Rock of Gibraltar monkey by Prisca van Dorrestein

Rock of Gibraltar

The Rock of Gibraltar seen from the border with Spain
Height 426 m
Coordinates 36° 7′ N, 5° 20′ W
Location Flag of Gibraltar
Mountain range Betic Cordillera
Age of rocks 200 million years (Jurassic)
Type Monolithic rock
Rock of Gibraltar (Spain)
Rock of Gibraltar
Portal Icon Earth Sciences

The Rock of Gibraltar, looking in a northerly direction
The Rock of Gibraltar[1] is a limestone rock formation in Gibraltar, a peninsula on the southwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The highest point of the rock is 426 meters (1,000 feet) above the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Rock of Gilbraltar is a symbol of solidity and immutability. In English, the expression solid as the Rock of Gibraltar is used. The American company Prudential Financial uses the rock as its logo.

In Greek mythology, the rock was one of the two Pillars of Hercules. The Romans called the rock Mons Calpe (mountain of Calpe). In ancient times, the rock, along with the other column (Monte Hacho or Jebel Musa), formed the border of the known world.

The Rock of Gibraltar is part of Betic Cordillera, the series of mountain ranges in southern Spain and northern Morocco. The rock was formed during the Jurassic period, some 200 million years ago, when the African Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate and pushed up the limestone. Seawater erosion carved out a monolithic rock,[2] and the rock was then exposed to the sea.

Much of the rock was designated a nature reserve in 1993, the Upper Rock Nature Reserve (IUCN Category Ia). The rock is home to some 250 Barbary macaques, the only population in Europe of monkeys in the wild. The nature reserve is also the only place in Europe where the North African plants Iberis gibraltarica and Cerastium gibraltaricum are found.[3] The rock is an important resting point for birds migrating between Europe and Africa.[4]