PoRt oF GiBRaLtaR histoRY
The Port’s history and institutional framework
a LonG tRadition as a maRitime CentRe GIBRALTAR has been a site of commercial importance for 3,000 years. In the earliest times, the Rock was occupied by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans, but no proper settlements were established before the arrival in 711 AD of Islamic invaders from North Africa, who named the peninsula Gibel Tariq (Tariq’s Mountain) after their commander, Tariq-ibn-Zeyad. The city was founded later, in 1160 AD, and remained under Moorish rule until 1462, when the Spaniards captured the Rock. In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Gibraltar was occupied by an Anglo-Dutch force. Since then, Great Britain has maintained control over it, resisting Spanish attacks like the Great Siege (17791783) and further blockades in more recent times.
stRateGiC asset In this historical context, a major role has been played by Gibraltar Port, which proved to be a strategic asset for Great Britain during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a vital staging post and supply point on the shipping route to India after the Suez Canal opened in 1869. A naval base and coaling station have long been the distinctive features of Gibraltar. Military support continued to be its dominant role for most of the 20th century, especially during the two World Wars. By contrast, the decades that followed have seen a gradual transition to a commercial port profile.
In particular, the Ministry of Defence’s decision in 1984 to scale down its operations in Gibraltar made it possible to diversify port activities across a broad range. Gibraltar has developed into an international centre of maritime services. Examples of this process are the conversion of the naval dockyard to a commercial shipyard, the opening of the Cruise Terminal, extensive marina and waterfront development, the creation of a Ship Register and the growth of financial and maritime-related services.
FRameWoRk • Gibraltar is a self-governing Overseas Territory of the UK with its own Constitution. • As a consequence of UK membership of the European Union, Gibraltar is also part of the EU. However, it is outside the EU Customs Union and consequently VAT is not applicable. • Gibraltar Port enjoys duty free status, with significant benefits for a wide range of port activities. • In September 2006 the Córdoba Agreements between the Governments of Gibraltar, Spain and the UK resolved some long-standing issues between Gibraltar and Spain. This paved the way for key developments in air, sea and road transport that have benefited the maritime sector. Closer co-operation now exists between all ports in the Strait of Gibraltar.
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