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See also: south-eastern See also: Spain, in the province of See also: Murcia; in 370 36' N. and o° 58' W., at the See also: terminus of a branch railway from the city of Murcia, and on the Mediterranean See also: Sea
.
Pop
.
(1900) 99,871
.
See also: Cartagena is fortified, and possesses an See also: arsenal and See also: naval See also: dockyards
.
Together with See also: Ferrol and See also: San Fernando near Cadiz, the other See also: great naval stations of Spain, it is governed by an See also: admiral with the title of captain-general
.
It has also an episcopal see
.
The city stands on a See also: hill separated by a little plain from theharbour; towards the
See also: north and See also: east it communicates with a fertile valley; on the south and west it is hemmed in by high mountains
.
Its See also: grey houses have a neglected, almost a dilapidated appearance, from the friable See also: stone of which they are constructed; and there are no buildings of antiquarian
See also: interest or striking architectural beauty, except, perhaps, the ruined citadel and the remnants of the See also: town walls
.
The wide streets are traversed by a See also: system of tramways, which pass through See also: modern suburbs to the See also: mining See also: district about two leagues inland, and on the west a canal enables small vessels to enter the town without using the See also: port
.
The harbour, the largest in Spain after that of See also: Vigo, and the finest: on the east See also: coast, , is a spacious See also: bay, deep, except near its centre, where there is a ledge of See also: rock barely
ft. under See also: water, It is dominated, on the seaward See also: side, by four hills, and approached by a narrow entrance, with forts on either See also: hand; a See also: breakwater affords shelter on the east, and on the west is the Arsenal See also: Basin, often regarded,as the See also: original harbour, of the Carthaginians and See also: Romans
.
The See also: island called La Escom-, brera, the See also: ancient Scombraria (i.e
.
" See also: mackerel See also: fishery "), 21 M. south,; protects Cartagena from the violence, of See also: wind and waves
.
The mines near the city are very productive, and thousands of men and beasts areemployed in transporting See also: lead, iron, copper, See also: zinc and See also: sulphur to the coast
.
,The See also: industrial and commercial progress of Cartagena was much hindered, during the first See also: half of the 19th century, by the prevalence of epidemic diseases, the abandonment of the arsenal; and rivalry with the neighbouring port of See also: Alicante
.
Its sanitary condition, though still defective, was improved by the drainage of the adjacent Almajar See also: Marsh; and after 187o, • when the population had dwindled to about 26,000, Cartagena advanced rapidly in See also: size and See also: wealth, The . opening of the railway enabled it to compete successfully with Alicante, and revived the mining and metallurgical See also: industries, while considerable sums were expended on bringing the coast and See also: land defences up to date, and adding new quays, docks and other harbour See also: works
.
As a naval station, Cartagena suffered severely in 1898 from the maritime disasters of the See also: Spanish-See also: American, War; and its commerce was much affected when, at the beginning of the.same See also: year, Porman, or Portman, a mining See also: village on a well-sheltered bay about 11 m. east, was declared by royal See also: order an See also: independent port
.
Vessels go to Porman to land See also: coke and See also: coal, and to. load iron ore and lead
.
From Cartagena the See also: principal exports are metallic ores, See also: esparto grass, See also: wine, cereals and fruit
.
Esparto grass, which grows freely in the vicinity, is the spartum, or Spanish See also: broom, which gave the town its See also: Roman designation of Carthago Spartaria
.
It is still used locally for making shoes, See also: ships' cables, mats and a kind of spun See also: cloth
.
See also: Timber is largely imported from the See also: United States, Sweden and See also: Russia; coal from Great Britain; dried codfish from See also: Norway and See also: Newfoundland
.
In 1904, exclusive of coasters and small craft trading with north-west See also: Africa, 662 ships of 604,208 tons entered the port of Cartagena, 259 being See also: British and 15o Spanish; while 90 vessels were accommodated at Porman
.
Cartagena was founded about the year 243 B.C. by the Carthaginian See also: Hasdrubal, and was called Carthago Nova or New See also: Carthage, to distinguish it from the See also: African city of Carthage
.
It was conveniently situated opposite to the Carthaginian territory in Africa, and was early noted for its harbour
.
Its See also: silver and gold mines were the source of great wealth both to the Carthaginians and to the Romans
.
In 210 B.C. this important place, the headquarters and treasure city of the Punic army, was stormed and taken with great slaughter by P
.
Scipio
.
The city continued to flourish under the Romans, who made it a colony, with the name Colonia Victrix Julia Nova Carthago
.
In A.U
.
425 it was pillaged and nearly destroyed by the Goths
.
Cartagena was a bishopric from about 400 to 1289, when the see was removed to Murcia
.
Under the Moors it became an independent principality, which wasdestroyed by See also: Ferdinand II. of
See also: Castile in 1243, restored by the Moors, and finally conquered by See also: James I. of
See also: Aragon in 1276
.
It was rebuilt by See also: Philip II. of Spain (1527-1598) for the
See also: sake of its harbour
.
In 1585 it was sacked by an See also: English See also: fleet under See also: Sir See also: Francis Drake
.
In 17o6,rin the War of the Spanish Succession, ' it was occupied by Sir See also: John
See also: Leake; and in the next
year it was retaken by the duke of See also: Berwick
.
On the 5th of See also: November 1823 it capitulated to the French
.
In consequence of the insurrection in Spain, Cartagena was in 1844 again the scene of warfare . On the 23rd ofSee also: August 1873 it was bombarded by the Spanish fleet under Admiral Lobos; on the 1th of See also: October a See also: battle took place off the town, between the ships of the See also: government and the rebels, and on the 12th of See also: January 1874 Cartagena was occupied by the government troops
.
See Biblioteca historica de Cartagena, by G
.
Vicent y Portillo (See also: Madrid, 1889, &c.); Fechos y fechas de Cartagena, by I
.
Martinez Rito (Cartagena, 1894) ; and Serie de los obispos de Cartagena, by P
.
Diaz Casson (Madrid, 1895)
.
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Having recently visited carthagena I was most impressed to read the article posted but I have to say I thought the city was a beautiful and interesting place with some specticular architecture. Will make a point of visiting again.
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