Algeciras

Algeciras
—  Municipality  —

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Coat of arms
Algeciras is located in Spain
Algeciras
Location in Spain
Coordinates:
Country  Spain
Autonomous community Andalusia
Province Cádiz
Comarca Campo de Gibraltar
Judicial district Algeciras
Founded Pre-Roman
Government
 - Alcalde Tomás Herrera Hormigo (2007) (PSOE)
Area
 - Municipality 86 km2 (33.2 sq mi)
Elevation 20 m (66 ft)
Population (2009)
 - Municipality 116,209
 - Density 1,351.3/km2 (3,499.8/sq mi)
 - Metro 263,739
Demonym Algecireño, ña, Especial
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 11200-11209
Dialing code (+34) 956/856
Official language(s)
Website Official website

Algeciras (Spanish pronunciation: [alxeˈθiɾas]) is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar (in Spanish, the Bahía de Algeciras). Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container, cargo and transhipment. It is situated on the Río de la Miel 20 km north of Tarifa, which is the southernmost town of the Iberian peninsula and continental Europe. It has a population in 2009 of 116,209 people.

It is the biggest city among its metropolitan area, that also includes the municipalities of Los Barrios, La Línea de la Concepción, Castellar de la Frontera, Jimena de la Frontera, San Roque and Tarifa, with a population of 263,739.[1]

Contents

Name

The site of Roman cities called Portus Albus, Caetaria (current Getares) and Iuliua Tracta, the current name of Algeciras seems to come from the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula: AlJazīra AlKhadrā' Arabic الجزيرة الخضراء or Green Island.

History

The area of the city has been populated since prehistory, and the earliest remains belong to Neanderthal populations from the Paleolithic. Due to its strategic position it was an important port under the Phoenicians, and was the site of the relevant Roman port of Portus Albus ("White Port"), with two near cities called Caetaria (most likely Iberians) and Iulia Transducta (Tarifa), founded by the Romans themselves. After being destroyed by the Germanic Barbarians and their Vandal allies, the city was founded again in 711 by the invading Moors, as the first city created by the Arabs on the occupied Spanish soil. It enjoyed a brief period of independence as a taifa state from 1035-1058. It was named al-Jazirah al-Khadra' ("Green Island") after the offshore Isla Verde; the modern name is derived from this original Arabic name (compare also Algiers and Al Jazeera). In 1344 the city was reconquered by Alfonso XI of Castile. It was retaken by the Moors in 1368, but was destroyed on the orders of Muhammed V of Granada. The site was subsequently abandoned.

Algeciras was refounded in 1704 by refugees from Gibraltar following the territory's capture by Anglo-Dutch forces in the War of the Spanish Succession. It was rebuilt on its present rectangular plan by Charles III of Spain in 1760. In July 1801, the French and Spanish navies fought the British Royal Navy offshore in the Battle of Algeciras, which ended in a British victory.

The city hosted the Algeciras Conference in 1906, an international forum to discuss the future of Morocco which was held in the Casa Consistorial (town hall). In July 1942 Italian frogmen set up in a secret base in the Italian tanker Olterra which was interned in Algeciras to attack shipping in Gibraltar. During the Franco era, Algeciras underwent substantial industrial development, creating many new jobs for the local workers made unemployed when the border between Gibraltar and Spain was sealed by Franco between 1969 and 1982.

Algeciras satelite.jpg

In 1982 there was a failed plan codenamed Operation Algeciras conceived by the Argentinian military to sabotage the British military facilities in Gibraltar during the Falklands War. The Spanish authorities intervened just before the attack, and deported the two Argentine Montoneros and military liaison officer involved.[2]

Demographics

Source: INE (Spain)

Economy

Playa de Getares in Algeciras (es)

Algeciras is principally a transport hub and industrial city. Its principal activities are connected with the port, which serves as the main embarkation point between Spain and Tangier and other ports in Morocco as well as the Canary Islands and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. It is ranked as the 16th busiest port in the world. The city also has a substantial fishing industry and exports a range of agricultural products from the surrounding area, including cereals, tobacco and farm animals.

In recent years it has become a significant tourist destination, with popular day trips to Tarifa to see bird migrations; to Gibraltar, to see the territory's unusual sights and culture; and to the Bay of Gibraltar on whale watching excursions.

Algeciras is the southern terminus of two principal north-south Euroroutes, the E05 and E15. Both routes, moreover, run to Scotland (the E05 terminates at Greenock and the E15 at Inverness) via France and England.

Climate

Climate data for Algeciras
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 16.1
(61)		 16.7
(62.1)		 17.8
(64)		 18.9
(66)		 21.7
(71.1)		 24.4
(75.9)		 27.2
(81)		 27.8
(82)		 26.1
(79)		 21.7
(71.1)		 18.9
(66)		 16.7
(62.1)		 21.2
(70.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 13
(55)		 14
(57)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 19
(66)		 21
(70)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)		 19
(66)		 17
(63)		 14
(57)		 18
(64)
Average low °C (°F) 11.1
(52)		 11.1
(52)		 12.2
(54)		 13.3
(55.9)		 15.6
(60.1)		 17.8
(64)		 20.0
(68)		 20.6
(69.1)		 20.0
(68)		 16.7
(62.1)		 13.9
(57)		 12.2
(54)		 15.4
(59.7)
Precipitation mm (inches) 121.9
(4.799)		 106.7
(4.201)		 106.7
(4.201)		 66.0
(2.598)		 38.1
(1.5)		 10.2
(0.402)		 0.0
(0)		 2.5
(0.098)		 25.4
(1)		 76.2
(3)		 149.9
(5.902)		 132.1
(5.201)		 835.7
(32.902)
Source: The Weather Channel[3]

Tourism

Transport

Port of Algeciras

The bus urban transport in managed by C.T.M. (Cooperativa de transporte de Marruecos).

In addition, the Algeciras Heliport is being built for transport to Ceuta and other areas in the region.

Monuments

Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa

Celebrations

Iglesia de la Palma

Sports

Education

Universidad de Cádiz - Campus Bahia de Algeciras

The following education centres are property of the University of Cádiz:

Native People

Sister city

References

  1. ↑ Plan de Ordenación del Territorio del Área del Campo de Gibraltar, Junta de Andalucía (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Falklands war nearly spread to Gibraltar
  3. ↑ "The Weather Channel - Monthly Averages for Algeciras, Spain". http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/SPXX0088. 

External links

Municipalities of the province of Cádiz
Alcalá de los Gazules · Alcalá del Valle · Algar · Algeciras · Algodonales · Arcos de la Frontera · Barbate · Benalup-Casas Viejas · Benaocaz · Bornos · Cádiz · Castellar de la Frontera · Chiclana de la Frontera · Chipiona · Conil de la Frontera · El Bosque · El Gastor · El Puerto de Santa María · Espera · Grazalema · Jerez de la Frontera · Jimena de la Frontera · La Línea de la Concepción · Los Barrios · Medina-Sidonia · Olvera · Paterna de Rivera · Prado del Rey · Puerto Real · Puerto Serrano · Rota · San Fernando · San José del Valle · San Roque · Sanlúcar de Barrameda · Setenil de las Bodegas · Tarifa · Torre Alháquime · Trebujena · Ubrique · Vejer de la Frontera · Villaluenga del Rosario · Villamartín · Zahara de la Sierra