The Rock of Gibraltar marked the limits of civilization in ancient times. In 711 Ad Tariq Ibn Ziyad led the Moors in an attack and named the rock for himself, Jabal al-Tarik. Over the centuries the name was corrupted into Gibraltar.

Spain gained control in 1462, and then ceded the rock to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht.

The airport runway crosses the only highway to Spain from the Crown Colony.