Gibraltar Officially Becomes UK City With 180 Years Delay

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom on the southernmost tip of the European continent, has officially become a city, 180 years after it was first granted the status by Queen Victoria, the UK government said in a statement on Monday.

"It is excellent to see official recognition given to the City of Gibraltar, a huge accolade to its rich history and dynamism," outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. "This official recognition re-affirms Gibraltar’s special status in the Realms of Her Majesty, and rightly signifies the pride that Gibraltarians feel for their community and their distinctive heritage."

In 1842, Queen Victoria assigned Gibraltar the status of a city, but it was never included in an official list of recognized cities in the UK, the statement said, adding that now, Gibraltar is added to the official list of 81 UK cities.

As a rule, there are no specific criteria for assigning the status of a city in the UK, although in England and Wales it was previously traditionally given to cities with Anglican cathedrals. Only the UK monarch is authorized to grant the status of a city. Gibraltar has become the 10th UK settlement to receive official city status this year.

Gibraltar has been a stumbling block in relations between Spain and the United Kingdom for three centuries. Following the War of the Spanish Succession of 1701-1714, Gibraltar was ceded to the UK. Since then, the British have controlled the rocky section of the Iberian Peninsula's southern coast with an area of 6.5 square kilometers (2.3 square miles) and a population of 30,000 people. Spain continues to claim Gibraltar as its own, but during the referendums that took place in 1967 and 2002, more than 90% of Gibraltarians voted to remain part of the UK. The territory has a constitution adopted by referendum in 2006, according to which legislative power was vested in UK Queen Elizabeth II and the Gibraltar's parliament.