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'''Ferrol''' is a city in the [[province of A Coruña]] in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], located on the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast in north-western [[Spain]]. {{As of|2007}}, it has urban population of 77,859 and metropolitan area of over 241,528.
'''Ferrol''' is a city in the [[A Coruña (province)|Province of A Coruña]] in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]. Located on the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast in north-western [[Spain]], it has urban population of 77,859 and metropolitan area of over 241,528 (2007)


The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the [[Spanish Navy]]'s [[Naval Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium|Maritime Department of the North]] since the time of the early [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]]. Before that, in the 17th century, [[Ferrol]] was the most important [[arsenal]] in Europe. Today, the city is also known as the home of the shipbuilding yards of [[Navantia]]<ref> [http://www.navantia.es/irj/portal/anonymous?guest_user=anonymous_en NAVANTIA Spanish Company, Leader in Military Shipbuilding] {{en icon}} </ref>.
The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the [[Spanish Navy]]'s [[Naval Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium|Maritime Department of the North]] since the time of the early [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]]. Before that, in the 17th century, [[Ferrol]] was the most important [[arsenal]] in Europe. Today, the city is also known as the home of the shipbuilding yards of [[Navantia]]<ref> [http://www.navantia.es/irj/portal/anonymous?guest_user=anonymous_en NAVANTIA Spanish Company, Leader in Military Shipbuilding] {{en icon}} </ref>.


The city was the birthplace of the Spanish General [[Francisco Franco]] in 1892, and was officially known as ''El Ferrol del Caudillo'' from 1938 to 1982. It was also the birth place of the founder of the Spanish socialist party [[PSOE]], [[Pablo Iglesias]], in 1850.
The city was the birthplace of the Spanish General [[Francisco Franco]] in 1892, and was officially known as ''El Ferrol del Caudillo'' from 1938 to 1982. It was also the birth place of the founder of the Spanish socialist party [[PSOE]], [[Pablo Iglesias]], in 1850.

==Ferrol==
''(Classification of the Outer and Inner Ports of Ferrol)'' <ref> [http://flagspot.net/flags/es~fe.html Ferrol Maritime Province - Registration Ensign 2001] {{en icon}} </ref>
*[[Image:SymbolNauticMarked.png|25px]] '''''Military ports''''' - Great expansion during the 18th century and still is [[Naval Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium|the most important Naval Station in North-western Spain]].<ref>[http://www.revistanaval.com/ Revista Naval: The Spanish Navy’s Web-based and Ferrol Published Official Magazine] Since the early 1990s {{sp icon}} </ref>
*[[Image:SymbolNauticMarked.png|25px]] '''''Commercial ports''''' - Due to the great expansions of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, soon to be [[Intermodal freight transport|one of the largest]] in [[Spain]].
*[[Image:SymbolNauticDeport.png|25px]] '''''Sport ports''''' - Still awaiting to be fully developed to its true potential during the 21st century unlike most ports of [[Ferrolterra]].
*[[Image:SymbolNauticFisher.png|25px]] '''''Fishing ports''''' - Still awaiting to be fully developed to its true potential during the 21st century unlike most ports of [[Ferrolterra]].
''Note: For those who want to read further about the, non-military, "Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority" which covers [[Rias altas|a substantial part of the Galician coast]] including all its ports and lighthouses from [[San Cibrao]] to Ferrol, it is advisable to visit the external official link shown in the references section.<ref> [http://www.apfsc.com/ "Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority"] {{en icon}} </ref>


==History==
==History==
[[Image:Dolmen axeitos.JPG|thumb|left|[[Megaliths|Megalithic Tomb]] in [[Santa Uxía de Ribeira|Ribeira]], [[A Coruña (province)|125 km from the City of Ferrol]].]]
[[Image:Dolmen axeitos.JPG|thumb|left|[[Megaliths|Megalithic Tomb]] in [[Santa Uxía de Ribeira|Ribeira]], [[A Coruña (province)|125 km from the City of Ferrol]]]]
The existence of prehistoric human settlements in this [[History of Galicia|green corner of Iberia]] is back up by the abundance of [[Chamber tomb|burial chambers]], [[Megaliths|megalithic monuments]] as well as [[Petroglyph]]s and other archaeological findings. The [[Phoenicia]]ns established in this area different [[Dried and salted cod|dried and salted cod stations]] and their presence together with the presence of the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]] is well documented by historians like [[Herodotus]] amongst others. In [[Roman Empire|Roman]] times, in the 1st century BC, a fishing port existed in the bay of Ferrol. After [[Migration Period|the fall of the Western Roman Empire]] the whole [[Western Roman Empire|Iberian Peninsula]], including Ferrol, was raided by the [[Vandals]] and occupied in 411 by the [[Suebic Kingdom of Galicia|Suebi]]; their kingdom was incorporated in 584 by [[Liuvigild|Leovigild]] to the [[Visigothic Kingdom|Visigothic kingdom of Spain]]. <ref> [http://www.geocities.com/mindoniensisferrolensisprovince/BritoniaProvince.html?1200480362031 (Britoniensis ecclesiae episcopus)] [[Mailoc|Mailoc or Maeloc]] was the bishop of Britonia who participated in the Second Council of Braga (572). {{en icon}} </ref>
The existence of prehistoric human settlements in this [[History of Galicia|green corner of Iberia]] is back up by the abundance of [[Chamber tomb|burial chambers]], [[Megaliths|megalithic monuments]] as well as [[Petroglyph]]s and other archaeological findings. The [[Phoenicia]]ns established in this area different [[Dried and salted cod|dried and salted cod stations]] and their presence together with the presence of the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]] is well documented by historians like [[Herodotus]] amongst others. In [[Roman Empire|Roman]] times, in the 1st century BC, a fishing port existed in the bay of Ferrol. After [[Migration Period|the fall of Rome]] the whole [[Western Roman Empire|Iberian Peninsula]], including Ferrol, was raided by the [[Vandals]], occupied in 411 by the [[Suebic Kingdom of Galicia|Suevi]] though their kingdom was incorporated in 584 by [[Liuvigild|Leovigild]] to the [[Visigothic Kingdom|Visigothic kingdom of Spain]]. <ref> [http://www.geocities.com/mindoniensisferrolensisprovince/BritoniaProvince.html?1200480362031 (Britoniensis ecclesiae episcopus)] [[Mailoc|Mailoc or Maeloc]] was the bishop of Britonia who participated in the Second Council of Braga (572). {{en icon}} </ref>


Raided from 711 to 739 by the [[Arabs]], Ferrol was ultimately recaptured by the [[Kingdom of Asturias|Visigothic king of Asturias]] in 754 remaining onwards an integral part of [[Reconquista|Christian Spain]]. <ref> [http://www.mondonedoferrol.org/ Official Web-site of the Diocese of Ferrol-Mondoñedo] {{sp icon}} </ref>
Raided from 711 to 739 by the [[Arabs]], Ferrol was ultimately recaptured by the [[Kingdom of Asturias|Visigothic king of Asturias]] in 754 remaining onwards an integral part of [[Reconquista|Christian Spain]]. <ref> [http://www.mondonedoferrol.org/ Official Web-site of the Diocese of Ferrol-Mondoñedo] {{sp icon}} </ref>


The [[Pelagius of Asturias|House of Asturias]] established an important [[Battle of Covadonga|Christian Outpost]] to protect their realms from the [[Umayyad|Arab invaders]]. In the 14th century [[Henry II of Castile|Henry II]] gave the town to the powerful [[Andrade]] family. <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval1750 Interesting document showing the royals of Spain from 1492 till 1805: Spanish Empire] {{en icon}} </ref>
The [[Pelagius of Asturias|House of Asturias]] established an important [[Battle of Covadonga|Christian Outpost]] to protect their realms from the infidel [[Umayyad|Arab invaders]] who every now and then were coming up north for booty and treasures. A good example could be [[Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir|Al-Mansur]] who, in the 10th century, robbed and sacked different Christian settlements, including the holy city of [[Santiago de Compostela]] in 997.
But during the 10th century was not only the [[Umayyad|Arabs]], those who were robbing and sacking Christian settlements in this part of Spain, also the [[Normans]] and the [[Vikings]] were equally fearsome and the legend says that some of them ended up establish themselves permanently in these green pastures of [[Hispania|northern Iberia]] for good; leaving behind their [[Norse paganism|pagan]], and bloody past, to became good Christians - and (who knows?) may be this is where the [[Viking|fishing]] and [[Knarr|shipbuilding tradition]] of the people of this parts of [[Spain]] comes from!.


