsula and the northwestern coast of the "black" continent. When studying the location of the Strait of Gibraltar on the world map, it is clearly seen that it connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.

Tourists are often interested in who is named after almost the only waterway between the continents. Gibraltar is the Spanish version of the Arabic name "Jebel Tariq", which means "top of Tariq". Tarik refers to the famous Moorish commander Tarik ibn Ziyad, who once carried out the successful expansion of the Arabs to the Iberian Peninsula.

Geography of the Strait of Gibraltar

The length of the strait is more than 60 km, and the width in different parts varies from 14 to 40 km. In the narrowest places, from the mast of the ship, you can see the coast of both continents. In the navigable part of this waterway, the depth reaches almost 340 m, however, the captains of ships cruising here should exercise some caution: in some places the depth exceeds 1 km. However, in general, with a minimum knowledge of the rules of navigation, Gibraltar can be crossed on a modern yacht in no more than 3 hours.

The strait was formed about 5 million years ago and, according to one version, is a remnant of the ancient Tethys ocean, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich gradually decreased due to the movement of the earth's crust plates.

Knowledge geographical coordinates Gibraltar, equal to 35 ° 58′18 ″ s. sh. 5°29′09″ W can significantly shorten travel between continents. Its distinctive feature is the presence of many underwater currents, which at different depths are often directed strictly opposite to each other. The intensive movement of flows leads to the fact that at least 55,000 km 3 of water is annually transferred from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and back.

The strait not only connects Europe with Africa, but is also considered one of the most famous world attractions thanks to the Pillars of Hercules. The famous "gates" between the continents, which were previously named after the legendary ancient Greek hero, are repeatedly mentioned in myths. They are giant cliffs with fairly steep slopes, located on both sides of Gibraltar. The southern peak is now known as Jebel Musa, and the northern one is the Rock of Gibraltar.

Excursions in Gibraltar

Many inexperienced travelers seek to find out where the bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar is located. In fact, it doesn't exist yet. In the twentieth century, architects and scientists proposed several projects for such a structure.

The most exotic is the project of the German researcher Sörgel, submitted by him for consideration in the 1920s. According to it, Gibraltar and the Dardanelles were supposed to be blocked by hydroelectric dams for the artificial supply of desalinated sea waters and electricity to the Sahara. This would make it possible to unite Europe and Africa into a single continent - Atlantropa. In our time, several options are also being considered for the construction of a bridge (its height will be at least 900 m, and the length will exceed 15 km) or an underground railway or road tunnel.

But even without a bridge, traveling around Gibraltar will be quite entertaining. By going here, you will be able to do the following:

Watch whales and dolphins in natural habitats, for which they organize special cruises(mainly from April to October). At the end summer season killer whales also often frolic off the coast of Tangier. At the same time, in the narrowest part of the strait, you can admire the coast of Africa: the Moroccan mountains are clearly visible here, as well as large settlements such as Ceuta and Tangier.

Visit the naval base of Gibraltar, which is an autonomous territory from Spain under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. small town located on a cliff 400 m high in a strategically important point of the Iberian Peninsula. To get here you need a standard British tourist visa for a period of 6 months or a Schengen multivisa. In the south and west, Gibraltar is washed by the strait of the same name, in the east by the Mediterranean Sea, and in the north it borders on the Spanish locality La Linea de la Concepción. Here you can also watch semi-wild macaque macaques living in their natural habitat in the Apes Dan Reserve. When visiting a monkey den, be sure to keep an eye on things, as tailed primates will try to take possession of them. Also, do not feed the monkeys: this is subject to a fine of 500 GBP. Nature lovers should visit the Upper Rock Wildlife Refuge, home to endangered species of birds, including the Barbary partridge. Gibraltar is also famous for its cultural attractions. The most popular among them is the Moorish castle of the XIV century with its Memory Tower and the Gate Tower, which is considered a wonderful example Arabic architecture. Worthy of attention are the ancient underground galleries with a length of more than 50 km, as well as the Gibraltar Museum. Its expositions tell about the history of the region, starting with the ancient Phoenicians and Greeks, who once chose the shores of the strait, and ending with modern relations between Gibraltar and Spain. The museum is open from Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 18.00, and on Saturday - from 10.00 to 14.00. The ticket price for an adult is 2 GBP, for a child over 5 years old - 1 GBP.

Visit Moroccan Tangier, the main attraction of which are the Caves of Hercules. They are located near Cape Spartel. Distinctive feature grottoes is the presence of two exits: from the mainland and from the sea. Scientists believe that the tunnel to the sea could have been cut by the ancient Phoenicians. A visit to the caves will cost 5 AED.

Go sightseeing in Ceuta- a small Spanish semi-enclave on the Moroccan coast. The city is known for outstanding architectural monuments, including the Arab baths, the central cathedral, the House of Dragons, the temple of St. Mary African, Sea Village and many others.

According to legend, Gibraltar will remain under British rule as long as at least one Magot is alive.

Group excursions to Gibraltar with a guide who will tell you in detail about all the sights can most often be ordered in Malaga. The ticket price for one person varies from 60 EUR to 100 EUR. Sea cruises in Gibraltar are predominantly included in excursion tours in Europe, which on average will cost from 1250 USD to 1800 USD per person.

How to get to the strait

You can get to Gibraltar in the following ways:

By plane. Gibraltar Airport is served by just 3 British airlines and only accepts flights from London. Therefore, it is more convenient to purchase tickets for the Moscow-Malaga flight. The ticket price is 11000 RUB - 12000 RUB, the flight duration is slightly more than 5 hours. In Malaga, you can easily rent a car and get to Gibraltar, which is under British administration.
By train. Theoretically, Algeciras, located only 20 km from Gibraltar, can be reached from Moscow with two transfers in Paris and Madrid, but this is quite long and tiring. After all, the journey will take more than 70 hours.
By bus. Algeciras tied bus service with Cadiz, Seville and Malaga.
On a ferryboat. In Algeciras or Tarifa, you can buy tickets for a boat to Tangier for 35 EUR - 40 EUR and appreciate all the beauties of the strait along the way.

