Alicante

**Alacant / Alicante**
	Alacant / Alicante
Flag	Coat of Arms
Location
	Coordinates : 38°20′43″N 000°28′59″W / 38.34528°N 0.48306°W
Administration
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Valencian Community
Province	Alicante
Comarca	Alacantí
Administrative Divisions	8
Neighborhoods	42
Mayor	Sonia Castedo Ramos (PP)
Geography
Land Area	201.27 km²
Altitude	3 m AMSL
Population
Population	331,750 (2008)
- rank in Spain:	11
Density	1,648 hab./km² (2008)
General information
Native name	Alacant (Valencian)
Spanish name	Alicante
Founded	324 BC
Time zone	CET (GMT +1)
- summer	CEST (GMT +2)
Postal code	03000 - 03016
Area code	+34 (Spain) + 96 (Alicante)
Website	www.alicante.es

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This article is about a city in Spain. For the Spanish provincia, see Alicante (province). For the Alicante wine region, see Alicante (DO). For the wine grape also known as Alicante, see Grenache. For another similarly named wine grape, see Alicante Bouschet.

Alicante or Alacant (Spanish: Alicante, Valencian: Alacant) is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of the Alacantí, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 331,750, estimated as of 2008^[update], ranking as the second-largest Valencian city.^[1] Including nearby municipalities, Alicante conurbation was populated by 452,462 residents. Population of the metropolitan area (including Elche and satellite towns) was 757,443 as of 2008^[update] estimates, ranking as the eighth-largest metropolitan area of Spain.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Alicante

The area around Alicante has been inhabited for over 7000 years, with the first tribes of hunter gatherers moving down gradually from Central Europe between 5000 and 3000 BC. Some of the earliest settlements were made on the slopes of Mount Benacantil. By 1000 BC Greek and Phoenician traders had begun to visit the eastern coast of Spain, establishing small trading ports and introducing the native Iberian tribes to the alphabet, iron and the pottery wheel. By the sixth century BC, the rival armies of Carthage and Rome began to invade and fight for control of the Iberian Peninsula. The Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca established the fortified settlement of Akra Leuka (Greek: Aκρα Λευκa, meaning "White Mountain" or "White Point"), where Alicante stands today.

Monjas-Santa Faz Square in Alicante.

Although the Carthaginians conquered much of the land around Alicante, the Romans would eventually rule Hispania Tarraconensis for over 700 years. By the 5th century AD, Rome was in decline; the Roman predecessor town of Alicante, known as Lucentum (Latin), was more or less under the control of the Visigothic warlord Theudimer. However neither the Romans nor the Goths put up much resistance to the Arab conquest of Medina Laqant in the 8th century. The Moors gave the city its modern name - Alicante is Arabic for "city of lights".^[2] The Moors ruled southern and eastern Spain until the 11th century reconquista (reconquest). Alicante was finally taken in 1246 by the Castilian king Alfonso X, but it passed soon and definitely to the Kingdom of Valencia in 1298 with the Catalonian King James II of Aragon. It gained the status of Royal Village (Vila Reial) with representation in the medieval Valencian Parliament.

After several decades of being the battlefield where Kingdom of Castile and the Crown of Aragón clashed, Alicante became a major Mediterranean trading station exporting rice, wine, olive oil, oranges and wool. But between 1609 and 1614 King Felipe III expelled thousands of moriscos who had remained in Valencia after the reconquista, due to their allegiance with Barbary pirates who continually attacked coastal cities and caused much harm to trade. This act cost the region dearly; with so many skilled artisans and agricultural labourers gone, the feudal nobility found itself sliding into bankruptcy. Things got worse in the early 18th century; after the War of Spanish Succession, Alicante went into a long, slow decline, surviving through the 18th and 19th centuries by making shoes and agricultural products such as oranges and almonds, and its fisheries. The end of the 19th century witnessed a sharp recovery of the local economy with increasing international trade and the growth of the city harbour leading to increased exports of several products (particularly during World War I when Spain was a neutral country).

View over Alicante and the Mediterranean.

During the early twentieth century, Alicante was a minor capital which enjoyed the benefit of Spain's neutrality during World War I, which provided new opportunities for the local industry and agriculture. The Rif War in the 1920s saw numerous alicantinos drafted to fight in the long and bloody campaigns at the former Spanish protectorate (Northern Morocco) against the Rif rebels. The political unrest of the late 1920s led to the victory of republican candidates in the local council elections throughout the country, and the abdication of King Alfonso XIII. The proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic was much celebrated in the city on April 14, 1931. The Spanish Civil War broke out on July 17, 1936. Alicante was the last city loyal to the Republican government to be occupied by General Franco's troops on April 1, 1939, and its harbour saw the last Republican government officials fleeing the country. Even if not as famous as the bombing of Guernica by the German Luftwaffe, Alicante was the target of some vicious air bombings during the three years of civil conflict, most remarkably the bombing by the Italian Aviazione Legionaria of the Mercado de Abastos in May 25, 1938 in which more than 300 civilians perished.

