When was gibraltar colonised

Whilst Britain and Gibraltar have stated before the Special Committee that they have a constitutional relationship that justifies delisting, albeit without the granting of independence, neither Spain nor the UN accept this position.

As such, a colonial tag remains given the impossibility of independence even when it is asked for. Importantly, colonialism is not a choice for Gibraltar but rather a definition that is being imposed upon it in the absence of an understanding of how territories such as Gibraltar remain confined within terms anchored in a historical past now far removed from a present which acknowledges self-determination.

Whilst bordering remains in terms of the triangulation of Britishness, the Empire and Spain, and on the significance of the non-colonial, it seems as if this very bordering is also a generator of the terms under which Gibraltarians construct and express their identity. Equally, being silent on the non-colonial yet perversely colonially defined relationship between Gibraltar and the UK triggers questions over how the non-colonial functions.

These binds that are clearly colonial in their inception now serve to create an ambivalent space in which the colonial and the non-colonial co-exist. An invisible yet palpable line is drawn between colonialism as understood in history, and this other, perhaps hybrid version as experienced today. This is a space in which the colonial and nascent post-colonial find expression informed as it is by a colonial period that has not yet entirely passed and a post-colonialism that has not quite and may never fully arrive.

It is therefore not a question of suggesting that Gibraltar is neither colonial nor post-colonial but rather that Gibraltar occupies a space where both coexist given the introduction of the non-colonial, fraught as it is with bordering and tensions for which a rule book is still being worked out. Solutions remain elusive and change can only take place with nuanced readings on how relationships formally understood as colonial have transformed since the mid th century.

Ultimately, moves to transplant the past onto the present can only lead to the perpetuation of a deterministic re-colonising discourse with no scope for an endgame, only eternal recurrence — and certainly not formal decolonisation.

Featured image credit: Pixabay Public Domain. Looking at a map, it is clear that Gibraltar is Spanish. Given the passage of time, obviously the current population is substantially British; that has not prevented large numbers of Britons from moving to Spain to enjoy an economically privileged retirement. Being Spanish would change almost nothing of importance.

Indeed, it would save them from Brexit! The seven square-kilometre peninsula is an internally self-governing British overseas territory. As the clock ticks down, get all the best Brexit news and analysis in your inbox:. Short URL. About the author:. See more articles by AFP. Contribute to this story: Leave a Comment. Send a Correction. Read next:. Embed this post. Your Email. Recipient's Email.

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Log out Logged in with. Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy. Share Comment on Facebook or Twitter Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. The British had between 5, and 7, men and only 96 guns during the Great Siege , and the Spanish and French forces numbered 40, men and guns. Gibraltar has always been part of British history. Most of the civilian population were evacuated, except for 4, who fought with great courage to defend the freedom of the Rock.

There is an old superstition that if the Apes leave the Rock; the British will go as well. He even had some Apes, so it is rumoured, brought out from Africa to maintain their numbers. In a Referendum was taken on whether the people of Gibraltar wanted to remain with Britain or with Spain. In the more recent referendum of November , the people of Gibraltar again showed their desire to remain British by an overwhelming margin. Whether Gibraltar will remain a British rock however appears another question!

Recent events have suggested that the current British government may want to abandon the Treaty of Utrecht and subject the 30, people of Gibraltar to Spanish rule against their will.

The words "Empire Day" summon up an image of a motherly Queen Victoria presiding over an Empire which spanned almost a quarter of the entire globe. However it was not until after the death of Queen Victoria that Empire Day was first celebrated