Detailed information about the Strait of Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar is located between the southernmost tip of Spain and the northwest of Africa (5 degrees 36 minutes west longitude and 35 degrees 57 minutes north latitude), with a length of 58 kilometers. The narrowest point is between Spanish Cape Marocchi and Moroccan Cape Cires, and the width is only 14km. Gibraltar is an English translation.

Chinese name: mbth, Gibraltar Strait, alias: Zumbur Tariq Strait Area: (Controversial) Geographical location: between the southernmost tip of Spain and northwest Africa Area: 5.5 square kilometers Dialect: English, Spanish and other climatic conditions: subtropical Mediterranean climate famous scenic spots: Gibraltar Rock Airport: Gibraltar Airport Average depth: 375m Length: 90km Function: Strait connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. Deepest water depth 1 18 1m function: sea passage. Origin: Arabic-speaking countries: Britain, Spain, width: 43km, connecting land: connecting sea area between Gibraltar and Morocco: overview of Mediterranean and Atlantic, geographical location, ocean current, climate characteristics, Xia Dong Spring and Autumn Period, strategic location, throat, lifeline, shipping role, military role, historical events, overview: a name of Gibraltar comes from Arabic, meaning "Gibraltar". The Strait of Gibraltar is named after the port of Gibraltar in the northeast. At the beginning of the 8th century, the Umayyad dynasty launched an unprecedented conquest movement in Arab history. Moussa ibn Nusser led the Arab army to invade North Africa, arrived at the west coast of Morocco today, occupied the important port of Tangier, and appointed Tarikibnziyad as the governor of Tangier. In July11year, Zeyad was ordered by Nusselt to lead 7000 elite soldiers across the sea. /kloc-in July of 0/9, he landed forcibly and stood on the rock of Gibraltar today to command the operation, defeating 65,438+10,000 Spanish defenders and creating a model of winning more with fewer. Then Zead ordered a castle to be built at the entrance. To commemorate the victory of crossing the sea, the castle was named "Zabul Tariq", which means "Tariq Mountain" in Arabic, so this strait is called "Zabul Tariq Strait", which is translated into Gibraltar in English. Geographical location: at the western end of the Strait of Gibraltar, between Cape Trafalgar in the north and Cape Specter in the south, with a width of 43km at the eastern end of the Strait and a width of 23 km, between the Heracles column in Gibraltar in the north and the Aqiao Mountain in the east of Ceuta (the Spanish flying place in Morocco) in the south. The strait is a gap in the arc-shaped structural belt formed between Atlas Mountain in North Africa and the Spanish Plateau, with an average depth of 365 meters. The wind direction in the strait is mostly easterly or westerly, and the shallow cold air mass entering the western Mediterranean from the north often becomes a low-altitude high-speed easterly wind, which is called Levant wind locally. From the Atlantic Ocean, a surface ocean current with a velocity of 2 knots flows eastward into the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait, which is faster than the heavier, colder and saltier ocean current flowing westward at a depth of about 122 meters, so the existence of the Strait prevents the Mediterranean Sea from becoming a shrinking salt lake. Hercules column is a symbol of the western end of the ancient world. Because of its great strategic and economic value, the strait was used by Atlantic navigators in the early days, and it is still an important navigation route to southern Europe, North Africa and West Asia via the Atlantic Ocean. The Strait of Gibraltar lies between the southernmost tip of Spain and the northwest of Africa. It is an important gateway connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, with a total length of about 90 kilometers. The narrowest part of the canyon is only 13km, and the widest part in the west of the canyon is 43km. The shallowest water depth is 30 1m, the deepest water depth is 1 18 1m, and the average water depth is about 375m m. The sea speed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Strait of Gibraltar is 4 kilometers per hour. It was used by Atlantic navigators in the early years, and the exploration fleets of Mediterranean countries frequently passed here and reached the Atlantic Ocean. Today, the Strait of Gibraltar is still an important passage from the Atlantic Ocean to southern Europe, North Africa and West Asia. The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Because the Mediterranean region belongs to the Mediterranean climate and is controlled by the subtropical high zone in summer, there is less precipitation and more evaporation. In addition, there are fewer rivers flowing into the Mediterranean. The salinity and density of Mediterranean sea water are higher than those of Atlantic Ocean, but the sea surface in Mediterranean Sea is lower. Therefore, a density current is formed in the Strait of Gibraltar, and the seawater flows eastward below 400 meters and westward below 400 meters. Direction of Ocean Current During World War II, German submarines used ocean currents to avoid the radar monitoring of the allied forces in the Gibraltar Strait and entered and exited the Mediterranean Sea many times, causing great losses to the British and French allied navies. When the German submarine dived out of the Mediterranean Sea, it turned off the engine, descended to a deeper area below the sea surface, and followed the ocean current