A Coruña ' onMouseout='HidePop("21396")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/English_language">English
English is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, and archaically
The Groyne) is the second largest city in Galicia in northwestern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, second only in size to the port of
VigoVigo is the largest city in Galicia, Spain, located in the province of Pontevedra.It has a population of 295,703, with an extended metropolitan population of 468,654, making it the 14th-largest metropolitan area of Spain. Vigo is the largest city in Spain which is not a provincial...
in
Pontevedra ProvincePontevedra is a province of Spain along the country's Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. The province forms the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia...
. The city is the capital of
A Coruña ProvinceA Coruña is the most North-western Atlantic-facing province of Spain, and one of the four provinces which constitute the autonomous community of Galicia...
. It had been the Galician capital from 1563 to 1982 before that role was moved to
Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, it was a "European City of Culture" for the year 2000...
.
Currently, the only official form of the name is the
GalicianGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal.Galician and Portuguese...
one,
A Coruña. Nonetheless, the Spanish form
La Coruña is still widespread.
A Coruña is a busy port located on a promontory in the entrance of an estuary in a large gulf (the
Portus Magnus Artabrorum of the classical geographers) on the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
. It provides a distribution point for agricultural goods from the region. Although much of the heavy industry is based on the shipyards and metalworks of the neighbouring city of Ferrol, there is an
oil refineryPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
in A Coruña itself.
The city's traditional name in English is
CorunnaCorunna is the traditional English name of the city A Coruña in Spain and the surrounding province A Coruña .Corunna is also the name of a number of places in North America:*Corunna, Ontario, Canada...
.
Etymology
The toponym derives from
Crunia, of unknown origin and meaning. At the time of
Ferdinand II of LeonFerdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of Castile and León and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received the León and Galicia, whil ehis brother Sancho receiving Castile and...
(12th century) the name
Crunia was documented for the first time. As usual in Galician-Portuguese (as well as in Castilian Spanish), the cluster
ni naturally evolved into the sound
A Coruña ({{lang-es|La Coruña}}; {{lang-glg|A Coruña}}; also Corunna in EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, and archaically
The Groyne) is the second largest city in Galicia in northwestern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, second only in size to the port of
VigoVigo is the largest city in Galicia, Spain, located in the province of Pontevedra.It has a population of 295,703, with an extended metropolitan population of 468,654, making it the 14th-largest metropolitan area of Spain. Vigo is the largest city in Spain which is not a provincial...
in
Pontevedra ProvincePontevedra is a province of Spain along the country's Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. The province forms the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia...
. The city is the capital of
A Coruña ProvinceA Coruña is the most North-western Atlantic-facing province of Spain, and one of the four provinces which constitute the autonomous community of Galicia...
. It had been the Galician capital from 1563 to 1982 before that role was moved to
Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, it was a "European City of Culture" for the year 2000...
.
Currently, the only official form of the name is the
GalicianGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal.Galician and Portuguese...
one,
A Coruña. Nonetheless, the Spanish form
La Coruña is still widespread.
A Coruña is a busy port located on a promontory in the entrance of an estuary in a large gulf (the
Portus Magnus Artabrorum of the classical geographers) on the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
. It provides a distribution point for agricultural goods from the region. Although much of the heavy industry is based on the shipyards and metalworks of the neighbouring city of Ferrol, there is an
oil refineryPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
in A Coruña itself.
The city's traditional name in English is
CorunnaCorunna is the traditional English name of the city A Coruña in Spain and the surrounding province A Coruña .Corunna is also the name of a number of places in North America:*Corunna, Ontario, Canada...
.
Etymology
The toponym derives from
Crunia, of unknown origin and meaning. At the time of
Ferdinand II of LeonFerdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of Castile and León and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received the León and Galicia, whil ehis brother Sancho receiving Castile and...
(12th century) the name
Crunia was documented for the first time. As usual in Galician-Portuguese (as well as in Castilian Spanish), the cluster
ni naturally evolved into the sound
A Coruña ({{lang-es|La Coruña}}; {{lang-glg|A Coruña}}; also Corunna in EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, and archaically
The Groyne) is the second largest city in Galicia in northwestern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, second only in size to the port of
VigoVigo is the largest city in Galicia, Spain, located in the province of Pontevedra.It has a population of 295,703, with an extended metropolitan population of 468,654, making it the 14th-largest metropolitan area of Spain. Vigo is the largest city in Spain which is not a provincial...
in
Pontevedra ProvincePontevedra is a province of Spain along the country's Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. The province forms the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia...