In the 14th century [[Henry II of Castile|Henry II]] gave the town to the powerful [[Andrade]] family. <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval1750 Interesting document showing the royals of Spain from 1492 till 1805: Spanish Empire] {{en icon}} </ref>
In 1568<ref>“History of Ferrol” (1846) El Ferrolano Newspaper, 10th February 1846, no.1, Front Cover: Ferrol</ref> a fire reduced to rubble the old medieval town; in the same period some parts of the existing fortifications at the entrance of the [[estuary]] were built<ref> [http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5138/ UNESCO World Heritage List: El Ferrol (''Submission Papers'') 27/04/2007.] {{en icon}} </ref>. As a naval base, at that time the town was considered more important as a [[Royal Arsenal]] than as a safe harbour.


[[Image:Invincible Armada.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Spanish Armada]] engaging the English Fleet (note gunfire between ships, and St George's Cross and Elizabethan Royal arms on several vessels)]]
With the arrival of the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]] in the 18th century, Ferrol became a leading naval centre <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/elferrol1780 The City and Naval Station of El Ferrol during the Reign of Charles III of Spain] by the Dutch pilot Hugh Debbieg ( 1731-1810) {{en icon}}</ref>. Ferrol was made [[Naval Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium|Capital of the Maritime Department of the North]], formed under [[Ferdinand VI]] and [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]] for the defence of the [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spanish Colonial Empire in America]]. Rapid improvements followed, notably under the leadership of the [[Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, Marquis of Ensenada|Marquis of Ensenada]], and the position of Ferrol was made almost unassailable from the sea, the difficulties of disembarking troops on its precipitous coast being strengthened by a renewed line of fortresses and newly built castles, including that of San Carlos.


During the reign of [[Philip II of Spain|Phillip II]] <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval1525/ Alonso '''Pita da Veiga''' the most heroic Spaniard at the '''Battle of Pavia''' (Italy) '''1525'''] {{sp icon}} </ref>, and with regard to the history of Ferrol, two major events are worth being mentioned, [[List of historic fires|the great fire]] of [[1568]]<ref>“History of Ferrol” (1846) El Ferrolano Newspaper, 10th February 1846, no.1, Front Cover: Ferrol</ref> which will reduced to rubble the old medieval town, and the fact that some parts of the existing fortifications at the entrance of the [[estuary]] were built; some of these still exist today as they were in the late-16th century<ref> [http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5138/ UNESCO World Heritage List: El Ferrol (''Submission Papers'') 27/04/2007.] {{en icon}} </ref>, when the [[Spanish Armada]] <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval1588/ Route taken by the Spanish Armada 1588] which sought refuge in Ferrol {{en icon}} </ref> sought refuge locally, to protect themselves from the [[Atlantic Ocean|rough Atlantic waters]] they encountered, when they were on their military mission to persuade the [[Elizabeth I of England|English]] to return to the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic faith]]. At that time the town was considered more important as a [[Royal Arsenal]] than as a safe harbour.
The [[Royal Dockyard]]s of [[A Graña]] and Ferrol, built between 1726-1783<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/181738/Ferrol "Ferrol." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.] {{en icon}}
</ref>, produced ships protected with copper sheets from the rolling mills of Xubia. In 1772, [[The Spanish Royal Academy of Naval Engineers]] of Ferrol, the first such academy in Spain, was created.


With the arrival of the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]] in the 18th century, the City and Port of Ferrol became a leading naval centre <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/elferrol1780 The City and Naval Station of El Ferrol during the Reign of Charles III of Spain] by the Dutch pilot Hugh Debbieg ( 1731-1810) {{en icon}}</ref>, and for the first time, the immense strategic importance of the port was appreciated. Ferrol was made [[Naval Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium|Capital of the Maritime Department of the North]], formed under [[Ferdinand VI]] and [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]] for the defence of the [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spanish Colonial Empire in America]]. Rapid and well-planned improvements followed, notably under the leadership of the [[Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, Marquis of Ensenada|Marquis of Ensenada]], and the position of Ferrol was made almost unassailable from the sea, the difficulties of disembarking troops on its precipitous coast being heightened by a renewed line of fortresses and newly built castles, including San Carlos.
Ferrol was virtually impossible to [[blockade]] in the age of sail, as strong westerly winds would take any blockading force away along the treacherous north coast of Spain where they had no safe haven. The geography of Ferrol meant that an entire Spanish fleet could slip out on a single tide. By the time the British were able to resume the blockade, the Spanish would be safely away and out to sea. Despite these advantages, a decline set during the reign of [[Charles IV of Spain|Charles IV]], and in 1800, after the defences had been reduced, a British fleet of 109 vessels landed troops on the beach of Doniños to take the Castle of San Felipe. Although only equipped with meagre artillery, the castle's small defence force under the command of [[Andrade|Count Donadio]] together with a sizable number of volunteer citizens of Ferrol, successfully resisted the attack and the fleet withdrew. The alliance with [[England]] during the [[Peninsular War]] of 1808-14 failed to prevent the deterioration in the town’s fortunes. The arsenals and fortresses were abandoned and they were easily occupied by the French in 1809.


[[Image:Ferrol City.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of the city (2009).]]
[[Image:Imperio Español America 1800.png|thumb|right|The [[Spanish Empire|Spanish America]] at the end of the [[18th century]] (c.[[1800]])]]
Under [[Ferdinand VII]], Ferrol lost its title of capital. New activities sprang up, however, in the mid-19th century, during the administration of the [[Marquis de Molina]]<ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9804E3DB113CEF34BC4E53DFB4668383649FDE "The Armies of Europe, Spain as a War Making Power" (1858) The New York Times, 6th February 1858, Page 4, 1074 words: New York] {{en icon}} </ref>, [[Spanish Government|Spanish Minister for Naval affairs]], which included amongst other political successes the construction and launch in the [[Royal Dockyard|Royal Dockyards of Ferrol]] of [[Steamboat|Spain's first steam propelled ship]] in 1858.


The [[Royal Dockyard]]s of [[A Graña]] and Ferrol, were built between 1726-1783<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/181738/Ferrol "Ferrol." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.] {{en icon}}
The second half of the 19th century brought to the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol not just plenty of work but social and political tensions which will end up in the failed republican uprising of 1872<ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=990DE7DE173BE53BBC4E52DFB6678389669FDE "Entrance into Ferrol of the Government Troops" (1872) The New York Times, 16th October 1872, Page 1, 554 words: New York] {{en icon}} </ref>.
</ref> and produced ships protected with copper sheets from the rolling mills of Xubia. In 1772, [[The Spanish Royal Academy of Naval Engineers]] of Ferrol was created -- the first such academy in [[Spain]].

Ferrol was virtually impossible to [[blockade]] in the age of sail, as strong westerly winds would take any blockading force away along the treacherous north coast of Spain where they had no safe haven. The geography of Ferrol meant that an entire Spanish fleet could slip out on a single tide. By the time the British were able to resume the blockade, the Spanish would be safely away and out to sea. (By contrast, British forces blockading [[Cadiz]] could seek refuge at [[Gibraltar]], and those blockading the French naval port of [[Brest, France|Brest]] could seek refuge in [[Torbay]]. The British could then quickly return when the weather changed before too many of the blockaded ships had time to reach open water via the narrow channels).

