| Gibraltar is a British overseas territory. It is located on the south of the Iberian Peninsula, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. The territory shares a land border with Spain to the North. Gibraltar has historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a British naval base.
The name of the Territory is a Spanish corruption of the original Arabic name Jabal aţ-Ţāriq (جبل الطارق), meaning "mountain of Tariq". It refers to the Berber Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who led the Moorish invasion of Iberia in 711. Earlier, it was known as Calpe, one of the Pillars of Hercules. Today, Gibraltar is known colloquially as "Gib" or "the Rock".
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major issue of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations. Spain requests the return of sovereignty, ceded by Spain in perpetuity in 1713. Any transfer has been consistently and totally rejected by almost all Gibraltarians.
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