La Línea de la Concepción

La Línea de la Concepción (Spanish pronunciation: [la ˈlinea ðe la konθeβˈθjon]), often referred to simply as La Línea, is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia.

The city lies on the sandy isthmus which is part of the eastern flank of the Bay of Gibraltar, and it limits with the Gibraltar–Spain border to the south. La Línea has close economic and social links with the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is part of the comarca of Campo de Gibraltar.

The first dwellings, which date back to the 18th century, were behind the Spanish fortification lines drawn up during the Sieges of Gibraltar which took place during the 18c and 19c wars in Europe.

The population of La Línea was a part of the municipality of San Roque until the community was decreed on 17 January 1870 to be a standalone municipality.

The people of La Línea have traditionally found work in Gibraltar, from the days in the 18th century when Gibraltar was an important naval port.

La Linea was, and still is, a supplier of fresh produce from its open and fertile land area as well as its population supplying workers, mainly for the Gibraltar Dockyard. This provision stopped with the total closure of the border by the Spanish government between 9 June 1969 and 15 December 1982 as a result of the dispute between Spain and Britain regarding the sovereignty of Gibraltar. The border was fully reopened on 5 February 1985.

La Línea is a major supplier of fruit and vegetables to Gibraltar; other industries include the manufacture of cork, liquor, and fish paste. It also had an important military garrison with substantial fortifications and a port.