Discover Gibraltar: 8 Amazing Fun Facts About This Unique Territory

1. Air Traffic Crossing Guard

When air traffic control doubles as a crossing guard: Gibraltar's main road inconveniently intersects with the territory's international airport runway, but there are plans to build a tunnel beneath the runway to improve traffic flow for aircraft and road users alike.
Source => simpleflying.com

2. Sky-High Party Crashers

Gibraltar once had a sky-high party every September 10th, but environmental scrooges crashed it: their National Day celebration used to feature the release of 30,000 balloons into the air, but due to environmental concerns, they've opted for a tongue twister contest instead.
Source => grist.org

Did you know the Tabernas Desert in Andalucia, Spain, is the go-to filming location for spaghetti westerns and has starred in many Hollywood classics? Discover more about Europe's wild-west landscapes!

=> Fun Facts about Andalucia

3. Gibraltar's Cultural Paella

If Gibraltar were a melting pot, it'd be the most delicious paella you've ever tasted: a delightful blend of Andalusian Spaniards, Genoese, Maltese, Portuguese, British, Sephardic Jews, and Indian and Moroccan flavors. On the menu: strong ties to the UK, but appetites are increasingly leaning towards Spain's "Campo de Gibraltar" region for a dash of property investment and a side of entertainment.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Hercules' Rock-Smashing Feat

When Hercules went rock-smashing and the world went sea-riously Mediterranean: The Rock of Gibraltar, one of the Pillars of Hercules, was allegedly created when our buff Greek hero smashed through a mountain, thus linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and inspiring awe in both ancient Greeks and Romans alike.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Europe's Wild Monkey Headquarters

In a twist that would make Darwin proud – and perhaps scratching his head – Gibraltar's furry citizens proudly hold the title of Europe's only wild monkeys: the Barbary macaques, approximately 300 of them in five troops, hail from Morocco's Atlas and Rif Mountains, and have since taken over the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. Human contact and feeding are strictly forbidden – with bites and fines up to £4,000 – ensuring these primates stay as wild and cheeky as ever.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Royal Orca Neighbors

Feeling a little orca-ward in Gibraltar? That's because they have some regal neighbors of the monochromatic variety: Gibraltar is home to a resident pod of orcas, one of the few left in Western European waters, but sadly, their numbers may dwindle in the coming decades due to the long-term effects of PCB pollution.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Neanderthal Art and Seafood Connoisseurs

Neanderthals in Gibraltar were no birdbrains, quite the contrary: they delighted in fancy seafood dinners and had a penchant for creating artwork in Gorham's Cave Complex, with rare rock engravings dating back 39,000 years and showcasing their remarkable cognitive abilities and appetites.
Source => whc.unesco.org

8. The Ultimate British Sleepover

Despite their steady diets of fish and chips and the occasional stiff upper lip, British soldiers survived the epic sleepover of Gibraltar with high morale for three years, seven months, and twelve days: During the longest siege endured by the British Armed Forces, General Eliott and his garrison successfully defended Gibraltar in the American Revolutionary War against Spain and France, who were left to chew their croissants in disdain as relief convoys slipped through to supply the steadfast defenders.
Source => en.wikipedia.org