Palm-lined promenade of Postiguet beach.

The next 20 years under Franco's dictatorship were difficult for Alicante as it was for the entire country. However, the late 1950s and early 1960s saw the onset of a lasting transformation of the city due to tourism. Large buildings and complexes rose in nearby Albufereta and Playa de San Juan, with the benign climate being the best tool to bring prospective buyers and tourists who kept hotels reasonably busy. The tourist development, aside from construction, also brought numerous businesses such as restaurants, bars and other businesses focused on visitors. Also, the old airfield at Rabasa was closed and air traffic moved to the new El Altet Airport, which made for a convenient facility for charter flights bringing tourists from northern European countries.

When Franco died in 1975, his successor Juan Carlos I successfully oversaw the transition of Spain to a democratic constitutional monarchy. Governments of nationalities and regions were given more autonomy, and the Valencian region was not an exception.

The port of Alicante has been reinventing itself since the industrial decline the city suffered in the 1980s (with most mercantile traffic lost in favour of Valencia's harbour). In recent years, the Port Authority has established it as one of the most important ports in Spain for cruises, with 72 calls to port made by cruises in 2007 bringing some 80,000 cruise passengers and 30,000 crew to the city each year.^[3] The moves to develop the port for more tourism have been welcomed by the city and its residents, but the latest plans to develop an industrial estate in the port have caused great controversy.

[edit] Economy

Alicante is one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. The local economy is based upon tourism to the beaches of the Costa Blanca and particularly the second residence construction boom which started in the 1960s and reinvigorated again by the late 1990s. Services and public administration also play a major role in the city's economy. The construction boom has raised many environmental concerns and both the local autonomous government and city council are under scrutiny by the European Union. The construction soar is the subject of hot debates among politicians and citizens alike. The latest of many public battles concerns the plans of the Port Authority of Alicante to construct an industrial estate on reclaimed land in front of the city's coastal strip, in breach of local, national and European regulations. (See Port of Alicante for the details).

The city is the headquarters of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market and a sizeable population of European public workers live here.

University of Alicante is located in San Vicente del Raspeig, right next to Alicante. More than 30,000 students attend the University.

Since 2005 Alicante hosts Ciudad de la Luz, one of the largest film studios in Europe. Spanish and international movies such as Asterix at the Olympic Games by Frédéric Forestier and Thomas Langmann, Manolete by Menno Meyjes have been shot there.

[edit] Population

Demographics of Alicante (1900-2007, INE data).

The official population of Alicante in 2008 was 331,750 inhabitants and 757,443 in the metropolitan area "Alicante-Elche".^[1] About 15% of the population is foreign, mostly those from Argentina, Ecuador, and Colombia who have arrived in the previous 10 years as immigrants. There are also immigrants from other origins such as Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Morocco, many of which are under illegal alien status and therefore are not accounted for in official population figures. The real percentage of foreign population is higher, since the Alicante metropolitan area is home to many Northern European retired citizens, even if officially they are still residents of their own countries. Other sources indicate that the British population is by far the largest non-Spanish group of foreign nationals in the city, but most of them are not counted in official statistics.^{[citation needed]} In the same pattern, a sizable amount of permanent residents are Spanish nationals who officially still live in Madrid, the Basque provinces, or other areas of the country.

Foreign Population (official data, 2008)^[4]
Pos.	Nationality	Population
1^st	Colombia	5,186
2^nd	Ecuador	4,520
3^rd	Argentina	3,715
4^th	Morocco	3,505
5^th	Romania	3,287
6^th	Algeria	3,064
7^th	Italy	2,746
8^th	France	2,299
9^th	Bolivia	1,614
10^th	Russia	1,203

Historical Population
Year	Population	Year	Population	Year	Population
1250	2,500	1797	19,313	1930	71,271
1350	3,250	1803	21,447	1940	89,198
1418	1,539	1857	27,550	1950	101,791
1609	5,040	1860	31,162	1960	121,832
1646	6,174	1877	34,926	1970	181,550
1717	11,019	1887	40,115	1981	245,963
1735	12,604	1897	49,463	1991	265,473
1754	14,394	1900	50,495	2001	288,481
1768	17,213	1910	55,116	2007	322,673
1786	17,345	1920	63,382	2008	331,750

[edit] Government

Alicante City Hall.

Luis Díaz Alperi (1945) of the People's Party (Partido Popular) was reelected city mayor with an absolute majority for his fourth term in the Municipal Elections of May 2007, followed closely by Etelvina Andreu (1969) of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista). Díaz Alperi resigned in October 2008, and a close aide, Sonia Castedo, was appointed mayor.

