The Rock of Gibraltar is one of the world's unique examples of a natural beacon and fortress which has been the focus, because of its geological and strategic position, of the attention of humans since the early days of perhistory.
The Rock of Gibraltar, six kilometres long by one kilometre long, has one of the highest densities of universal heritage in the world and for this reason it is the entire peninsula, the natural fortress, which is included in the proposed World Heritage Site.
The Rock has long been the symbol of strength and stability and its singular geological makeup has permitted its use and defence by successive cultures. The massive fortress and dockyard of Gibraltar, is a type-site for the development of fortifications, since the eighteenth century providing the Navy with a secure base at the western entrance to the Mediterranean.