CAR'TAGE'NA, Sp. pron. kiieta-nii'ml. An important seaport and one of the chief naval stations of Spain, in the Province of Alnrehl, situated on a bay of the •.7 inih•-: sonth-southeast of :1\ (Slap: Spain, E 41. It is built partly 1111 the .lope of a hill and partly in a plain. The harbor is one of the best on the Mediterranean, capacious enough to hold the largest Ileets, with a narrow entrance commanded by fortifications placed on the sum mits of two volcanic cliffs. There are other de fenses nearer the city to the east and west. The city, which is surrounded by walls, is well 'milt and has some wide and good streets, and several tine plazas, notably 1.a Alereed, La Constitneion, and Del Rey. In the part of The city is the Castillo de In Coneepei.ln, at an elevation of over 225 feet, and of interest for it ruins and magnificent view-. Among the more noteworthy structures are the Gothic cathedral. dating from the Thirteenth Century. which in the Middle Ages is said to have been one of the richest in Spain; the Hospitallitar. on a fine site over looking the sea; the Hospital de la Caridad, xvhich aecommodates GOO patients; the Cuartel de I luardias :\larinas. and the Presidio. The leading feature of tlw city is the arsenal. occupying a site on the southwest, which has an extensive equipment of foundries. machine barracks. hospitals, dockyards, docks. etc., all of its facilities being on a large scale. A mar ine school also is maintained. Cartagena is an •piseopal s(e. and contains a number of educa tional institutions. both public and private. Good water is supplied through a new aqueduet. With its suburbs, Cartagena eonstitutes an im portant commercial and mining centre. and it is also the seat of considerable industrial interests.
Lead• argentiferous ore, iron, umnganiferous iron, and some copper and zinc are mined in the vicinity. There are extensive smelting-works, glass-works, and manufactures of esparto grass wares, sailcloth, cordage, soap, pottery, liquors, etc. The tunny fishery and ship-building also are industries of importance. The commerce of the city consists of an export trade in minerals, es parto, oranges, and lemons, and imports of ma chinery, provisions, coal and coke, timber, etc. Population, in 11101. 103,373.
Cartagena, anciently known as Carthago :Vora and Carthago Esparturia, was founded in B.C. 223 by llasdruhal. As the Carthaginian headquarters in Spain. it became a town of importance, and had equal influence under the Romans after its capture by Scipio in a.e. 210. In A.D. 425 Carta gena was sacked by the Vandals; early in the Eighth Century it was taken by the Saracens. Saint Ferdinand of Castile captured the city in 1244; hut it was retaken, and not until it fell be fore the arms of James 1. of Aragon (lid it come finally into Christian hands. In 1509 Cardinal Nimenez sailed from Cartagena on the famous ex pedition against Oran. In the War of the Span ish Succession. it was taken (170G) by an English-Dutch fleet, but was recovered shortly afterwards. It surrendered to tile French in 1323. In the political struggles of the Nine teenth Century. Cartagena played comparatively an unimportant part until 1873. when it pro claimed an independent eantonalgovernment. The insurrection was soon put down. hut not until the city had suffered a disastrous bombardment.