Gibraltar, the rock that became a volatile point between the United Kingdom, Spain, and the future of Europe.
Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar occupies one of the most strategic points on the planet and has become a symbol of how Europe is contested even in its smallest pieces of land. This tiny territory, nestled at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, is under the dominion of the United Kingdom, although it is adjacent to Spain and separated from Africa by only 14 km, in a region that connects two continents and concentrates military, economic, and geopolitical interests. It is there that Europe seems to fold in on itself in a dispute that mixes history, war, diplomacy, and strategy.
At the same time, Gibraltar harbors an almost secret side, with military tunnels carved into the rock, a unique airport in the world, and the traces of one of humanity’s most ambitious plans.
In the 20th century, the strait separating Europe and Africa was the focus of Project Alantropa, an idea that sought to build a colossal dam to lower the level of the Mediterranean, create new land, and generate energy for the entire continent.
Gibraltar became the stage for a giant engineering dream that promised to change the very geography of Europe, but which today is seen as an environmental and social nightmare.
Gibraltar, the strategic rock between Europe and Africa.
When we talk about Gibraltar, we’re talking about three things at once: an imposing rock, a tiny city, and a point of connection between Europe and Africa. The famous “The Rock” is a huge block of stone about 426 meters high, the result of a very steep hill that dominates the landscape.
This rock is connected to the mainland by a small peninsula, where the city and some of the strategic structures are located. The Strait of Gibraltar is also there, the place where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, separating Europe from North Africa by a very short distance of 14 km.
Despite being almost the southernmost point of the European continent, Gibraltar is not the southernmost place. That title belongs to Ponta de Europa, further south in the region, and even then there is an even southernmost point in mainland Spain, at Punta de Tarifa, in Cádiz.
Even so, Gibraltar is treated as one of the “gateways to Europe”.Since whoever controls this strait has a direct influence on the passage of ships between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, something vital for trade, energy, and military strategy.
Colony, the UN, and referendums that shaped the future of Gibraltar.
Politically, Gibraltar is a unique territory within Europe. According to the UN, it is on the list of 17 non-self-governing territories on the planet, a term that harks back to its colonial past. In 2019, the European Union itself classified Gibraltar as a British colony.
Approximately 34 people live in an area of almost 7 km², making it one of the most densely populated places in the world, surpassed only by regions such as Macau, Monaco, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Within a few kilometers, Europe demonstrates how power and territory can be compressed to the maximum.
The physical border between the United Kingdom and continental Europe there is very short, at only 1,2 km, the second shortest in the world. On the Spanish side is the city of La Línea de la Concepción, with about 70 inhabitants.
Of that total, approximately 10 cross the border daily to work in Gibraltar. This daily interaction reinforces the feeling that, although the territory is in the hands of the United Kingdom, practical life remains deeply connected to Spain and Europe in general.
From wars of succession to modern diplomacy in Europe.
To understand why Gibraltar is in the hands of the United Kingdom, it is necessary to go back to the beginning of the 18th century, during the War of the Spanish Succession. In 1704, in the midst of the conflict, England seized Gibraltar by force. Nine years later, the end of the war was sealed with the Treaty of Utrecht.
In one of its articles, Spain agreed to cede Gibraltar to Great Britain, including the city, castle, port, defenses, and fortresses. It was there that the rock officially ceased to be Spanish and became, in a recognized way, a piece of Europe under the British flag.
The Spanish desire to recover the territory, however, never disappeared. Between 1779 and 1783, the so-called Great Siege took place, when Spain attempted to retake Gibraltar by force, but failed militarily. Over time, the United Kingdom took advantage of various circumstances to expand its area of control, which increased tensions.
While the British see it as a legitimate border, the Spanish view it as a “gateway” into a territory they consider originally their own. From the 20th century onwards, the dispute shifted from open warfare to the diplomatic arena.Spain is resorting to negotiations and international pressure to try to reverse the situation.
The voice of the Gibraltarians, the referendums and the impact of Brexit.
Amid this dispute between European powers, the inhabitants of Gibraltar also wanted to be heard. In 1967, a referendum was held to decide whether the territory would remain under British rule or return to Spain.
In 2002, a new referendum was held, this time on the possibility of dividing the sovereignty of Gibraltar between the United Kingdom and Spain. Once again, residents rejected the proposal, reaffirming their desire to maintain the exclusive link with the British.
In 2016, Brexit happened. In the vote on the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, 96 percent of Gibraltarians voted to remain in the European bloc, but the overall result for the United Kingdom took them out along with it. Crucial decisions regarding borders, trade, and movement were made without the will of Gibraltar and southern Europe truly being the deciding factor.
Borders, passports, and daily life between Europe and the United Kingdom.
In practice, Gibraltar has always had a peculiar relationship with continental Europe. Even before Brexit, the European agreement that cuts border controls in more than 20 countries was never applied there in the same way.
