The Rock of Gibraltar: the reason for the colony's nickname is clear from this image. Many thanks to Jim Watt for permission to use his photograph. Copyright (2001) remains with Dr. Stewart.
"The Rock" is the nickname given to Gibraltar, a strategically important colony of Great Britain. It was ceded to Britain by Spain in 1713 in the Treaty of Utrecht and the British garrison was formally declared to be a colony in 1830. Gibraltar is located on the southern coast of Spain and controls the Straits of Gibraltar and entry to the Mediterranean. Its total area is only 2.5 square miles (6.5 square km) and it has a coastline of 7.5 miles (12 km). The border with Spain is about ¾ mile (1.2 km) long.Last modified 8 April 2002