Despite these advantages, a decline set during the reign of [[Charles IV of Spain|Charles IV]], and in 1800, after the defences had been reduced, a [[Great Britain|British]] fleet of 109 vessels landed troops on the beach of Doniños to take the Castle of San Felipe. This attack on Ferrol took place during the [[Napoleonic wars]] in [[Europe]], when the Spaniards were expected to take side with the [[France|French]], as they did in the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in 1805 <ref>[http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Navy_List_1805/Ship_Duties/Off_Port.html Vessels Blockading various French and Spanish ports - May 1805.] {{en icon}} </ref>. Although only equipped with meagre artillery, the castle's small defence force under the command of [[Andrade|Count Donadio]] together with a sizable number of volunteer citizens of Ferrol, successfully resisted the attack and the fleet withdrew.

After the unsuccessful attempt to capture Ferrol in 1800, the British Prime Minister [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]] said in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] that "If [[Great Britain]] had a naval station so easy to defend as Ferrol, due to its location, it would have been surrounded by a thick silver wall".

The alliance with [[England]] during the [[Peninsular War]] of 1808-14 failed to prevent the deterioration in the town’s fortunes. The arsenals and fortresses were abandoned and they were easily occupied by the French in 1809. (The [[England|English]] author [[C. S. Forester]] (1899-1966) immortalized Ferrol in his [[Horatio Hornblower]] novels when he decided that this was the [[Naval dockyard|Naval Station]] where his imaginary [[Royal Navy]] Officer was taken as a prisoner of war when captured by the Spanish during the Napoleonic Wars).

[[Image:Ferrol City.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of the city (2009)]]
Under [[Ferdinand VII]], Ferrol became a “dead” town, losing its title of capital. New activities sprang up, however, in the mid-19th century, during the administration of the [[Marquis de Molina]]<ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9804E3DB113CEF34BC4E53DFB4668383649FDE "The Armies of Europe, Spain as a War Making Power" (1858) The New York Times, 6th February 1858, Page 4, 1074 words: New York] <<At the famous station of Ferrol, for instance, where fourteen great line-of-battleships had been launch in four years... but two were built between 1794 and 1845. In 1852 the Spanish Navy numbered 124 vessels in active service...>>
{{en icon}} </ref>, [[Spanish Government|Spanish Minister for Naval affairs]], which included amongst other political successes the construction and launch in the [[Royal Dockyard|Royal Dockyards of Ferrol]], of [[Steamboat|Spain's first steam propelled ship]] in 1858.

The second half of the 19th century brought to the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol not just plenty of work but social and political tensions which will end up in the failed republican uprising of 1872<ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=990DE7DE173BE53BBC4E52DFB6678389669FDE "Entrance into Ferrol of the Government Troops" (1872) The New York Times, 16th October 1872, Page 1, 554 words: New York] <<Madrid, Oct. 15.-The Captain-General of Galicia entered Ferrol Sunday Night with a body of government troops. He now holds the town, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements en route from Santander and Gijon, and with his increased force expects to crush the insurrection without shedding of blood.>>
{{en icon}} </ref>. The social tensions and political unrest will resume decades later, at different times, particularly towards the beginning of the 20th century <ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01E4DB173DE433A25756C2A96F9C94689ED7CF "Serious Disorders in Spain at Ferrol" (1899) The New York Times, 25th September 1899, Page 1, 88 words: New York] <<Mob of 3,000 stone Catholic Club at Ferrol... Dispersed by Gards... Martial Law Proclaimed>>
{{en icon}} </ref>.


Ten years after the [[Spanish-American War]] of 1898 <ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E07E7DB1738E433A25752C1A9609C94699ED7CF "Great Activity at Ferrol" (1898) The New York Times, 11th June 1898, Page 1, 129 words: New York]
Ten years after the [[Spanish-American War]] of 1898 <ref> [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E07E7DB1738E433A25752C1A9609C94699ED7CF "Great Activity at Ferrol" (1898) The New York Times, 11th June 1898, Page 1, 129 words: New York]
{{en icon}} </ref> <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/elferrol1890s/ The launch of “Cardenal Cisneros” the first “Pre-dreadnought battleship” built in Ferrol, Spain (1897)] "The Ferrol and the Galician-rias commercial-role with North, South and Central America":[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Correo_Gallego_1897.JPG El Correo Gallego (Spanish Newspaper) 19th March 1897]by Jose R. de Trujillo, Spanish Royal Navy Commander {{es icon}} </ref>, in which Spain lost [[Cuba]] and the [[Philippines]], the [[Maura]] Government, in an attempt to restore the Spanish Navy and Spanish shipbuilding industry hired to the [[Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval|Spanish Society for Naval Construction]] (whose major investors were the British firms [[John Brown & Company|John Brown]], [[Vickers]] and [[Armstrong]]<ref> [http://rylibweb.man.ac.uk/specialcollections/collections/guide/atoz/guardian/ "SPANISH NAVY: Huge Contract in British Hands" (1909) The Manchester Guardian, 1st February 1909, Page 12: Manchester] {{en icon}} </ref>) the [[shipbuilding]] yards, [[workshops]], [[foundries]] and [[dry docks]] in Ferrol.
{{en icon}} </ref> <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/elferrol1890s/ The launch of “Cardenal Cisneros” the first “Pre-dreadnought battleship” built in Ferrol, Spain (1897)] "The Ferrol and the Galician-rias commercial-role with North, South and Central America":[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Correo_Gallego_1897.JPG El Correo Gallego (Spanish Newspaper) 19th March 1897]by Jose R. de Trujillo, Spanish Royal Navy Commander {{es icon}} </ref> where the Spaniards lost [[Cuba]] and the [[Philippines]], the [[Maura]] Government, in an attempt to restore the Spanish Navy and Spanish shipbuilding industry hired to the [[Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval|Spanish Society for Naval Construction]] (whose major investors were the British firms: [[John Brown & Company|John Brown]], [[Vickers]] and [[Armstrong]]<ref> [http://rylibweb.man.ac.uk/specialcollections/collections/guide/atoz/guardian/ "SPANISH NAVY: Huge Contract in British Hands" (1909) The Manchester Guardian, 1st February 1909, Page 12: Manchester] ''<<... Vickers, Armstrong and Brown... it has been determined to put down a new shipyard at Ferrol in Spain... Mr A J Campbell... has been appointed manager of the Ferrol yard... Mr Peter Muir ... has been appointed assistant manager. A considerable number of expert shipbuilders have sign on to go to Spain... there is a reason to believe that employment will be found to some hundreds of British shipbuilders, engineers, electricians, and other tradesmen in the new Spanish yard for several years to come.>>''
{{en icon}} </ref>) the [[shipbuilding]] yards, [[workshops]], [[foundries]] and [[dry docks]] in Ferrol.


For a period of sixteen years, all the technicians were exclusively British, and the situation was not altered till 1925 when the management was taken over by Spanish engineers, as one of the new policies introduced by the then newly created government, including ministers both civil and military, of the dictator [[Miguel Primo de Rivera]] (1923–1930). The arrival of the [[United Kingdom|British]] coincided with the construction of a [[Tram|local electric-powered trolley streetcar’s line]] (1924-1961)[http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/].
For a period of sixteen years, all the technicians were exclusively British, and the situation was not altered till 1925 when the management was taken over by Spanish engineers, as one of the new policies introduced by the then newly created government, including ministers both civil and military, of the dictator [[Miguel Primo de Rivera]] (1923–1930). The arrival of the [[United Kingdom|British]] coincided with the construction of a [[Tram|local electric-powered trolley streetcar’s line]] (1924-1961) which at the time was a common feature in the [[USA]] and some parts of [[Europe]] but not so much in North-western [[Spain]]. [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/]


[[Image:KNM Fridtjof Nansen-2006-06-01-side.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Navantia|FFG Digitally Controlled Frigates]] built in [[Ferrol]] (2005)]]
In sight of the outbreak of a civil war, and because there was fear of social unrest in the naval station, the [[Foreign Office]] in [[London]], <ref> [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=2576713 "British Vice-Consulate at Ferrol": General Correspondence FO 63/1041. The National Archives - Official Web-site] {{en icon}}</ref> <ref> [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=4349592 "British Vice-Consulate at Ferrol": General Correspondence FO 72/1689. The National Archives - Official Web-site] {{en icon}}</ref> organized a ship to repatriate all the remaining British citizens and on July 22, 1936 [[HMNB Portsmouth|HMS ''Witch'' (D89)]]<ref> [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F1081EFA3B54147B93C0AB178CD85F428385F9&scp=59&sq=ferrol&st=cse "British Sending Troops" (1936) The New York Times, 22th July 1936, Page 3, 110 words: New York] {{en icon}} </ref> departed from Ferrol back to Britain.
In sight of the outbreak of a civil war, and because there was fear of social unrest in the naval station, the [[Foreign Office]] in [[London]], <ref> [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=2576713 "British Vice-Consulate at Ferrol": General Correspondence FO 63/1041. The National Archives - Official Web-site] {{en icon}}</ref> <ref> [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=4349592 "British Vice-Consulate at Ferrol": General Correspondence FO 72/1689. The National Archives - Official Web-site] {{en icon}}</ref> organized a ship to repatriate all the remaining British citizens and on July 22, 1936 [[HMNB Portsmouth|HMS Witch (D89)]]<ref> [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F1081EFA3B54147B93C0AB178CD85F428385F9&scp=59&sq=ferrol&st=cse "British Sending Troops" (1936) The New York Times, 22th July 1936, Page 3, 110 words: New York] <<The destroyer Witch was proceeding to Ferrol, Spain, and the destroyer Wren will go to Corunna the Admiralty announced.>>
At the outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939) the shipbuilding yards, workshops, foundries and dry docks in Ferrol were taken over by the state and fully [[nationalized]] in 1945 under the name "Bazàn", later renamed "IZAR", and, starting from January 2005, [[Navantia]]. The town was the birthplace of dictator [[Francisco Franco]], after whom the city was officially known as ''El Ferrol del Caudillo'' from 1938 to 1982. The end of the dictatorship and the arrival of [[Spanish Constitution of 1978|democracy in 1978]] did not help Ferrol, <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrol.1960.1970and1980/ Shipbuilding crisis after the arrival of democracy in Spain] "Ferrol Shipyards":[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferrol_Financial_Times_19.10.1984.jpg Financial Times 19th Octuber 1984] {{en icon}} </ref> and from 1982 to the early 1990s, the city confronted numerous problems due to a decline in the [[naval sector]]. The beginning of the new millennium however, has been a time of economic expansion and prosperity in general <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval2004 ''Fridtjof Nansen ''class frigates during one of the final stages for completion in Ferrol] {{en icon}}</ref>. A new motorway and an [[Intermodal freight transport|outer-port]] <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolouterport2004/ Views of the new outer-port of Ferrol, an intermodal freight transport port design to suit the new needs] {{en icon}} </ref> have been recently built.
{{en icon}} </ref>, a destroyer, captained by [[Bernard Warburton-Lee|B.A. Warburton-Lee]], departed from Ferrol back to Britain.
The outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939) meant that the shipbuilding yards, workshops, foundries and dry docks in Ferrol were taken over by the state and fully [[nationalized]] in 1945 under the name "Bazàn", later renamed "IZAR", and from January 2005, [[Navantia]]. The town has also been, for centuries, the birthplace of national and international personalities: men and women of letters, statesmen, politicians, and others, amongst them [[Francisco Franco]], after whom the city was officially known as ''El Ferrol del Caudillo'' from 1938 to 1982. The end of the dictatorship and the arrival of [[Spanish Constitution of 1978|democracy in 1978]] did not help Ferrol, <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrol.1960.1970and1980/ Shipbuilding crisis after the arrival of democracy in Spain] "Ferrol Shipyards":[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferrol_Financial_Times_19.10.1984.jpg Financial Times 19th Octuber 1984] {{en icon}} </ref> and from 1982 to the early 1990s, the city confronted numerous problems due to a decline in the [[naval sector]]. The beginning of the new millennium however, has been a time of economic expansion and prosperity in general <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval2004 “Fridtjof Nansen class frigates” during one of the final stages for completion in Ferrol] {{en icon}}</ref>. A new motorway and an [[Intermodal freight transport|outer-port]] <ref> [http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolouterport2004/ Views of the new outer-port of Ferrol, an intermodal freight transport port design to suit the new needs] {{en icon}} </ref> have been recently built; making the communications by land and sea, with the rest of the world, much easier and faster.


Ferrol hosted the large [[NATO]] Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner ([[Royal Navy|RN]]) in June 2008,<ref> [http://www.manw.nato.int/ NATO Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner (RN) in June 2008] accessdate=2008-11-27 {{en icon}} </ref>.
Ferrol, the most important [[Naval dockyard|Naval Station]] in the north of Spain,<ref>{{cite web|author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/es-navy.htm |title=Spanish Navy (Armada) |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date= |accessdate=2008-11-27}} {{en icon}} </ref> which has hosted the large [[NATO]] Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner ([[Royal Navy|RN]]) in June 2008,<ref> [http://www.manw.nato.int/ NATO Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner (RN) in June 2008] accessdate=2008-11-27 {{en icon}} </ref> with its well sheltered harbour and busy port, together with the [[Navantia]] shipyards seems to be flourishing once again, and with it, the whole heavily populated district of ''[[Mondoñedo|As Mariñas]]'' and ''[[Ferrolterra]]''.


==Climate==
==Climate==
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==Economy==
==Economy==


[[Primary sector of industry|Primary Industries]] include horse breeding, fish farming and fishing (specializing in the Atlantic shoals]]), [[mining]] ([[Endesa Termic|ENDESA]]), non-timber forest products, [[quarries]] and [[timber]].
# '''[[Primary sector of industry|Primary Industries]]''' – [[Agriculture]] ([[Horse Breeding]]), [[Aquaculture]] ([[Fish farming|Fish Farming]]), [[Fishing]] ([[Trawling|Specializing in the Atlantic Shoals]]), [[Mining|Important Mines]] ([[Endesa Termic|ENDESA]]), [[Non-timber forest products|NTFP]] ([http://www.forestharvest.org.uk/ Forest Harvest]), [[Quarries]] and [[Timber]].
[[Secondary sector of industry|Secondary Industries]] incldue [[shipbuilding]], [[Internal combustion engine|ship engines]], [[wind turbines]], [[Electronic component|electrical equipment]], [[ironworks]], Textiles, food ([[Canning|canned fish]]) and wood-made products.
# '''[[Secondary sector of industry|Secondary Industries]]''' – [[Shipbuilding]], [[Internal combustion engine|Ship Engines]], [[Wind turbine|Turbines]] (Wind Mills and Ships), [[Electronic component|Electrical Equipment]], [[Ironworks]], Fashion ([[Fashion design|Textiles]]), Food ([[Canning|Canned Fish]]) and [[Wood|Wood-Made Products]].
# '''[[Tertiary sector of economic activity|Tertiary Industries]]''' – [[Mercantile]], [[Fishing]] and [[Armada Española|Military Ports]], [[Restaurants]], [[News Media]] (Ferrol TV/[[El Diario de Ferrol|Diario de Ferrol]]), [[Hotels]] (Barceló Almirante/Pazo Libunca), [[Leisure]] and [[Tourism]] ([[Windsurfing|World Surf Competitions]], [[Transatlantic|Popular Transatlantic Steamships Stop]]), [[Consultant|Consulting]], [[Health Care]]/[[Hospitals]] (Arquitecto Marcide Hospital Complex), [[Education]] ([[Schools]], [[Colleges]]/[[ESENGRA]] and [[Universities]]/[[Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia|UNED]]/[[School of Naval and Industrial Engineers|PERITOS]]) and [[Public Utilities]], [[Chain store|Franchises]] ([[Brand|main brand names]] and [[Designer label|designer label's shops]]), [[Wholesale]] (Navy Suppliers/[[Shipping|Anton-Martin]]) and [[Retailing|Retail Industries]] ([[El Corte Inglés]]/[[Auchan|Alcampo]]).
# '''[[Quaternary sector of industry|Quaternary Sector Industries]]''' – [[New Technologies Demonstrator Programme|Naval, Electrical and Mechanical Equipment]] together with [[Center of New Industries and Technologies|New Technologies]] ([http://www.cisgalicia.org Galician Centre for Innovations and Services CIS-FERROL]).


==Sister Cities==
Tertiary activities include [[mercantile]], fishing and military ports, [[restaurants]], media, hotels and tourism.


==Sister cities==
These are the official sister cities of Ferrol:
These are the official sister cities of Ferrol:


*{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Lugo]], Spain, since 2000
{{flagicon|Spain}} '''[[Mondoñedo]]''', [[Spain]] ''(2004)''<br />
*{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Mondoñedo]], Spain, since 2004
{{flagicon|Spain}} '''[[Lugo]]''', [[Spain]] ''(2000)''


==Notable people==
==See also==
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Ferrol (26).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Visit Ferrol this [[Midsummer|Summer Festival]] August (1934)]] -->
* [[Alonso Pita da Veiga]]

* [[Benito Vicetto Pérez]] (1824-1878), writer
===Notable Galicians born in Ferrol===
* [[Jenaro Pérez Villaamil]] (1807-1854), painter
* [[Alonso Pita da Veiga]], at the "[[Battle of Pavia]]" surrendered King [[Francis I of France]] (1513-1525)
* [[Concepción Arenal]] (1820-1893), feminist activist
* [[Benito Vicetto Pérez]], one of the most remarkable figures of the "[[Galician literature|Galician Literature Renascence]]" (1824-1878)
* [[José Canalejas Méndez]] (1854-1912), former [[List of Presidents of the Government (Spain)|Spanish Prime Minister]] d in office
* [[Jenaro Pérez Villaamil]], remarkable [[Painting|painter]] and prime example of the "[[Galician literature|Galician Romanticism]]" (1807-1854)
* [[Patricio Montojo y Pasarón]] (1839-1917), admiral
* [[Concepción Arenal]], started and led the [[History of feminism|"Spanish Feminist Movement]]" in Iberia (1820-1893)
* [[Pablo Iglesias Posse]] (1850-1925), politician
* [[José Canalejas Méndez]], former [[List of Presidents of the Government (Spain)|Spanish Prime Minister]] who was assassinated in office (1854-1912)
* [[Marquis of Amboage]] (1823-1892), multimillionaire and politician
* [[Patricio Montojo y Pasarón]], Spanish admiral during the [[Spanish-American War]] (1839-1917)
* [[Frederick H. Shaw]] (1864-1924)
* [[Pablo Iglesias Posse]], founder of the "[[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]]" '''PSOE''' and the '''UGT''' [[Workers' General Union|"Spanish Workers' General Union]]" (1850-1925)
* [[Marquis of Amboage]], philanthropic multimillionaire and politician - Ramón Pedro Francisco Pla y Monge (1823-1892)
* [[Frederick H. Shaw]], (1864-1924) [[British Citizen]] who had a prominent role in the creation of the [[Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance|Spanish Institute of Provission]] 1908.
* [[Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza]] (1875-1960), painter
* [[Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza]] (1875-1960), painter
* [[Ramón Franco]], Spanish [[aviator]] and pilot of the [[Plus Ultra (hydroplane)|''Plus Ultra'']] that completed a Trans-Atlantic flight in 1926. (1896-1938)
* [[Ramón Franco]] (1896-1938), aviator
* [[General]] [[Francisco Franco]] (1892-1975), ruled Spain as [[dictator]] after the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939).
* [[General]] [[Francisco Franco]] (1892-1975), ruled Spain as [[dictator]] after the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939).
* [[Ricardo Carvalho Calero]], first ever professor of [[Galician literature|Galician literature and Linguistics]] - [[University of Santiago de Compostela]] (1910-1990)
* [[Ricardo Carvalho Calero]], first ever professor of [[Galician literature|Galician literature and Linguistics]] - [[University of Santiago de Compostela]] (1910-1990)
* [[Gonzalo Torrente Ballester]] (1910-1999), writer
* [[Gonzalo Torrente Ballester]], remarkable [[writer]] winner of many prices in [[Spanish literature]] including the [[Cervantes Prize]] in 1985 (1910-1999).
* [[Ángeles Alvariño Gozález]] (1916-2005), biologist and oceanographer (1916-2005)
* [[Ángeles Alvariño Gozález]], first female [[Biologist|Scientist]] to work on [[Royal Navy|British]] and [[Spanish Navy|Spanish]] [[History of research ships|exploration ships]] and leading [[Oceanographer]] (1916-2005)
* [[María Isabel Rivera Torres]] (born 1952), actress
* [[María Isabel Rivera Torres]], leading [[actor|actress]] in the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Oscar winning Best Foreign Language Film 2004]] [[The Sea Inside]], (born 1952).
* [[Jesús Vázquez Martínez]] (born 1965), TV [[presenter]]
* [[Jesús Vázquez Martínez]], one of the best known Television [[presenter]]s in [[Spain]], (born 1965).
* [[Paloma Pérez-Lago González]] (born 1967), one fashion model and TV presenter
* [[Paloma Pérez-Lago González]], one of the best known fashion models and Television [[presenter]]s in [[Spain]], (born 1967).
* [[Carlos Jean]] (born 1973), electronic musician and music producer
* [[Carlos Jean]], electronic musician and music producer of mix race [[Hispanic]]/[[Haitian]] origin, (born 1973).
* [[Paula Vázquez Picallo]] (born 1973), TV presenter and model
* [[Paula Vázquez Picallo]], one of the best known Television [[presenter]]s, in [[Spain]] also model and actress, (born 1973).
* [[Ignacio Javier Gómez Novo]] (born 1979), professional footballer
* [[Ignacio Javier Gómez Novo]], professional footballer, since 2004 playing for [[Rangers F.C.|Glasgow Rangers]], (born 1979).


===Life, culture and industry in Ferrol===
==See also==
[[Image:RiaFerrolAsteleiros.jpg|thumb|right|Partial view of the [[Navantia]] Shipyards in [[Ferrol]] - ''In the middle ground of the picture an oil tanker is being repaired'' - [[Ferrolterra]]]]
* [[Alvaro de Bazán class]], frigates built at Ferrol for the [[Spanish Navy]] (2002-2005)
* [[Buque de Proyección Estratégica]], being built at Ferrol (2003-2008) Multipurpose Warship for the Spanish Navy[http://www.armada.mde.es/esp/ElFuturo/BuqueProyeccionEstrategica/Antecedentes.asp]
* [[Fridtjof Nansen class frigate]], frigates built at Ferrol for the [[Norwegian Navy]] (2006)
* [[LPD (Landing Platform Docks) L-51 Galicia]], built at Ferrol for the Spanish Navy (1996-1998)
* [[Vickers-Armstrong]] [[Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval]] (1909-1925/1936)
* [[Ships Built in the Shipyards of El Ferrol between 1750 and 1909]]
* [[School of Peritos Navales and Industriales]], created in 1963 and fully inaugurated in 1966. UDC since 1990.
* [[Endesa Termic]], located in nearby [[Ferrolterra|As pontes de García Rodríguez]], has one of the tallest chimneys in Europe built in 1974.
* [[Racing Club de Ferrol]], main local football team (since 1917)
* [[El Correo Gallego]] currently, since the 1980s, is the most important newspaper of [[Santiago de Compostela]] founded in Ferrol in 1878.
* [[El Ferrol Diario]] Ferrol's most popular newspaper till the early 1980s when became extinct (1950s-1980s).
* [[El Diario de Ferrol]] Ferrol's most popular newspaper since its creation in 1996. Since 1999 own by [[El Ideal Gallego]].
* [[El Casino de Ferrol]] 19th century institution originally created to satisfy the social needs of the local bourgeoisie and upper classes.
* [[El Circulo Mercantil de Ferrol]] Since the 1970s includes: a Sports centre with swimming pools, mini-golf, tennis courts, and a long etc.
* [[El Club Naval de Ferrol]] Originally design for the amusement of the [[Spanish Navy|Spanish Navy personnel and their families]] (1970s-1990s).
* [[Spain’s National Exhibition of Ship Building (Exponav)]] all year round permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of shipbuilding in Spain (Since 2008).
* [[Year Calendar of Major Events, Parties and Celebrations in Ferrol]] for the 21st century
* [[The Ferrolterra Pantin Classic]] gathers every year all the most international and remarkable figures in the world of [[Surfboard|surf]]
* [[Doninos, Esmelle and St. George's Beach]] Ferrol is very privilege for its high quality beaches, ideal for [[List of water sports|Water Sports]] like surfing

