 | Alicante: Encyclopedia - Alicante
Alicante
Alicante (Castillian Spanish) or Alacant (Valencian Catalan) is the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of the Alacantí, in the southern part of the Land of Valencia, Spain, a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 319,380, estimated as of 2005, of the entire urban area, 427,217. Population of the metropolitan area (including satellite towns) was 711,215 as of 2005 estimates, ranking as the eighth-largest metropolitan area of Spain.
Alicante is one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. Its economy is based upon tourism in the beaches from Costa Blanca coast, wine production, services and administration. It exports wine, olive oil, and fruit, and has light industries, including food-processing, leather, textiles, and pottery. turrones (torrons in Catalan) —a honey and almond nougat—is a food specialty of Alicante.
The city has regular ferry services to the Balearic Islands, and an international airport is nearby. It is strongly fortified, with a spacious harbor. Amongst the most notable features of the city is its castle, the "Castillo de Santa Barbara", which sits high above the city upon a cliff. The most important festival, the Bonfires of Saint John, takes place at the time of the summer solstice, and they are declared of international touristic interest. Another well-known festival is Moros y Cristianos in any quarter of the city, such as Altozano or Saint Blase.
The city is the headquarters of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market.
Alicante - Population
The population of *Alicante in 2005 was 325,797 inhabitants, 711,215 in the metropolitan area "Alicante-Elx". About 15% of the population is foreign, mostly those from Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Alicante - History
Alicante was founded in 324 BC by the Greeks, who named it Akra Leuke (White Peak). In 201 BC it was captured by the Romans who called it Lucentum, and Hannibal is said to have unloaded his famous war elephants here. Between 718 and 1249, the city was ruled by the Moors. In 1265 it was retaken by Alfonso X of Castile and incorporated into the kingdom of Castile. In 1304 it was incorporated into the kingdom of Valencia, in the Aragon Crown.
The city was besieged by the French in 1709 and 1812, and later by the Federalists of Cartagena in 1873. In the Spanish Civil War, Alicante was bombed by Italian aircraft, and was one of the last cities to fall to Franco. In Alicante, the Falangist José Antonio Primo de Rivera was executed in November 1936.
In 1982 and 1997 heavy rain caused severe flooding and some loss of life.
Alicante - Famous citizens
- Carlos Arniches (1866-1943), novelist
- Gabriel Miró (1879-1930), novelist
- Antonio Gades (1936-2004), Flamenco dancer
- Juan Escarré (*1969), field hockey player
Other related archives1249, 1265, 1304, 1709, 1812, 1873, 201 BC, 324 BC, 718, Alfonso X of Castile, Alicante, Antonio Gades, Aragon, Argentina, Balearic Islands, Bonfires of Saint John, Cartagena, Castile, Castillian Spanish, Colombia, Costa Blanca, Ecuador, Elx, Franco, French, Gabriel Miró, Greeks, Hannibal, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Juan Escarré, Land of Valencia, Mediterranean, Moors, Moros y Cristianos, Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market, Romans, Spain, Spanish Civil War, Valencian Catalan, as of 2005, castle, comarca, ferry, metropolitan area, nougat, summer solstice, turrones, war elephants, wine
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Alicante", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
