Language

As an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, the sole official language of Gibraltar is English, and it is used by the Government and in schools. However, due to the varied mix of ethnic groups which reside there, other languages are spoken on the Rock, including Llanito (pronounced 'Yanito'), the main local vernacular, Spanish and Arabic.

The official language is English, which is used for government and business purposes. Most Gibraltarians use Llanito (pronounced "Yanito") as their vernacular language, a dialect of Andalusian Spanish strongly influenced by English that also incorporates some words native to neither. Arabic is also spoken by the Moroccan community.

Llanito

Llanito, an Andalusian Spanish-based creole, is the main local vernacular, and unique to Gibraltar. It employs frequent code-switching between English and Spanish, Spanish pronunciation of English words (such as beki for bacon) and has influenced languages other than those, such as Haketia (a dialect of Dzhudezmo), Genoese Italian, and Hebrew (over 500 words of the lexicon are said to be of Hebrew and Genoese origin). Inhabitants of Gibraltar also refer to themselves as 'Llanitos'.

Spanish

Over the course of its history, the Rock of Gibraltar has changed hands many times, among Spanish, Moorish, and British hands, although it has been consistently under British control since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Before the British takeover, Spanish was widely spoken, but afterwards as most residents left the Rock, the language has a much smaller population (in 1753 there were just 185 Spaniards, and only 134 in 1777). However, the border with Spain has been opened since 1985, allowing easier travel in and out of Spain, one of the factors which has given Andalusian Spanish considerable presence on The Rock. In 2001, there were 326 people of Spanish nationality in Gibraltar, and a large number of "Frontier Workers" who commute between Spain and Gibraltar for work.

Arabic

Owing to its close proximity to Morocco and Algeria, Arabic-speaking North African countries, Arabic is spoken by the Moroccan and other North African minority on the Rock. In 2001, there were 961 Moroccans in Gibraltar.