from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. When returning, it lifts the submarine to a shallow area, turns off the engine, and flows back to the Mediterranean along the surface ocean current. This avoids the reconnaissance of the allies. This shows that once the laws of nature are discovered and used, they will play a huge role. When a ship passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, if it enters the Mediterranean Sea eastward, it will drift with the tide and accelerate its progress. But if you sail west, you will slow down because of the current. Climate characteristics: The Gibraltar Strait and its adjacent areas belong to the Mediterranean climate in summer, which is controlled by subtropical high, with dry heat and little rain and strong evaporation. Winter is controlled by the westerly belt, with many cyclones, mild and rainy. There are many storms in spring and autumn. In spring, due to the water surface temperature difference between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and the intersection of warm and humid air currents above, foggy weather will appear, which will cover the whole strait, with low visibility and great threat to ship navigation. Strategic location The Strait of Gibraltar is an important gateway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Located between the southernmost tip of Iberian Peninsula in Spain and the northwest corner of Africa, the northern bank of Gibraltar is Britain and the southern bank is Morocco. The total length is about 90 kilometers. The mountains on both sides of the strait are magnificent and beautiful. There are ports such as Gibraltar, Alger Silas and Ceuta along the coast. The strait of Gibraltar is only 58 kilometers long, wide in the west and narrow in the east. At its narrowest point, it is only 65,438+03 km between Marocchi, Spain and Cape Cires, Morocco, and the eastern end of the Strait is between Gibraltar and Mount Arjo. The middle section is between Machillo and Cyrus, with a width of 22 kilometers; It enters the canyon at its widest point in the west, between Cape Trafalgar and Spett, with a width of 43 kilometers. Deep in the east and shallow in the west, the shallowest water depth is 30 1m, the deepest water depth is 1 18 1m, and the average water depth is about 375m m. Lifeline The Strait of Gibraltar is the "lifeline" of the Mediterranean besides connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the special geographical location of the Mediterranean, the seawater here has high salt content and high density. The average annual temperature in the Mediterranean is relatively high, which is controlled by subtropical high in summer and autumn, with strong sunshine, dry heat and little rain; In winter and spring, the warm west wind from the Atlantic Ocean blows on the sea, and the temperature is above zero degrees Celsius. In addition, around the Mediterranean, except for the Nile in Egypt, there are no large rivers and fresh water flowing into the Mediterranean. Therefore, the salt content in the Mediterranean Sea is stable and high, with the annual average salinity of surface seawater being 38‰, and the eastern seawater being as high as 39.58‰, which is 3-4‰ higher than the global annual average salinity. Moreover, in the Mediterranean Sea 122 meters deep, there is a thick, cold and salty ocean current flowing out of the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Won't the Mediterranean dry up at this rate? Don't worry, let's take a look at our Mediterranean neighbor, the Atlantic Ocean. Because the annual average temperature of the Atlantic Ocean is lower than that of the Mediterranean Sea, and the evaporation of seawater is small, the annual average salinity of the Atlantic Ocean is also lower than that of the Mediterranean Sea, only 35‰. Even the salinity of the adjacent Atlantic Ocean at the same latitude as the Mediterranean Sea is slightly higher, only 36‰, thus forming an unbalanced annual average salinity between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean connected by the Strait of Gibraltar. The density of seawater depends on its temperature and salinity, and more importantly, on its salinity. The higher the salinity, the higher the density, so the density of Mediterranean sea water is greater than that of Atlantic sea water. The sea surface pressure in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean is the same, which is one atmosphere. Because the pressure of seawater is directly proportional to the density of seawater, the water pressure in the Mediterranean is higher than that in the Atlantic at the same depth, and the deeper the depth, the greater the pressure difference between them. As the pressure varies, the sea water moves. The greater the pressure difference, the more intense the movement. The water flow in the Strait is divided into two layers. The upper water (more than 200 meters) flows from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and the lower water (less than 200 meters) flows from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. In this way, the seawater at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea enters the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, thus lifting the seawater in the Atlantic Ocean. On the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, at the rising sea level, seawater flows to the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar due to pressure. Due to the shallow water at the western end of the strait and the cross sill on the seabed, the amount of seawater flowing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea is reduced, making the amount of water flowing through the strait from the Atlantic Ocean greater than that flowing into the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to pressure, climate is also an aspect of the scenery in the Straits. The wind direction in the Strait of Gibraltar is mostly easterly or westerly. The Levant wind drives the Atlantic ocean surface current (including low salinity seawater) eastward through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, and the flow of this current is also greater than the westward current (including salty and heavy seawater) at the depth of Mediterranean Sea 122 meters. This ensures the stability of Mediterranean sea water. Moreover, this phenomenon makes the surface water of the Gibraltar Strait flow from west to east forever, so when ships sail from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and pass through the Gibraltar Strait, they always drift with the tide. Similarly, the submarine successfully entered the Atlantic Ocean from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. This phenomenon was exploited by Atlantic navigators in the early days. Expedition fleets from Mediterranean countries often pass through here and reach the Atlantic Ocean. The Strait of Gibraltar not only connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, but also is the "source of life" of the Mediterranean Sea. It turns out that in the Mediterranean Sea 122 meters deep, there is a thick, cold and salty ocean current flowing westward out of the Mediterranean Sea. After reading this, you may ask, won't the Mediterranean dry up like this? That's true. However, nature has its own laws, and the Mediterranean will not dry up. The Strait of Gibraltar continuously replenishes the Mediterranean Sea with seawater. It turns out that the wind direction in the Strait is mostly easterly or westerly, and the cold air mass entering the western Mediterranean from the north passes here with low-altitude and high-speed easterly winds, which is called the Levant wind by the locals. The Levant winds drive the Atlantic ocean surface current eastward through the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea. At the depth of the Mediterranean Sea 122 meters, the flow of this ocean current is greater than that to the west. Therefore, the existence of the Strait of Gibraltar has contributed greatly to preventing the Mediterranean from becoming a shrinking salt country. Due to the density difference between the east and the west, the current speed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Strait of Gibraltar is 4 kilometers per hour. The current in the Strait of Gibraltar is very fast, so it is not surprising that the speed of the ship will drop by 4-5 knots if it hits the top current. In April-May season, due to the water surface temperature difference between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and the intersection of warm and humid air currents above, a large area of fog will be generated, which will cover the whole Gibraltar Strait. It can be said that two people standing by the bridge can't see their fingers or the night. Such foggy days are undoubtedly terrible for sailing ships. A common view is that modern people originated in Africa, left Africa about 6.5438+0.3 million years ago and spread to Asia and Europe, replacing the local aborigines. This is the "Eve theory" of human origin. By investigating the types and frequency distribution of Y chromosome haplotypes in East Asian population, it is found that there are African genetic genes and markers in East Asian population without exception, which also provides strong genetic evidence for the theory of African origin. For many years, the scientific community generally believed that human ancestors entered Eurasia through the Caucasus mountains and gradually migrated to Western Europe. However, Spanish paleontologist Dr. Josep Djibert put forward a new viewpoint. He believes that some primitive humans crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and directly entered Western Europe. Djibert insists that primitive humans entered Western Europe directly from the Strait of Gibraltar. His reason is that about 6.5438+0.8 million years ago, when the sea level was very low, the distance between Africa and Europe was less than several kilometers, and it was entirely possible for primitive humans to cross the Gibraltar Strait. Previous archaeological discoveries in Holtz, Spain, and the investigation of geological subsidence also show that Spain had a mild climate, vast grasslands and abundant water resources 2 million years ago, and good natural and geographical conditions were very conducive to the survival of primitive humans. In order to find convincing evidence, archaeologists are doing a lot of excavation work in southern Spain to verify this assertion. The local unearthed primitive stone tools also show the technology and level of primitive humans using animal bones and stones to make labor tools at that time, which is equivalent to the level of primitive humans in East Africa 2 million years ago. However, because there is no lava and volcanic ash in the soil, it is difficult for researchers to infer the exact time of these unearthed stone tools. Therefore, researchers have to calculate the fossil age of strata and bones by computer through the relationship between the index measured by compass and the formation pressure. Later, many new evidences were found, which further verified Dr. Djibert's inference. Archaeologists have discovered more than 50 species of mammals and birds. Archaeologists also found fossils