The Strait of Gibraltar is a fairly busy waterway linking the two most major mainland on the planet and allowing you to get to know European and African culture more closely during your trip.

Located between the coasts of Europe and Africa, the Strait of Gibraltar has been one of the most important transport hubs for centuries. This gateway to the Mediterranean was necessary for all the major powers of the Old World to penetrate deep into the continents. Therefore, the lands and waters adjacent to it were the scene of fierce battles. Today, control of the strait remains with the British Overseas Territory.

Covered with myths and legends, the Strait of Gibraltar is the only place in continental Europe from where you can see the coast of Africa.

KEY TO THE ATLANTIC

The Strait of Gibraltar gives access from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean - not without reason, the overseas territory of Gibraltar is symbolized by the image of the keys: access to the ocean, which means that the one who owns the strait has all the power over the neighbors who need it. Who just did not achieve this "key", for a long time it was also considered the key to another world.

Even the most ancient navigators knew about the Strait of Gibraltar, but then it was considered the real geographical end of the earth and the symbolic border between the world of people and unknown world. Some believed that if you stumble here, you can fall off the Earth, falling over its edge.

This mythical strait divides Europe and Africa and connects the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. It is located on the European side at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, and on the African side - at its northwestern shores. At its narrowest point, the strait reaches only 14 km, so that the coasts of two continents can be seen simultaneously.

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 elevations in antiquity were perceived " last points mainland", and the strait itself was associated by sailors with a passage between the rocks. Thus, the concept of Gibraltar "pillars" that passed from people to people appeared in culture. By the name of their god - the patron saint 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 nicknamed 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 standing 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 - "Tariq Mountain", which in Arabic sounded like "Jebel-at-Tariq". Over time, this name was simplified to the variant "Gibraltar", 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.

In 1469, the marriage of Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504) and Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516) marked the beginning of the subsequent unification Spanish provinces into a single state, the Arabs were gradually ousted from the Pyrenees, and the remaining Muslim population was subjected to forced Christianization. Then Queen Isabella granted the city of Gibraltar, which grew around the fortress, a coat of arms with a symbolic image of a golden key, bequeathing to her descendants to keep Gibraltar at any cost. Charles V (1500-1558) fulfilled Isabella's will and really turned the Gibraltar fortress into an impregnable bastion, which allowed the Spaniards to hold it until the beginning of the 18th century. It is assumed that since that time in many languages the proverb “Impregnable, like a rock” has remained, in which this fortress is meant by “rock”.

Between Europe and Africa there was a huge paleoocean Tethys, the rest of which is the Mediterranean Sea. The Azor-Gibraltar tectonic zone passes through the Strait of Gibraltar - a fault that separated the Iberian and African tectonic plates. So this whole region is potentially seismically dangerous. In the meantime, about 100 thousand ships a year safely pass through the strait.

COUNTRY CITIES OF SPECIAL PURPOSE

The importance of the Strait of Gibraltar was reflected in the fate of the territories adjacent to it. On both sides of the strait are cities that have been the subject of disputes and armed clashes for centuries.

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: "Iberian (i.e. Spanish) altar."

But in 1704 the fortress was captured by the British - 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".

Because of this centuries-old territorial dispute, relations between England and Spain were more than once complicated and even interrupted. In 1985, an agreement was entered into on the equality of the rights of Gibraltarians in Spain and Spaniards in Gibraltar, and at the same time the border between these states was opened.

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 the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) about the dangerous decrease in the population of monkeys, the post of "officer in charge of monkeys" was established.

Since air base Gibraltar November 8, 1942 began the operation of the Anglo-American troops to land on the coast North Africa called "Torch", i.e. "Torch". True, the Nazis managed to contain this pressure.

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 interrupt buildings with features of Spanish-Portuguese, Genoese and Moorish influences, and their own language locals ironically called "spanglish". Gibraltar 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 was governed 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 at the end of the war Arab population"zones" 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 retained its autonomy and strategic importance. It remains the most Europeanized in the country - the French, Spaniards, Germans, Italians, British and other Europeans (including a small Russian-speaking enclave) constantly live 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 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.

CURIOUS FACTS

■ From time to time the idea arises of creating either a tunnel under the strait or a bridge across it - and then such a bridge would become the longest (15 km) and the highest (more than 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 e. 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 "Gate of Mercy".

■ 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 "B"-shaped line.

■ During World War II, all German submarines that entered the Mediterranean through this strait were blown up there. Except for 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, the currents are directed in different directions: the surface - to the east, and the 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 passage of all civil aircraft

ATTRACTIONS

■ Natural Park the Gulf of Gibraltar (Tarifa, Spain); artificial tunnels from different times in the Rock of Gibraltar and Observation deck on it; Cave of Saint Michael (Gibraltar);
■ Gibraltar: Moorish castle (since the 11th century), Church of Our Lady of Europe (middle of the 15th century), Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (1825), St. Andrew's Church (1854). Great Synagogue (1724); Museum of Gibraltar;
■ Tangier: Old city, Dar el-Makhzen Palace (XVII century). American Mission Building, Gran Socco and Petit Socco (large and small squares), great mosque Tangira, Kasbah Mosque. Anglican Cathedral of St. Andrew, hotel "Continental".
■ Landscape: Grottoes of Hercules (in the caves near Cape Spartel), beaches from Cape Spartel (length 47), Remilla Park, Slukja Terrace.

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands #141