As a British overseasterritory, the sole official language of Gibraltar is English, and it is used by theGovernment and in schools. The eponymous Gibraltarian English accent is spoken in the territory.
Manyof Gibraltar's linguistic influences come from its neighbours, Spainand Morocco.
Most locals are bilingual, also speaking Spanish, due toGibraltar's proximity to Spain. Most Gibraltarians converse in Llanito, their vernacular which is mostly based on Andalusian Spanish, butinfluenced by other Mediterranean languages. However, because of the varied mix of ethnicgroups which residethere, other languages such as Arabic are also spoken on The Rock.
Over the course of its history, the Rock of Gibraltar has changed hands many times, among Spanish, Moorish, and British hands, although it hasbeen consistently under British control since theTreaty of Utrecht in 1713. Before theBritish takeover, Spanish was widely spoken, but afterwards as most residentsleft the Rock, the language had a much smaller population (in 1753 there werejust 185 Spaniards, and only 134 in 1777[1]). However, the border with Spain has been opened since 1985, allowingeasier travel in and out of Spain, one of the factors which has givenAndalusian Spanish considerable presence in Gibraltar. In 2001, there were 326people of Spanish nationality in Gibraltar, and a large number of "Frontier Workers"who commute there for work.
British influence remainsstrong. Spanish may be widely spoken, but it is mainly used as a vernacularlanguage, English being the only official language used in government,commerce, education and the media. Gibraltarians going on to higher educationattend university in the UK and not inSpain. Many university graduates remain in the UK to pursue careers there.After the Second World War, most evacuees were repatriated, but some stayed on,while many also moved to the UK, thereby increasing family ties with the"mother country". While television from Spain is easilyreceived and widely watched, the availability of British television via satellite, particularly Sky and the BBC, means that Gibraltariansare as familiar with British news and popular culture as people in the UKitself.
Manyof Gibraltar's linguistic influences come from its neighbours, Spainand Morocco.
Most locals are bilingual, also speaking Spanish, due toGibraltar's proximity to Spain. Most Gibraltarians converse in Llanito, their vernacular which is mostly based on Andalusian Spanish, butinfluenced by other Mediterranean languages. However, because of the varied mix of ethnicgroups which residethere, other languages such as Arabic are also spoken on The Rock.
Over the course of its history, the Rock of Gibraltar has changed hands many times, among Spanish, Moorish, and British hands, although it hasbeen consistently under British control since theTreaty of Utrecht in 1713. Before theBritish takeover, Spanish was widely spoken, but afterwards as most residentsleft the Rock, the language had a much smaller population (in 1753 there werejust 185 Spaniards, and only 134 in 1777[1]). However, the border with Spain has been opened since 1985, allowingeasier travel in and out of Spain, one of the factors which has givenAndalusian Spanish considerable presence in Gibraltar. In 2001, there were 326people of Spanish nationality in Gibraltar, and a large number of "Frontier Workers"who commute there for work.
British influence remainsstrong. Spanish may be widely spoken, but it is mainly used as a vernacularlanguage, English being the only official language used in government,commerce, education and the media. Gibraltarians going on to higher educationattend university in the UK and not inSpain. Many university graduates remain in the UK to pursue careers there.After the Second World War, most evacuees were repatriated, but some stayed on,while many also moved to the UK, thereby increasing family ties with the"mother country". While television from Spain is easilyreceived and widely watched, the availability of British television via satellite, particularly Sky and the BBC, means that Gibraltariansare as familiar with British news and popular culture as people in the UKitself.