of tigers, hippos and primates with canine teeth unique to East Africa in the underground equivalent to 30 stories. Djibert explained that the cave was open about 6.5438+0.8 million years ago or 6.5438+0.6 million years ago, so it was rich in sediments. Although it is still difficult for most researchers to believe that primitive humans on the African continent entered Western Europe from the Strait of Gibraltar, more and more evidence has made it impossible for us to ignore Dr. Djibert's point of view, and Djibert is also trying to find more evidence. He hopes that his theory will be accepted by people as soon as possible. In order to win more support, Djibert opened his archaeological excavations to the public, so that people could understand his theory more intuitively and clearly. However, Djibert also admitted that more archaeological work is needed to provide strong evidence that primitive humans entered Eurasia through the Strait of Gibraltar. The mysterious disappearance of Atlantis Atlantis, a mysteriously disappearing continent, has been a hot topic for many years. In order to find this mysterious legendary civilization, many expeditions and expeditions have gone through hardships. Not long ago, some British and French explorers and scientists decided to "lock" the place where Atlantis once existed in the Strait of Gibraltar after some "careful consideration". The description of Atlantis first appeared in the famous philosophical work Dialogue written by Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher in 350 BC. It was from there that people knew that there had been such a highly civilized continent, but then it mysteriously disappeared. Although some people think that Atlantis is just an illusory legend, many people always believe that it once existed. An expedition named "Deep Mediterranean 1" composed of scientists from many countries, led by Jacques, a famous geography professor at Provence University in France, and Paul, an explorer, arrived in the Strait of Gibraltar. They will use advanced optical cables that can dive into the water, and search underwater 1000 meters, hoping to find temples, buildings and prehistoric cultures that once existed on Atlantis, such as production tools and defensive weapons. The reason why the strait scenery researchers set the search location in the Gibraltar Strait is because they have conducted in-depth research and analysis before, investigated the sea level height of 1.9 million years ago, and drew the coastline map at that time. Professor Jacques believes that the Strait of Gibraltar is the only sea passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. If stone age people could cross this strait, the sea level would be very low at that time. About 65,438+0.65,438+0,000 years ago, many primitive European sailors crossed Gibraltar and arrived in North Africa, which shows that there was land above sea level near the Strait of Gibraltar at that time, which coincides with Plato's description of Atlantis. In the dialogue, Plato described Atlantis: "There is a magical continent in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Mediterranean. It is decorated with countless gold and silver, producing a shiny metal-mountain copper. It has well-equipped ports and ships, as well as objects that can carry people. Its influence is as far as the African continent, but after a major earthquake, it sank to the bottom of the sea and disappeared into people's memory. " It is said that the civilization of Atlantis was very developed at that time, and the society had a clear class division, with a population of about120 thousand; The division of labor in agriculture is also very detailed, and the suitable climate makes it harvest twice a year; Systematic text; Precious metals and alloys are used; Ocean trade is also very prosperous. Therefore, Professor Jacques and others concluded that the continent of Atlantis was probably around the Strait of Gibraltar. However, due to the rising sea level, this once mysterious continent was finally submerged by seawater. As Plato described it, "Atlantis sank to the bottom of the sea with severe earthquakes and floods overnight." The legend of Atlantis remains a mystery. Despite the mystery of the Strait of Gibraltar, today, as in the past, ships between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea are still busy here. The role of shipping The Strait of Gibraltar is the only channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Together with the Mediterranean, it forms the natural dividing line between Europe and Africa, and is called the "lifeline" of the West. Because the surface water in the Strait of Gibraltar always flows from west to east, ships sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and always drift with the tide when passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Similarly, submarines successfully entered the Atlantic Ocean from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, which was used by early Atlantic navigators. Expedition fleets from Mediterranean countries often reach the Atlantic Ocean through here, thus completing their exploration. 1869 After the opening of the Suez Canal, especially after the development of the Persian Gulf oil field, its strategic position has become more important, and it has become the "lifeline" of energy transportation in Western Europe and an important maritime transportation channel between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of ships pass through the strait every day, reaching100000 every year. It is one of the busiest passages of international shipping and has an important economic and strategic position. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Strait of Gibraltar has become one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. Ships from Western European and Nordic countries to countries along the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean generally pass through the Strait of Gibraltar-Mediterranean-Suez Canal-Mande Strait. Ships carrying oil from the Persian Gulf are also transported to Western European and Nordic countries through the Strait of Gibraltar. Military Function From a military point of view, Gibraltar is the military center, and the Strait of Gibraltar is the main route for the US Navy's Sixth Fleet and NATO navies to enter and leave the Mediterranean Sea. Spain's Rota Naval Base is the base of the US Mediterranean Fleet, which allows the US military to control and block the Gibraltar Strait at any time. The Strait of Gibraltar is also the only way for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to enter and leave the Atlantic Ocean. The historical event is that the Strait of Gibraltar lies between the southern tip of Iberian Peninsula in Europe and the northwest corner of Africa. The connecting line from Cape La gerga in Europe to Cape Sparta in Africa in the west and from Gibraltar to Cape Almina in the east is about 48 nautical miles long. The strait is wide in the west and narrow in the east, with the widest point of 23 nautical miles and the narrowest point of only 6.5 nautical miles. The word "Gibraltar" comes from Arabic, which means "Tariq Mountain". In 7 1 1 year, Tariq ibn Zaid, the leader of the moors, led his troops across the strait, occupied the peninsula and became famous in one fell swoop. 1704, Britain conquered Gibraltar in the continuous war in Spain and established a military fortress here. 17 13 The Treaty of Utrecht declared that Gibraltar would be ceded to Britain forever. After Britain occupied Gibraltar, it established a military fortress here to control the traffic in the Strait. During the two world wars, it was an important naval base in Britain. Especially during World War II, the British army built an underground tunnel of 16 km to strengthen its fortifications. Spain has never given up its territorial sovereignty over Gibraltar. For many years after the war, the people of Gibraltar have always wanted to continue to accept British rule and supported it by an absolute majority in many referendums. In resolutions 223 1 (XXI) and 2353 (XXII), the United Nations called on Britain and Spain to reach an agreement on Gibraltar in order to end the colonial situation. Spain claimed that the United Nations solution was superior to the Treaty of Utrecht, so it demanded to recover the territory, but the British side ignored it. In addition to sovereignty issues, the demarcation of the border has also caused disputes between the two countries. 1959, Spain requested the United Nations to urge Britain to return the sovereignty of Gibraltar. Britain claims Gibraltar as its Non-Self-Governing Territory. 1964 The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization asked Britain and Spain to engage in dialogue in order to reach a negotiated solution. 1967 September, Britain held a referendum in Gibraltar. As a result, most citizens agreed that Gibraltar should continue to belong to Britain. From the perspective of 1969 satellite, Gibraltar has declared an autonomous constitution. The United Nations General Assembly once again urged the two countries to negotiate. 1In February 1985, Spain completely lifted its blockade of Gibraltar, and Britain and Spain began to discuss related issues including Gibraltar's sovereignty. Britain and Spain have been arguing over the sovereignty of Gibraltar and the control of the waters near the Strait of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is an important military town, and the Strait of Gibraltar is the only channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, which is known as the "lifeline" of the West. Especially after the opening of the Suez Canal in19th century, the Strait of Gibraltar became a shortcut for shipping between the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Ownership The Strait of Gibraltar is the only passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the throat where the Atlantic Ocean enters the Mediterranean Sea, and a battleground for military strategists. Spain * * * resents this place that originally belonged to its own territory, but it is inlaid with a territory of other countries. I feel as if I have been stabbed in my body, and I have a dull pain in my heart. I have dreamed for nearly a century, and I want to return to my own territory. However, until now, Spain has been helpless. The British people looked down on themselves arrogantly on this hill, watching British warships cruise in Gibraltar and sharing Gibraltar's rights and interests. This is a long-standing historical problem. The Spanish have started negotiations with Britain, but there has been no result. At present, the balance of power has not been broken. Based on the common interests of both sides, Spain and Britain guarded the Strait of Gibraltar, which also brought peace to the Strait. The Kingdom of Morocco in Africa south of the Strait, due to its own military strength, does not pay much attention to the peace and turmoil in the Strait of Gibraltar. Therefore, ships sailing from Europe to the Mediterranean, or ships sailing from Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, all enter and leave here safely, and the Spanish maritime department maintains traffic safety here.