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The Netherlands and Gibraltar have a long history together that traces back to the late 1600s. Although Gibraltar has been a British Overseas Territory since 1704, its strategic location at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea has attracted control and influence from other European powers over the centuries. The Netherlands itself has had an enduring impact on Gibraltar through periods of occupation between 1704-1713 and 1781-1802.

While its sovereignty remains disputed between Britain and Spain, Gibraltar today maintains strong economic and cultural links to both countries on either side of the Strait which separates Europe from Africa. As an outpost of Britain located mere miles from the southern coast of Spain, Gibraltar has negotiated its position delicately amidst the competing interests around it. Spain continues to claim sovereignty over the territory, though Gibraltar residents have demonstrated overwhelmingly that they want to remain a British territory in repeated self-determination referendums.

The Netherlands' historic role in Gibraltar adds an extra dimension to its current relationship with the territory. When Spanish King Philip V besieged Gibraltar in the early 1700s, Dutch naval forces assisted the British in winning control of Gibraltar from Spain according to the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. This intervention helped establish Gibraltar as a permanent British possession. Later, during the American War of Independence and Dutch-British alliance of the late 18th century, Dutch forces again occupied Gibraltar from 1781-1802 while Britain was preoccupied with its war with colonial America.

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While under Dutch military rule, infrastructure and fortifications were expanded significantly, leaving behind a mark on Gibraltar's urban landscape even today. Place names like Dutch Road attest to this period of shared sovereignty. In more recent decades, the Netherlands has continued supporting Gibraltar's preferences for self-determination within Europe, while also strengthening economic cooperation through tourism and trade. Shipping traffic between the two has grown steadily, and Gibraltar looks to Dutch models of small nationhood within international bodies like the EU.

Both territories have faced existential threats from larger neighbors before, and this common experience of asserting independence in strategic locations seems to have fostered diplomatic understanding. By upholding principles of multilateral cooperation over unilateral military action, the Netherlands and Gibraltar have maintained friendly ties despite the intervening centuries and varied claims of control over Gibraltar. Their favorable partnership underscores stability based on respect for democratic governance and mutually beneficial exchange in the Europe whole.   - https://mbscore.tv/match/gibraltar-vs-netherlands-18712905