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CADIZ - SPAIN Cádiz
is a coastal city in southwestern Spain, in the region of Andalusia, and is
the capital of the province of Cádiz. As of the 2003 census its population
was 134,989, and the population of the entireurban area was estimated to be
406,095, ranking as the 16th-largest urban area of Spain.
The city was originally founded as Gadir (meaning walled city) by the
Phoenicians, who used it in their trade with Tartessos. The Greeks knew it
as Gadira or Gadeira. Traditionally, its date of establishment is about 1100
BCE, although as of 2004 no finds have been found that date back further
than the 9th century BCE. It is regarded as the most ancient still existing
city in western Europe. According to Greek legend, Gadir was founded by
Heracles after killing Geryon. Indeed, one of its notable features during
this era was the temple dedicated to the Phoenician god Melqart. Some
historians think that the columns of this temple gave origin to the myth of
the Columns of Hercules (Melqart was associated by the Greeks with Heracles,
or Hercules).
In about 500 BCE the
city fell into the hands of the Carthaginians. In the 3rd century BCE, the
Romans conquered the city and renamed it Gades. The city flourished under
Roman rule, but, with the decline of the Roman Empire, Gades' commercial
importance began to fade.
During the Age of Exploration the city had another rennaissance: Columbus
sailed from Cadiz on his second voyage in 1495, and the city later became
the home port of the Spanish treasure fleet.
Sir Francis Drake destroyed a Spanish fleet in its harbor in April 1587. In
the Anglo-Spanish War Admiral Robert Blake blockaded Cádiz from 1655 and
1657, during which one of his captains, Richard Stayner destroyed most of
the Spanish treasure fleet. A galleon of treasure was captured, and the
overall loss to Spain was estimated at £2,000,000.
In the 18th century, the city surpassed Seville as the port monopolizing
commerce with Spanish America.
Other facts: Cádiz was the seat of the liberal Cortes fighting Joseph I of
Spain in the Peninsula war; the Spanish Constitution of 1812 was proclaimed
there. Cádiz is famous by its carnival with Chirigotas (amateur satirical
choruses) competing for a prize.
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