===History of Galicia and Ferrol===
* [[Battle of Trafalgar]]. The Napoleonic [[Spanish Navy|Spanish]] & [[French Navy|French]] fleets versus [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Nelson]] and the [[Royal Navy|British]] fleet @ [[Cape Trafalgar]] (1805).
* [[Cosme Damián de Churruca y Elorza]], Spanish Naval officer trained as such in Ferrol and [[Cadiz]] hero of the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] (1761-1805) .
* [[Peninsular War]] (1808-1814). See also: [[Joseph Bonaparte]] (1808-1813) together with [[guerrilla warfare|Guerrilla]]
* [[South American Wars of Independence]]. Most of "[[Spanish Empire|Spanish America]]" turns into a "[[Ibero-America|Spanish Speaking Commonwealth of Independent States]]" (1810s-1820s)
* [[Spanish Civil War]]. Unsuccessful attempt to introduce "[[La Pepa]]", popular name for the "[[liberal constitution of 1812]]" (1820-1823)
* [[Casto Méndez Núñez]], at the [[Battle of El Callao]] and at the [[Battle of Abtao]], General Commander of the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish fleet in the Pacific]] (1866)
* [[Spanish-American War]]. The loss of the last "[[Spanish Empire|Spanish Possessions]] in the Americas and the Pacific: [[Cuba]], [[Philippines]] and [[Puerto Rico]] to the [[United States of America]] (1898). See also: [[Treaty of Paris (1898)]]
* [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936-1939). See also: [[World War II|Second World War]] (1939-1945) and [[Cold War]] (1945-1989/1991)
* [[Francisco Franco]]. Former Chief of the [[Spanish State]] known as "[[Caudillo de España]]" from 1939 to 1975 (1892-1975)
* [[Latin Monetary Union]] (1865-1927) Spain introduces the "[[Peseta]]" and joins in 1868. See also: [[Latin Union]] (Since 1954) together with [[Latin Europe]] and [[Latin America]]
* [[Peseta]] (1868-2002) Spain, together with most of the countries in the [[European Union]] introduced the "[[Euro]]" in 2002. See also: [[Schengen treaty]]
* [[European Union]]. Spain joined [[European Community]] as a full member in (1986)


[[Image:RiaFerrolAsteleiros.jpg|thumb|right|Partial view of the [[Navantia]] shipyards in [[Ferrol]].]]
*[[Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval]]
* [[School of Peritos Navales and Industriales]]
* [[Endesa Termic]]
* [[Racing Club de Ferrol]]
* [[El Correo Gallego]]
* [[El Ferrol Diario]]
* [[El Diario de Ferrol]]
* [[El Casino de Ferrol]]
* [[El Circulo Mercantil de Ferrol]]
* [[El Club Naval de Ferrol]]
{{Commons|Ferrol}}
{{Commons|Ferrol}}
{{sisterlinks|Ferrol}}
{{sisterlinks|Ferrol}}
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.ferrol.es/ Official website] {{gl icon}}
* {{sp icon}} [http://www.ferrol.es/ Official Web-page in Galician and Spanish for City Council of Ferrol]
* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5138/ UNESCO World Heritage List: El Ferrol (''Submission Papers'') 27/04/2007.] {{en icon}}
* {{en icon}} [http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5138/ UNESCO World Heritage List: El Ferrol (''Submission Papers'') 27/04/2007.]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.navantia.es/irj/portal/anonymous?guest_user=anonymous_en NAVANTIA Spanish Company, Leader in Military Shipbuilding]
* [http://www.travelthewondersofspain.com/north.html Green Tourism in Northern Spain 2005] {{en icon}}
* {{en icon}} [http://www.travelthewondersofspain.com/north.html Green Tourism in Northern Spain 2005]
* [http://www.clubmontanaferrol.com/miradores.htm Site devoted to the art of landscape and nature of Ferrolterra] {{es icon}}
* {{es icon}} [http://www.clubmontanaferrol.com/miradores.htm Site devoted to the art of landscape and nature of Ferrolterra]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.geocities.com/ferrolhistory/Ferrol_WorldHistory.html Traveller's Guide of Europe: Ferrol c.1919]
* {{en icon}} [http://flagspot.net/flags/es~fe.html Ferrol Maritime Province - Registration Ensign 2001]
* {{sp icon}} [http://www.kbismarck.com/mgl/spanishcivwar.htm Warships of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)]
* {{eu icon}} [http://www.foromaritimovasco.com/documentos/barlovento/COSME%20DAMIAN%20DE%20CHURRUCA.PDF Damian Cosme de Churruca y Elorza (1761-1805) PDF Doc.]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Navy_List_1805/Ship_Duties/Off_Port.html Vessels Blockading various French and Spanish ports - May 1805.]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/patino/ Auxiliary Oiler and replenishment ship (Spanish and Dutch project) made in Ferrol 1994]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/chakrinaruebet/ Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier design and made in Ferrol 1997]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/texaco/texaco6.html Offshore Technology design and made in Ferrol 2004]
* {{sp icon}} [http://www.cisferrol.net/ Official web-page in Spanish for the C.I.S.- Ferrol]
* {{sp icon}} [http://asde.scouts-es.net/gs19/index1.html The 19th Group of Boy Scouts of Ferrol since 1920s]


{{Ferrolterra}}
{{Ferrolterra}}
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{{Galician cities}}
{{Galician cities}}
{{A Coruña (province)}}
{{A Coruña (province)}}

[[Category:Municipalities in A Coruña]]
[[Category:A Coruña province]]
[[Category:Coastal settlements in Spain]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Spain]]
[[Category:Spanish Navy]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Spain]]
[[Category:Castles in Spain]]
[[Category:16th-century disasters|The Great Fire of Ferrol of 1568]]


[[ar:فيرول، لا كرونيا]]
[[ar:فيرول، لا كرونيا]]

Revision as of 12:33, 3 June 2010

Ferrol
City & Naval Station
Flag of Ferrol
Flag
Official seal of Ferrol
Seal
Coat of arms of Ferrol
Coat of arms
Nickname: 
The Departamental City of Ferrol
Sailors assigned to the Ferrol Naval Academy on practise parade
Sailors assigned to the Ferrol Naval Academy on practise parade
Location of the City & Naval Station of Ferrol within Galicia.
Location of the City & Naval Station of Ferrol within Galicia.
CountrySpain
RegionGalicia
ProvinceA Coruña
Metropolitan CouncilFerrol
Type of Sea PortsSports, Fishing, Commercial & Military
Subdivisions21 Boroughs
NUTS-CodeES4
FerrolterraFerrol, Eume & Ortegal
Settlement History
List
Government
 • TypeMetropolitan Council
 • BodyFerrol City Council
 • MayorVicente Irisarri Castro (PSdeG)
Area
 • City & Naval Station942.06 km2 (363.73 sq mi)
 • Land81.9 km2 (31.6 sq mi)
Population
 (2007)INE
 • City & Naval Station241,528 Ferrolterra
 • Urban
77,859 Ferrol City Centre
 • Metro
163,669 Ferrol Borough Region
 52 % Galician, 14% Castillan, 11% Andalusian, 8% Basque, 6% Asturian, and 9% Other
Demonym(s)ferrolan (m), ferrolana (f)
Time zoneCET (GMT +1)
 • Summer (DST)CEST (GMT +2)
Postcode
15401 - 15406
Area code+34 981
Websitehttp://www.ferrol.es/

Ferrol is a city in the Province of A Coruña in Galicia. Located on the Atlantic coast in north-western Spain, it has urban population of 77,859 and metropolitan area of over 241,528 (2007)

The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the North since the time of the early Bourbons. Before that, in the 17th century, Ferrol was the most important arsenal in Europe. Today, the city is also known as the home of the shipbuilding yards of Navantia[1].