At the foot of the main staircase of the City Hall Building (Ayuntamiento) is the zero point (cota cero), used as the point of reference for measuring the height above or below sea level of any point in Spain, due to the marginal tidal variations of the Mediterranean sea in Alicante.^[5]

[edit] Climate

Alicante enjoys Mediterranean climate with mild temperatures throughout the year and little rain, concentrated in equinoctial periods. The temperature on average is between 16.8° and 6.2° in January and between 30.6° and 20.4° in August, with the average annual temperature of 17.8°. Daily oscillations in temperature are very small due to maritime influence, although occasional episodes of wind from the west could result in temperature range in excess of 15°. Annual oscillations in temperature are small as well, i.e. winters are mild and summers are warm.

The rainfall is 336 mm per year. September and October are the rainiest months due to torrential rains caused by the cold drop, which can reach over 200 mm in 24 hours causing severe flooding. Because of this irregularity, on average only 37 rainy days are observed per year, and the annual number of sunshine hours reaches 2,864.

The record maximum temperature of 41.4° was recorded in Alicante on July 4, 1994. The minimum temperature of -4.6° was registered on February 12, 1956. The record rainfall of 270.2 mm in 24 hours was observed on September 30, 1997.

Weather averages for Observatory of Alicante (Ciudad Jardín, 1971-2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	29.2 (85)	29.4 (85)	32.6 (91)	32.6 (91)	35.1 (95)	37.8 (100)	41.4 (107)	40.4 (105)	38.4 (101)	36.2 (97)	30.6 (87)	26.6 (80)	41.4 (107)
Average high °C (°F)	16.8 (62)	17.8 (64)	19.2 (67)	20.9 (70)	23.6 (74)	27.2 (81)	30.1 (86)	30.6 (87)	28.4 (83)	24.4 (76)	20.4 (69)	17.6 (64)	23.1 (74)
Average low °C (°F)	6.2 (43)	7.0 (45)	8.2 (47)	10.1 (50)	13.3 (56)	17.1 (63)	19.7 (67)	20.4 (69)	17.8 (64)	13.7 (57)	10.0 (50)	7.3 (45)	12.6 (55)
Record low °C (°F)	-2.6 (27)	-4.6 (24)	-1.0 (30)	2.6 (37)	4.8 (41)	10.4 (51)	13.4 (56)	13.2 (56)	9.4 (49)	4.0 (39)	0.2 (32)	-2.6 (27)	-4.6 (24)
Precipitation mm (inches)	22 (0.87)	26 (1.02)	26 (1.02)	30 (1.18)	33 (1.3)	17 (0.67)	6 (0.24)	8 (0.31)	47 (1.85)	52 (2.05)	42 (1.65)	26 (1.02)	336 (13.23)
Source: Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET)^[6]

[edit] Transport

Line L3 Alicante Tram at Lucentum stop going to El Campello.

Alicante Airport outranks its Valencian counterpart, being among the busiest airports in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Málaga and keeps expanding. It is connected with Madrid and Barcelona by frequent Iberia and Spanair flights, and with many Western European cities through carriers such as Easyjet, Ryanair, Air Berlin, Monarch Airlines, Globespan, and Jet2.com. From the airport there are also regular flights to Algiers and Russia. In addition, Alicante's only link to South America, specifically Bogotá, is provided by Avianca.^{[dated info]}

Alicante railway station is used by cercanías linking Alicante with suburban and Murcia.^[7] Long-range RENFE trains run frequently to Madrid and Barcelona.^[8]

Alicante Tram connects the city with outlying settlements along Costa Blanca. As of 2008, it runs up to Benidorm with further extension to Denia under construction.^[9]

The city has regular ferry services to the Balearic Islands and Algeria.^[10] The city is strongly fortified, with a spacious harbour.

[edit] Culture, festivals and sport

Harbor and mountain Benacantil.

Amongst the most notable features of the city are the Castle of Santa Bárbara, which sits high above the city, and the port of Alicante, which was the subject of bitter controversy in 2006-2007 as residents battled to keep it from being changed into an industrial estate.

There are a number of notable museums in Alicante. Archaeological Museum of Alicante shed light on history of the region, presenting artifacts from 100,000 years ago up until 19th century. The archaeological museum won the European Museum of the Year award in 2004. On exhibition in Gravina Museum of Fine Arts there are painting and sculptures of Alicante from 16th century to 19th century. The Asegurada Museum of Contemporary Art is currently closed for renovation.

The most important festival, the Bonfires of Saint John, takes place during the summer solstice. This is followed a week later by seven nights of firework and pyrotechnic contests between companies on the urban beach Playa del Postiguet. Another well-known festival is Moros y Cristianos in Altozano or San Blas district. Overall, the city boasts a year-round nightlife, helped by tourists, fun-loving residents, and a large student population of the University of Alicante. The nightlife social scene tends to shift to nearby Playa de San Juan (St. John's Beach) during the summer months.

Every summer in Alicante, a two-month-long programme of music, theatre and dance is staged in the Paseo del Puerto.^[11]

Two Alicante football teams, Hércules CF and Alicante CF currently compete in the Spanish Segunda División. They both host their home games at Estadio José Rico Pérez.