Fortifications of Gibraltar

The Gibraltar peninsula, located at the far southern end of Iberia, has great strategic importance as a result of its position by the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. It has repeatedly been contested between European and North African powers and has endured fourteen sieges since it was first settled in the 11th century. The peninsula's occupants – Moors, Spanish, and British – have built successive layers of fortifications and defences including walls, bastions, casemates, gun batteries, magazines, tunnels and galleries. At their peak in 1865, the fortifications housed around 681 guns mounted in 110 batteries and positions, guarding all land and sea approaches to Gibraltar. The fortifications continued to be in military use until as late as the 1970s and by the time tunnelling ceased in the late 1960s, over 34 miles (55 km) of galleries had been dug in an area of only 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²).

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Wikimedia, Wikidata
fortification, 

fortification, 

• Government of Gibraltar page^@ War Office Maps and Plans
• Government of Gibraltar page^@ Air Raid Personnel Shelters
• Government of Gibraltar page^@ Artillery
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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

Frameless

George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield - by Joshua Reynolds - Project Gutenberg eText 19009

Sir Joshua Reynolds 010

Rocher Gibraltar

1862 painting of the Rock of Gibraltar by Frederick Richard Lee, Windmill Hill Barracks at the far side of the plateaux

Officer's Quarters and Casemate Barracks, Gibraltar

Gibraltar e istmo en 1786

1810 Gibraltar Northern Defences map

Gibraltar from the New Mole Fort looking North

1859 Gibraltar fortifications map

P2a

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
link	page		Government of Gibraltar page@	War Office Maps and Plans	Wikidata
link	page		Government of Gibraltar page@	Air Raid Personnel Shelters	Wikidata
link	page		Government of Gibraltar page@	Artillery	Wikidata
commons	image		George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield - by Joshua Reynolds - Project Gutenberg eText 19009		Commons
commons	image		Sir Joshua Reynolds 010		Commons
commons	image		Rocher Gibraltar		Commons
commons	image		1862 painting of the Rock of Gibraltar by Frederick Richard Lee, Windmill Hill Barracks at the far side of the plateaux		Commons
commons	image		Officer's Quarters and Casemate Barracks, Gibraltar		Commons
commons	image		Gibraltar e istmo en 1786		Commons
commons	image		1810 Gibraltar Northern Defences map		Commons
commons	image		Gibraltar from the New Mole Fort looking North		Commons
commons	image		1859 Gibraltar fortifications map		Commons
commons	image		P2a		Commons