When you think of Europe–Africa bridge, you also think of The Strait of Gibraltar.
Europe and Africa are two different continents with totally different cultures and religions, yet they're so close to each other, that you could even build a bridge between them.
A professional swimmer might even make it between the two continents. Swimming to another continent? Why not a bridge, and what are the two continents doing about creating one soonest?


First of all, the Strait of Gibraltar is the closest point between the two continents. Let's break that down. There are two countries on each continent that are the closest to each other, and can be linked by a bridge in the Strait of Gibraltar; Morocco and Spain. The Straits of Gibraltar is the mouth of the mediterranean sea bordering these countries.
However, in the Strait of Gibraltar, is also the territorial waters of The British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Which means there are about three countries that claim the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the most important straits of water in the world, because it is the only natural link between the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, connecting all the Mediterranean countries to the Atlantic ocean.

This strait is used for water transportation and trade, especially by countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Reports suggest that about three hundred ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar daily and a hundred thousand ships yearly.
This makes it one of the busiest waterways in the world. The biodiversity of the area is also evident as the strait is home to hundreds of thousands of migratory seabirds traveling between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
The special currents in the strait ensure a good supply of food, which in turn attracts whales and dolphins.

The Punta de Tarifa, Spain is 14 kilometers to Tangier or Point Cires in Morocco. This makes it the narrowest point in the strait of Gibraltar.
However, the depth of the strait of Gibraltar should be the focus here since it is as deep as 900m to 1000m, around the narrowest point.
The shallowest points are as deep as 280m, which coincides with the widest areas in the strait of Gibraltar; Tangier in Morocco and Barbate in Spain.
But what are the possibilities of a bridge when the area is so complicated?


The Strait of Gibraltar control or ownership have been going on back-and-forth claims by three countries; Spain, Morocco, and Britain, and is considered an important region allowing free trade and protected by the United Nations Convention of the Law and Sea.
Spain and Britain especially have faced some tensions in their relations to Gibraltar.
While the British government owns Gibraltar as of now, Spain claims the territory with 34,000 Spanish-speaking individuals living there. Though, the people of Gibraltar are not ready for any change. However, when Brexit and the United Kingdom left the European Union, the tension was further deepened. Here's the reason why.

Schengen countries, for example, allow free passage and movement between countries under their umbrella. And, once Britain wasn't a part of the Schengen zone, it meant that they no longer enjoyed the benefits that it brought.
However, the people of Gibraltar want back their freedom of movement that was formerly in place, and while negotiations are ongoing, there hasn't been any tangible results.


The project can draw motivation from the Chunnel Tunnel, though the tunnel was created to link two countries and not two continents by a bridge or tunnel, it still centers around a difficult and expensive project. The Chunnel tunnel construction cost over $20 billion dollars.
The Chunnel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France was longer than the intended tunnel or bridge distance between Spain and Morocco at 49 kilometers long.

The convenience that the construction project would cause helped ease the minds of citizens from both countries.
However, there had been a bit of Friction in building the Chunnel Tunnel, especially with the issue of immigrants illegally crossing into each country.
Now, talk about the potential building of a Gibraltar bridge. This would mean an influx of illegal African immigrants into Mainland Europe.
Europe especially has been faced with the pouring in of illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East in recent years who are looking for a better means of livelihood.
Building a bridge would even make it easier for them through a direct corridor.
They already attempt to cross the Mediterranean by boat, what about by bridge? It would be an easier route for them.

A Gibraltar bridge would mean full-on cooperation from all three countries. In the case of the UK and Spain, they do have peaceful relations, however not exactly in the case of Gibraltar. Can they collectively agree to use the territory to perform one of the world's incredible projects? Or will it end up a broken deal that never sees the light of day?