Rock of Gibraltar

Gibraltar, British overseas territory occupying a narrow peninsula of Spain’s southern

Mediterranean coast, just northeast of the Strait of Gibraltar, on the east side of the Bay
of Gibraltar (Bay of Algeciras), and directly south of the Spanish city of La Línea. It is 3
miles (5 km) long and 0.75 mile (1.2 km) wide and is connected to Spain by a low, sandy
isthmus that is 1 mile (1.6 km) long. Its name is derived from Arabic: Jabal Ṭ āriq
(Mount Tarik), honoring Tariq ibn Ziyād, who captured the peninsula in 711. Gibraltar is
a heavily fortified British air and naval base that guards the Strait of Gibraltar, which is
the only entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Since the 18th
century, Gibraltar has been a symbol of British naval strength, and it is commonly
known in that context as “the Rock.”

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With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Gibraltar increased in strategic importance,
and its position as a provisioning port was greatly enhanced. Since World War II the
British military garrison and naval dockyard have continued to be an important part of
Gibraltar’s economy, and naval operations of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) often use the port facilities.

The Rock of Gibraltar is considered one of the two Pillars of Heracles (Hercules); the

other has been identified as one of two peaks in northern Africa: Mount Hacho, near the
city of Ceuta (the Spanish exclave on the Moroccan coast), or Jebel Moussa (Musa),
in Morocco. The Pillars—which, according to Homer, were created when Heracles broke
the mountain that had connected Africa and Europe—defined the western limits of
navigation for the ancient Mediterranean world. Area 2.25 square miles (5.8 square
km). Pop. (2007 est.) 29,257.

Land
The peninsula consists of a limestone and shale ridge (the Rock), which rises abruptly
from the isthmus to 1,380 feet (421 meters) at Rock Gun, its northernmost summit. Its
highest point, 1,396 feet (426 meters), is attained near its southern end. The Rock
shelves down to the sea at Great Europa Point, which faces Ceuta. From the
Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar appears as a series of sheer, inaccessible cliffs, fronting the
sea on the peninsula’s east coast. The Rock’s slope is more gradual on its western side
and is occupied by tier upon tier of houses that stretch for some 300 feet (90 meters)
above the old defensive walls. Higher up, limestone cliffs almost isolate the Upper Rock,
which is covered with a tangle of wild trees.

Gibraltar has no springs or rivers. An area of sand slopes above Catalan and Sandy bays
has been sheeted over to provide a rain-catchment area, which was once the sole source
of potable water for Gibraltar. The water was stored in a number of tanks blasted into
the Rock. The rainwater was then blended with water pumped from wells on the
isthmus or distilled from the sea. The catchment ceased to be used as a source of potable
water in the 1990s, when a desalinization plant built in the 1980s was expanded, but it
still is used as a service reservoir. Gibraltar has hot, humid, and almost rainless
summers; mild winters during which there is usually adequate rain; and warm,
moderately rainy, transitional seasons. The territory is subject to strong easterly winds.

There are more than 500 species of small flowering plants on Gibraltar. The Gibraltar
candytuft is a flower native only to the Rock. Wild olive and pine trees grow on the
Upper Rock. Mammals include rabbits, foxes, and Barbary macaques (often erroneously
identified as apes). Barbary macaques have roamed the Rock for hundreds of years and
are Europe’s only wild monkeys. Although free to wander, they are generally seen on the
Upper Rock. The macaques were once protected by the British army in Gibraltar, and,
according to legend, British dominion over the Rock will cease when these animals are
no longer present; their protection is now the responsibility of the Gibraltar
Ornithological and Natural History Society. Migratory birds are common, and Gibraltar
is the home of the only specimens of Barbary partridge in Europe.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and headland, on Spain's south coast. It’s dominated by
the Rock of Gibraltar, a 426m-high limestone ridge. First settled by the Moors in the Middle
Ages and later ruled by Spain, the outpost was ceded to the British in 1713. Layers of
fortifications include the remains of a 14th-century Moorish Castle and the 18th century Great
Siege Tunnels, which were expanded in WWII.

Many companies use it as a METAPHORS

Many companies have created metaphors that are tangible in nature to help communicate the
benefits of their service offerings and to emphasize key points of difference relative to competing
alternatives. Example of Insurance companies often use this approach to market their highly
intangible products. Thus Allstate advertises that You're in Good Hands" and Prudential uses
the Rock of Gibraltar as a symbol of corporate strength.
Professional service firms sometimes use metaphors to communicate their value propositions
more dramatically
Where possible, advertising metaphors should highlight your service benefits are actually
provided.