Little Gibraltar, Channel Islands

Little Gibraltar (: Petit Gibraltar) is a coastal city located in Étoile Parish, Channel Islands, Sierra, on the central eastern side of Catalina Island. Located about 20 miles from the mainland and Porciúncula, Little Gibraltar is an important port city, a major financial center, and a locally popular vacation destination. The Port of Little Gibraltar, alongside the and  form the Tri-City Maritime Center, one of the world's busiest and largest container ports in the world.

Heavily reliant on tourism, finance services, banking, and trade, Little Gibraltar is one of the wealthiest and most financially successful cities, in relation to its size, in the Kingdom of Sierra, and has the highest cost of living in the entire country. With a population of 46,291, it is the second largest city in the Channels, after the capital, New Bourbon, and the fastest growing city in the entire islands, and one of the fastest in the Southwest Corridor. Little Gibraltar is located entirely in the Bonaparte Arrondissement, and serves as the parish seat of Étoile, one of three in the Channels.

Originally inhabited by Native Americans who referred to themselves as Pimugnans or Pimuvit, Little Gibraltar and the rest of the Channels was claimed by in the mid-15th century. The Channels themselves would not be fully explored or settled until much later, in 18th century, when French settlers arrived, under the joint administration of the islands of Spain and France in the Condominium. The city was founded in 1808 as a new community for the French-Channelier colonists who were displaced by the fire that destroyed Bougainville, the original settlement in the Channels. Over the centuries, control over the Channels and Little Gibraltar transferred between multiple states, first Mexico, then California, before finally becoming a part of Sierra. When it was originally admitted into the Kingdom, Little Gibraltar was an incorporated city of the Gold Coast. Since 1999, it has been an incorporated city of the Channel Islands after the latter achieved independence from the Gold Coast through a partition created by Parliament, in response to Gold Coast Proposition 11.

Since its foundation, Little Gibraltar has emerged as a prominent resort city and financial center, contributing immensely to the economy, and playing a significant role in international trade and interstate commerce. It is also home to Camp Wrigley, a military facility which serves as the headquarters of the Channels' own National Guard and reserve troops, and the Channels' primary airport hub, the Louis Antoine de Bougainville Airport. Over 50 trust funds, 8 banks, 9 trust companies, an, and 13 multinational companies are based in Little Gibraltar, and a total of 9 casinos and resorts are located along Little Gibraltar's Resort Way.

History
Prior to European discovery and contact, the area around Little Gibraltar was inhabited by the (better known by their Spanish name as the Gabrielinos), who referred to Catalina Island as Pimu or Pimugna, and mined  from the islands. Living in the mainland, the Tongva commuted between the island and their mainland villages on a constant basis. Soapstone was a valuable resource in the pre-Columbian local economy, as it was used to build cooking equipment.

After the Spanish explored the region, increased exposure with the Europeans led to the decline of the indigenous population on the Channels, including Catalina Island. In 1767, French admiral and explorer arrived on the shores of Catalina Island. Desiring to establish French presence in the North American West Coast, and impressed by the geography, Bougainville, with the permission of the Spaniards, left 30 of his men behind with the express supplication that the men would establish a new settlement. Establishing the tiny seaside town, Louisville, later renamed Bougainville, Louisville is located just 3 miles south of present-day Little Gibraltar.

Over the course of fifty years, the population of the Channels grew at an appreciable rate, with, a French naval officer, arriving in 1786 and bringing with him money, supplies, and more settlers, including women, to the islands. The Channels became one of, if not the most important settlement in all of Alta California, and following the deposition of the French monarchy during the, the islands came under the full control of Spain. As the population expanded, and the Spanish granted the French-speaking colony autonomy, the Channeliers branched out from Catalina Island, and formed New Bourbon on San Clemente Island. Bougainville would however, remain the largest settlement in the Channels until 1807, when a fire destroyed virtually the entire town. Displaced, the majority of the former residents sailed to New Bourbon or the mainland, while a small group remained on Santa Catalina, in hopes of rebuilding the town. Relocating, the 63 colonists moved to Mission Saint Catherine d'Alexandrie (Mission Santa Catalina de Alejandría), which was about four miles north of the Bougainville town limits. There, with the help of the garrisoned Spanish soldiers, mission Indians, and the mission priests, the town of Little Gibraltar was created, so named due to the striking visual similarity of a natural rock formation on-site with the in Europe.

Sister cities
Little Gibraltar is officially twinned with the following cities:


 * Flag of the Confederate States.png, , Dixie, since 1957
 * Flag of Brazoria.png, Brazoria, since 1964
 * Flag of Azerbaijan.svg, , since 1969
 * Flag of France.svg, , since 1975
 * Flag of Canada.svg, , , since 1976
 * Flag of Spain.svg, , since 1979
 * Flag of Algeria.svg, , since 1986
 * Flag of Israel.svg, , since 1991
 * Flag of China.svg, , since 2004