The city was the birthplace of the Spanish General Francisco Franco in 1892, and was officially known as El Ferrol del Caudillo from 1938 to 1982. It was also the birth place of the founder of the Spanish socialist party PSOE, Pablo Iglesias, in 1850.

Ferrol

(Classification of the Outer and Inner Ports of Ferrol) [2]

  • Military ports - Great expansion during the 18th century and still is the most important Naval Station in North-western Spain.[3]
  • Commercial ports - Due to the great expansions of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, soon to be one of the largest in Spain.
  • Sport ports - Still awaiting to be fully developed to its true potential during the 21st century unlike most ports of Ferrolterra.
  • Fishing ports - Still awaiting to be fully developed to its true potential during the 21st century unlike most ports of Ferrolterra.

Note: For those who want to read further about the, non-military, "Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority" which covers a substantial part of the Galician coast including all its ports and lighthouses from San Cibrao to Ferrol, it is advisable to visit the external official link shown in the references section.[4]

History

Megalithic Tomb in Ribeira, 125 km from the City of Ferrol

The existence of prehistoric human settlements in this green corner of Iberia is back up by the abundance of burial chambers, megalithic monuments as well as Petroglyphs and other archaeological findings. The Phoenicians established in this area different dried and salted cod stations and their presence together with the presence of the Ancient Greeks is well documented by historians like Herodotus amongst others. In Roman times, in the 1st century BC, a fishing port existed in the bay of Ferrol. After the fall of Rome the whole Iberian Peninsula, including Ferrol, was raided by the Vandals, occupied in 411 by the Suevi though their kingdom was incorporated in 584 by Leovigild to the Visigothic kingdom of Spain. [5]

Raided from 711 to 739 by the Arabs, Ferrol was ultimately recaptured by the Visigothic king of Asturias in 754 remaining onwards an integral part of Christian Spain. [6]

The House of Asturias established an important Christian Outpost to protect their realms from the infidel Arab invaders who every now and then were coming up north for booty and treasures. A good example could be Al-Mansur who, in the 10th century, robbed and sacked different Christian settlements, including the holy city of Santiago de Compostela in 997. But during the 10th century was not only the Arabs, those who were robbing and sacking Christian settlements in this part of Spain, also the Normans and the Vikings were equally fearsome and the legend says that some of them ended up establish themselves permanently in these green pastures of northern Iberia for good; leaving behind their pagan, and bloody past, to became good Christians - and (who knows?) may be this is where the fishing and shipbuilding tradition of the people of this parts of Spain comes from!.

In the 14th century Henry II gave the town to the powerful Andrade family. [7]

The Spanish Armada engaging the English Fleet (note gunfire between ships, and St George's Cross and Elizabethan Royal arms on several vessels)

During the reign of Phillip II [8], and with regard to the history of Ferrol, two major events are worth being mentioned, the great fire of 1568[9] which will reduced to rubble the old medieval town, and the fact that some parts of the existing fortifications at the entrance of the estuary were built; some of these still exist today as they were in the late-16th century[10], when the Spanish Armada [11] sought refuge locally, to protect themselves from the rough Atlantic waters they encountered, when they were on their military mission to persuade the English to return to the Catholic faith. At that time the town was considered more important as a Royal Arsenal than as a safe harbour.

With the arrival of the Bourbons in the 18th century, the City and Port of Ferrol became a leading naval centre [12], and for the first time, the immense strategic importance of the port was appreciated. Ferrol was made Capital of the Maritime Department of the North, formed under Ferdinand VI and Charles III for the defence of the Spanish Colonial Empire in America. Rapid and well-planned improvements followed, notably under the leadership of the Marquis of Ensenada, and the position of Ferrol was made almost unassailable from the sea, the difficulties of disembarking troops on its precipitous coast being heightened by a renewed line of fortresses and newly built castles, including San Carlos.

The Spanish America at the end of the 18th century (c.1800)

The Royal Dockyards of A Graña and Ferrol, were built between 1726-1783[13] and produced ships protected with copper sheets from the rolling mills of Xubia. In 1772, The Spanish Royal Academy of Naval Engineers of Ferrol was created -- the first such academy in Spain.

Ferrol was virtually impossible to blockade in the age of sail, as strong westerly winds would take any blockading force away along the treacherous north coast of Spain where they had no safe haven. The geography of Ferrol meant that an entire Spanish fleet could slip out on a single tide. By the time the British were able to resume the blockade, the Spanish would be safely away and out to sea. (By contrast, British forces blockading Cadiz could seek refuge at Gibraltar, and those blockading the French naval port of Brest could seek refuge in Torbay. The British could then quickly return when the weather changed before too many of the blockaded ships had time to reach open water via the narrow channels).

Despite these advantages, a decline set during the reign of Charles IV, and in 1800, after the defences had been reduced, a British fleet of 109 vessels landed troops on the beach of Doniños to take the Castle of San Felipe. This attack on Ferrol took place during the Napoleonic wars in Europe, when the Spaniards were expected to take side with the French, as they did in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 [14]. Although only equipped with meagre artillery, the castle's small defence force under the command of Count Donadio together with a sizable number of volunteer citizens of Ferrol, successfully resisted the attack and the fleet withdrew.

After the unsuccessful attempt to capture Ferrol in 1800, the British Prime Minister William Pitt said in the House of Commons that "If Great Britain had a naval station so easy to defend as Ferrol, due to its location, it would have been surrounded by a thick silver wall".

The alliance with England during the Peninsular War of 1808-14 failed to prevent the deterioration in the town’s fortunes. The arsenals and fortresses were abandoned and they were easily occupied by the French in 1809. (The English author C. S. Forester (1899-1966) immortalized Ferrol in his Horatio Hornblower novels when he decided that this was the Naval Station where his imaginary Royal Navy Officer was taken as a prisoner of war when captured by the Spanish during the Napoleonic Wars).

Aerial view of the city (2009)

Under Ferdinand VII, Ferrol became a “dead” town, losing its title of capital. New activities sprang up, however, in the mid-19th century, during the administration of the Marquis de Molina[15], Spanish Minister for Naval affairs, which included amongst other political successes the construction and launch in the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol, of Spain's first steam propelled ship in 1858.

The second half of the 19th century brought to the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol not just plenty of work but social and political tensions which will end up in the failed republican uprising of 1872[16]. The social tensions and political unrest will resume decades later, at different times, particularly towards the beginning of the 20th century [17].

Ten years after the Spanish-American War of 1898 [18] [19] where the Spaniards lost Cuba and the Philippines, the Maura Government, in an attempt to restore the Spanish Navy and Spanish shipbuilding industry hired to the Spanish Society for Naval Construction (whose major investors were the British firms: John Brown, Vickers and Armstrong[20]) the shipbuilding yards, workshops, foundries and dry docks in Ferrol.