It has always been necessary to show a passport to enter or leave the territory, and the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union did not change this specific point. On the one hand, this reinforces the idea that this is a sensitive and strategic issue. On the other hand, it shows how… The border between Europe and the United Kingdom there is as much political as it is physical.
Daily life reflects this mix. Many residents of the neighboring Spanish city depend on Gibraltar for work, while the territory itself depends on this flow of labor and services.
At the same time, there is a unique dialect, a mix of Spanish and English with a strong accent, symbolizing this hybrid identity. Within a few kilometers, it’s possible to hear languages intersecting, see different flags, and perceive how… The real Europe is made of interdependence, not just lines on a map.
War tunnels and an airport that cuts through the city.
During World War II, the United Kingdom transformed Gibraltar into a major supply and defense center. Approximately 50 km of underground tunnels were excavated within the rock., creating depots for food, water, fuel, power generators, and even hospitals.
This underground city made the most of the limited space available while simultaneously protecting troops and supplies from attacks and blockades. The geography, already strategic for Europe, became even more valuable in times of war.
On the surface, Gibraltar is home to one of the world’s most unusual airports. Almost half of the runway was built on reclaimed land, and the landing strip crosses the main traffic lane. This means that cars and planes share the same space at different times, with traffic being blocked during landings and takeoffs.
It’s not the only place on the planet with this feature, as Tuvalu also has a similar pass, but It’s an example of how a tiny territory in Europe had to adapt to fit everything into such a small space.
Monkeys, nature, and curiosities at the tip of Europe.
Gibraltar is also known for being home to a species of monkeys that have become almost a local symbol. These are the famous Barbary macaques, generally found only there. They roam the rocks and are present in the imagination of those who visit the region.
In such a small space, the coexistence of nature, city, tourism, and military structures is a reminder of how… Europe concentrates human and environmental histories in very small territories.
This combination of unique fauna, extremely high population density, and military importance helps explain why Gibraltar extends far beyond its area in square kilometers. It serves as a showcase for larger issues involving sovereignty, colonization, borders, and identity within Europe.
Alantropa, the project that wanted to redesign Europe and Africa.
In the 20th century, Gibraltar was at the center of an idea that seems like science fiction. In 1928, the German architect Herman Sörgel proposed building a gigantic dam in the Strait of Gibraltar. The structure would have been approximately 35 km long and 550 meters wide.
The main objective was to generate enough energy to supply all of Europe, using the difference in sea level between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to power turbines. It was a plan that viewed the strait not only as a strategic point, but as a giant energy source for the continent.
The ambition, however, went far beyond that. Sörgel intended to lower the level of the Mediterranean by draining large areas between Europe and Africa and creating new landmasses in North Africa and Southern Europe. This supercontinent would be called Alantropa, the same name given to the project, and would require two more large dams: one between Italy and Tunisia and another separating the Mediterranean from the Black Sea.
In theory, this would increase the area available for agriculture and urban development, as well as strengthen European access to African natural resources. In practice, the project completely ignored the well-being of Africans and reinforced a vision of exploitation of Africa by Europe.
Why Alantropa never got off the ground and why it would have been a disaster.
The cost of building dams of this size was monumental and became one of the main obstacles to getting Alantropa off the ground. Furthermore, over time, environmental concerns and questions arose about the real impact of this type of intervention.
The lack of international political support completed the picture of unviability. Even so, the idea shows just how far some European projects were willing to go to secure energy and territorial control.
Today, it is understood that implementing the project would have had serious consequences. Several areas would have been completely flooded, rainfall and weather patterns would have been unpredictably altered, and flora and fauna would have suffered profound impacts. The newly created lands would likely have had high salinity, making them unsuitable for agriculture.
Furthermore, inequality between the continents would tend to increase, leaving Africa even poorer and more exploited. In more recent times, the idea of building a bridge between Europe and Africa in the strait region circulated, but this plan also did not move forward. Gibraltar remains a transit point, not a physical bridge between continents.
Gibraltar today, between the colonial past and the future of Europe.
Gibraltar is one of those places where the map deceives. Seen from afar, it looks like just a small point of land on the giant wheel of Europe. Looking closely, it reveals wars of succession, international treaties, referendums, closed borders, post-Brexit tensions, war tunnels, improbable airports, curious monkeys, and gigantic projects like Alantropa.
Within a few kilometers, discussions center on sovereignty, energy, the environment, and Europe’s role in its relationship with Africa.
At the same time, the territory remains a symbol of how decisions made in distant capitals can affect the lives of those living on the border. Gibraltarians have repeatedly stated what they want, but they continue to live with disputes between the United Kingdom, Spain, and the European Union that shape their future.
Ultimately, Gibraltar reminds us that the history of Europe is not written only in the great capitals, but also in small rocks surrounded by sea, tunnels, and engineering dreams that never left the drawing board.
And you, do you think that giant projects like Alantropa should have been carried out by Europe, or was it better for the world that they remained only in the imagination of engineers?