The Bosphorus, which is a part of our lands today thanks to the endless struggle of our ancestors, is an extremely strategic point connecting two continents. If you think that this place is the only one, you are wrong because the Strait of Gibraltar also has a similar function. Moreover, the Strait of Gibraltar not only connects two continents, but also creates a natural passage between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.
Because the Strait of Gibraltar is at such a strategic point, almost every civilization throughout history has struggled to capture it. Because even if we don’t know any details, when we look at the map we see that whoever rules here also rules the world’s seas. Let’s examine where the Strait of Gibraltar is, which has many geographical riches, and why it is so important, through historical facts.
Let’s start by looking at a map like this: Where is the Strait of Gibraltar?
The Strait of Gibraltar is a natural passage connecting the European and African continents. This passage also serves as a natural channel providing sea transportation between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. The Strait of Gibraltar is 60 kilometers long, 44 kilometers wide and its deepest point is 426 meters.
The Strait of Gibraltar was formed millions of years ago:
As we have previously explained in full detail in our article here, millions of years ago, the Earth, which was a single continent, began to break up and the Tethys Sea was formed in the space divided into two continents, Laurasia and Gondwana. In the following years, when the African and Indian plates began to collide with the Eurasian plate, the Tethys Sea began to disappear.
During these events, which took place approximately 6 million years ago, the region we call the Strait of Gibraltar today began to sink. During the shipwreck, the water flowed backwards towards the Mediterranean basin, forming the Mediterranean sea. After many years, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Strait of Gibraltar took their current form.
The Strait of Gibraltar and its surroundings host the remains of our primitive ancestors:
The Strait of Gibraltar has great archaeological importance as well as strategic importance. During excavations in the region, Neanderthal remains dating back to 125 thousand years ago were found. During different studies, Homo Sapiens remains dating back to 40 thousand years ago were found. In other words, humans lived in and around the Strait of Gibraltar even before they became fully human.
Who came from here, who passed…
The Strait of Gibraltar, called Calpe in ancient times, was actively used by many different civilizations throughout history, such as the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Moros and Berbers. In 711, Andalusian Umayyad commander Tariq bin Ziyad captured the region with an army of thousands of people. The name Gibraltar we use today means Cebel-i Tarık, that is, Tarık’s Mountain.
The Strait of Gibraltar, which was under the control of the Arabs for a long time, was taken over by the Spanish in 1462 and officially became Spanish territory in 1502. The region, which was captured by British-Dutch soldiers in 1704, was completely left to the United Kingdom with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The Spanish name of the Strait of Gibraltar is Estrecho de Gibraltar, and its English name is Strait of Gibraltar.
Today, the Strait of Gibraltar is under the control of not one country, but three different countries. Political sovereignty over the Strait of Gibraltar is controlled by Spain, Morocco and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, namely England, has a certain right here, called the Gibraltar Autonomous Region.
The Strait of Gibraltar also found its place in Greek mythology:
The Strait of Gibraltar is also known as the Pillars of Hercules. It took this name from a story in Greek mythology. They say that one day Hercules wanted to steal Geryon’s herd of cattle. But he could not pass Atlas Mountain. He tensed up and attacked the mountain with all his strength, shattering its middle. This is how the Strait of Gibraltar was formed
Okay, but what is the importance of the Strait of Gibraltar?
Imagine that you are a trader and visualize the map. How do you take goods from Africa to Europe or goods from Europe to Africa at a time when transportation facilities were not as they are today? Of course, the most logical way is sea transportation, but how? This is where the Strait of Gibraltar comes into play.
Thanks to this natural passage, which is 44 kilometers wide, ships departing from the Mediterranean go directly to the Atlantic Ocean and from there reach Europe. Moreover, the Strait of Gibraltar serves as a gateway to the Mediterranean. Controlling who enters and exits the Mediterranean means dominating an area of millions of square kilometers.
The Strait of Gibraltar’s contribution to wildlife is greater than its contribution to humans:
Since the Mediterranean is a sea that evaporates too much, the rainfall and rivers that feed it are insufficient. The Atlantic Ocean is approximately 1.5 meters higher than the Mediterranean and constantly feeds it. An average of 1 million cubic meters of water flows from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean every second. In other words, without the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean would dry up.
Because the salt water in the Mediterranean is heavy, it sinks to the bottom and flows back into the deep water Atlantic Ocean. During this transition, the water receives the solutions in the Strait of Gibraltar, and thanks to this solution, plankton, the main food of whales and dolphins, grows. Even though there is heavy traffic, many different species of whales and dolphins live in and around the Strait of Gibraltar for this reason alone.
The Strait of Gibraltar still maintains its strategic importance even today:
Technology has developed, airplanes have become faster, but despite this, maritime transport and therefore the Strait of Gibraltar still maintains its importance. So much so that, on average, a large ship passes through the Strait of Gibraltar every five minutes. There are countless small ships and fishing boats passing by. The city of Tangier, which is on the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar, is a part of Morocco, but has been given a special status to ensure control.
We answered frequently asked questions such as where is the Strait of Gibraltar, which connects two continents and a sea and an ocean, and why is it so important? As you can see, the so-called strait is not easy to find, we need to be careful about ours.
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