For a period of sixteen years, all the technicians were exclusively British, and the situation was not altered till 1925 when the management was taken over by Spanish engineers, as one of the new policies introduced by the then newly created government, including ministers both civil and military, of the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923–1930). The arrival of the British coincided with the construction of a local electric-powered trolley streetcar’s line (1924-1961) which at the time was a common feature in the USA and some parts of Europe but not so much in North-western Spain. [1]

The FFG Digitally Controlled Frigates built in Ferrol (2005)

In sight of the outbreak of a civil war, and because there was fear of social unrest in the naval station, the Foreign Office in London, [21] [22] organized a ship to repatriate all the remaining British citizens and on July 22, 1936 HMS Witch (D89)[23], a destroyer, captained by B.A. Warburton-Lee, departed from Ferrol back to Britain. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) meant that the shipbuilding yards, workshops, foundries and dry docks in Ferrol were taken over by the state and fully nationalized in 1945 under the name "Bazàn", later renamed "IZAR", and from January 2005, Navantia. The town has also been, for centuries, the birthplace of national and international personalities: men and women of letters, statesmen, politicians, and others, amongst them Francisco Franco, after whom the city was officially known as El Ferrol del Caudillo from 1938 to 1982. The end of the dictatorship and the arrival of democracy in 1978 did not help Ferrol, [24] and from 1982 to the early 1990s, the city confronted numerous problems due to a decline in the naval sector. The beginning of the new millennium however, has been a time of economic expansion and prosperity in general [25]. A new motorway and an outer-port [26] have been recently built; making the communications by land and sea, with the rest of the world, much easier and faster.

Ferrol, the most important Naval Station in the north of Spain,[27] which has hosted the large NATO Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner (RN) in June 2008,[28] with its well sheltered harbour and busy port, together with the Navantia shipyards seems to be flourishing once again, and with it, the whole heavily populated district of As Mariñas and Ferrolterra.

Climate

Template:Ferrol Climate

Economy

  1. Primary Industries – Agriculture (Horse Breeding), Aquaculture (Fish Farming), Fishing (Specializing in the Atlantic Shoals), Important Mines (ENDESA), NTFP (Forest Harvest), Quarries and Timber.
  2. Secondary Industries – Shipbuilding, Ship Engines, Turbines (Wind Mills and Ships), Electrical Equipment, Ironworks, Fashion (Textiles), Food (Canned Fish) and Wood-Made Products.
  3. Tertiary Industries – Mercantile, Fishing and Military Ports, Restaurants, News Media (Ferrol TV/Diario de Ferrol), Hotels (Barceló Almirante/Pazo Libunca), Leisure and Tourism (World Surf Competitions, Popular Transatlantic Steamships Stop), Consulting, Health Care/Hospitals (Arquitecto Marcide Hospital Complex), Education (Schools, Colleges/ESENGRA and Universities/UNED/PERITOS) and Public Utilities, Franchises (main brand names and designer label's shops), Wholesale (Navy Suppliers/Anton-Martin) and Retail Industries (El Corte Inglés/Alcampo).
  4. Quaternary Sector Industries – Naval, Electrical and Mechanical Equipment together with New Technologies (Galician Centre for Innovations and Services CIS-FERROL).

Sister Cities

These are the official sister cities of Ferrol:

Spain Mondoñedo, Spain (2004)
Spain Lugo, Spain (2000)

See also

Notable Galicians born in Ferrol

Life, culture and industry in Ferrol

Partial view of the Navantia Shipyards in Ferrol - In the middle ground of the picture an oil tanker is being repaired - Ferrolterra

History of Galicia and Ferrol

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferrol.

References

  • Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  1. ^ NAVANTIA Spanish Company, Leader in Military Shipbuilding Template:En icon
  2. ^ Ferrol Maritime Province - Registration Ensign 2001 Template:En icon
  3. ^ Revista Naval: The Spanish Navy’s Web-based and Ferrol Published Official Magazine Since the early 1990s Template:Sp icon
  4. ^ "Ferrol-San Cibrao Port Authority" Template:En icon
  5. ^ (Britoniensis ecclesiae episcopus) Mailoc or Maeloc was the bishop of Britonia who participated in the Second Council of Braga (572). Template:En icon
  6. ^ Official Web-site of the Diocese of Ferrol-Mondoñedo Template:Sp icon
  7. ^ Interesting document showing the royals of Spain from 1492 till 1805: Spanish Empire Template:En icon
  8. ^ Alonso Pita da Veiga the most heroic Spaniard at the Battle of Pavia (Italy) 1525 Template:Sp icon
  9. ^ “History of Ferrol” (1846) El Ferrolano Newspaper, 10th February 1846, no.1, Front Cover: Ferrol
  10. ^ UNESCO World Heritage List: El Ferrol (Submission Papers) 27/04/2007. Template:En icon
  11. ^ Route taken by the Spanish Armada 1588 which sought refuge in Ferrol Template:En icon
  12. ^ The City and Naval Station of El Ferrol during the Reign of Charles III of Spain by the Dutch pilot Hugh Debbieg ( 1731-1810) Template:En icon
  13. ^ "Ferrol." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Template:En icon
  14. ^ Vessels Blockading various French and Spanish ports - May 1805. Template:En icon
  15. ^ "The Armies of Europe, Spain as a War Making Power" (1858) The New York Times, 6th February 1858, Page 4, 1074 words: New York <<At the famous station of Ferrol, for instance, where fourteen great line-of-battleships had been launch in four years... but two were built between 1794 and 1845. In 1852 the Spanish Navy numbered 124 vessels in active service...>> Template:En icon
  16. ^ "Entrance into Ferrol of the Government Troops" (1872) The New York Times, 16th October 1872, Page 1, 554 words: New York <<Madrid, Oct. 15.-The Captain-General of Galicia entered Ferrol Sunday Night with a body of government troops. He now holds the town, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements en route from Santander and Gijon, and with his increased force expects to crush the insurrection without shedding of blood.>> Template:En icon
  17. ^ "Serious Disorders in Spain at Ferrol" (1899) The New York Times, 25th September 1899, Page 1, 88 words: New York <<Mob of 3,000 stone Catholic Club at Ferrol... Dispersed by Gards... Martial Law Proclaimed>> Template:En icon
  18. ^ "Great Activity at Ferrol" (1898) The New York Times, 11th June 1898, Page 1, 129 words: New York Template:En icon
  19. ^ The launch of “Cardenal Cisneros” the first “Pre-dreadnought battleship” built in Ferrol, Spain (1897) "The Ferrol and the Galician-rias commercial-role with North, South and Central America":El Correo Gallego (Spanish Newspaper) 19th March 1897by Jose R. de Trujillo, Spanish Royal Navy Commander Template:Es icon
  20. ^ "SPANISH NAVY: Huge Contract in British Hands" (1909) The Manchester Guardian, 1st February 1909, Page 12: Manchester <<... Vickers, Armstrong and Brown... it has been determined to put down a new shipyard at Ferrol in Spain... Mr A J Campbell... has been appointed manager of the Ferrol yard... Mr Peter Muir ... has been appointed assistant manager. A considerable number of expert shipbuilders have sign on to go to Spain... there is a reason to believe that employment will be found to some hundreds of British shipbuilders, engineers, electricians, and other tradesmen in the new Spanish yard for several years to come.>> Template:En icon
  21. ^ "British Vice-Consulate at Ferrol": General Correspondence FO 63/1041. The National Archives - Official Web-site Template:En icon
  22. ^ "British Vice-Consulate at Ferrol": General Correspondence FO 72/1689. The National Archives - Official Web-site Template:En icon
  23. ^ "British Sending Troops" (1936) The New York Times, 22th July 1936, Page 3, 110 words: New York <<The destroyer Witch was proceeding to Ferrol, Spain, and the destroyer Wren will go to Corunna the Admiralty announced.>> Template:En icon
  24. ^ Shipbuilding crisis after the arrival of democracy in Spain "Ferrol Shipyards":Financial Times 19th Octuber 1984 Template:En icon
  25. ^ “Fridtjof Nansen class frigates” during one of the final stages for completion in Ferrol Template:En icon
  26. ^ Views of the new outer-port of Ferrol, an intermodal freight transport port design to suit the new needs Template:En icon
  27. ^ John Pike. "Spanish Navy (Armada)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2008-11-27. Template:En icon
  28. ^ NATO Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner (RN) in June 2008 accessdate=2008-11-27 Template:En icon
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