The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow passage between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Gibraltar, which is primarily a rock on the Spanish peninsual, is owned by Great Britain, even though it is physically part of Spain. Spain ceded Gibraltar to the British after the War of the Spanish Succession* in 1713. Since then, Britain has used the territory as a navy base. But the story of Gibraltar is much older than that, and its importance goes back hundreds of years.
It all started with the legendary Greek hero Heracles. Heracles was famous for accomplishing a set of Labours, ortasks too difficult for normal humans. One of the Labours involved going far to the west, where he found a great mountain. Instead of climbing it, he used his superhuman strength to smash the mountain in half. This created the passage between Europe and Africa. Ancient Greeks and Romans called Gibraltar one of the Pillars of Heracles*. These days, the 426 metre-high mountain is now called the Rock of Gibraltar.
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