GIBRALTAR

2½ square miles of rock, more British than Britain, and Spain hates it. Good.

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711: Moor leader Tarik captures the peninsula and (immodestly) names it for himself, Jabal-al-Tarik [mount of Tarik].

1160: Abdul Maman orders that a permanent settlement, including a castle, be built. The main tower of this castle remains standing today.

1309-33: Spanish recapture the peninsula, but then lose it.

1462: Spanish recapture peninsula from the Moors

1700: War of the Spanish Succession, brought about by Louis XIV of France trying to secure the Spanish throne for his grandson Philip (V). The English, fearful of a potential Franco-Spanish union, declare war.

1704: The British capture Gibraltar. A French siege is unsuccessful.

1713: Treaty of Utrecht ends the War. In return for English acquiescence in his becoming king of Spain, Philip cedes all rights to the peninsula.

1726: The Spanish besiege the Rock. Fail.

1779-83: The Great Siege, as the French and Spanish join forces to besiege the Rock. And fail.

1939-45: World War Two. Gibraltar is of supreme importance as it allows Allied access to the Mediterranean.

1967: UN-supervised referendum shows near-100% support for staying with the UK.

1969: Spain shows its contempt for democracy by closing its border with the Rock for 16 years.

1991: The UK removes its military forces from Gibraltar, while retaining it as a dependency.

2002: Another referendum. Another slap in the face for Spain.

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