. The city is the capital of
A Coruña ProvinceA Coruña is the most North-western Atlantic-facing province of Spain, and one of the four provinces which constitute the autonomous community of Galicia...
. It had been the Galician capital from 1563 to 1982 before that role was moved to
Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, it was a "European City of Culture" for the year 2000...
.
Currently, the only official form of the name is the
GalicianGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal.Galician and Portuguese...
one,
A Coruña. Nonetheless, the Spanish form
La Coruña is still widespread.
A Coruña is a busy port located on a promontory in the entrance of an estuary in a large gulf (the
Portus Magnus Artabrorum of the classical geographers) on the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
. It provides a distribution point for agricultural goods from the region. Although much of the heavy industry is based on the shipyards and metalworks of the neighbouring city of Ferrol, there is an
oil refineryPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
in A Coruña itself.
The city's traditional name in English is
CorunnaCorunna is the traditional English name of the city A Coruña in Spain and the surrounding province A Coruña .Corunna is also the name of a number of places in North America:*Corunna, Ontario, Canada...
.
Etymology
The toponym derives from
Crunia, of unknown origin and meaning. At the time of
Ferdinand II of LeonFerdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of Castile and León and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received the León and Galicia, whil ehis brother Sancho receiving Castile and...
(12th century) the name
Crunia was documented for the first time. As usual in Galician-Portuguese (as well as in Castilian Spanish), the cluster
ni naturally evolved into the sound
{{IPAThe palatal nasal is a type of consonant, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is J. The IPA symbol is a lowercase letter n with a leftward-pointing tail protruding from the bottom...
, written
nn (later abbreviated to
ñ) in the Spanish orthography, and
nh in the Portuguese. The 'A' means 'the'; compare Castilian Spanish 'La' ('the').
A proposed etymology derives Crunia from
ClunyCluny or Clugny is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. It is 20 km north west of Mâcon.The town grew up around the Benedictine Cluny Abbey, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in A.D. 910...
, the town and religious order from the south of France. During its height (c. 950–c.1130) the Cluniac movement was one of the largest religious forces in Europe. There is another town named
Coruña in
Burgos ProvinceBurgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Segovia, and Valladolid. Its capital is the city of Burgos.The province has an area of 14,300...
.
A folk etymology incorrectly derives Coruña from the ancient
columna, or
Tower of HerculesThe Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometers from the centre of A Coruña, Galicia, in north-western Spain. The name Corunna is said to be derived from the ancient columna, meaning column. The structure is tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of...
, which still exists, having been converted into a light-house in 1791.
Official name
-A Coruña is the official name according to Law 3/1983 of the Galician Council. Only this designation is valid in official documentation.
-La Coruña is the traditional name in Spanish recommended by the Real Academia Española{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}. Is usually used in extra-official documents and in conversations between Spanish-speakers.
Now several groups of people are advocating elevating the form "La Coruña" to official status, pointing to the provisions of the
Spanish Constitution of 1978The Constitution of Spain is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. It was enacted after a referendum on 6 December 1978 after approval by 88% of voters.-Origins:...
. They claim that the Constitution is violated by not allowing the use of Spanish, an official language, to name a city and in official documents, and that no Autonomous Regional law can prevail over the Constitution.
Geography
A Coruña is located on a peninsula, and its isthmus was at times formed only by a small strip of sand. Erosion and sea currents caused a progressive accumulation of sand, enlarging it to its present dimensions.
A Coruña is one of only eight pairs of cities in the world that has a near-exact
antipodalIn geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it...
city. Half of these antipodal pairs are in Spain/
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
– with Christchurch, New Zealand as A Coruña's antipode.
Suburbs
- Cidade Vella (Old Town)
- A Mariña (The Marine)
- Os Cantóns (The Cantons)
- Pescadería (Fishmonger's)
- O Ensanche (Development)
- Cidade Xardín (Garden City)
- Catro Camiños (Four Waies)
- A Gaiteira (The Piper)
- Os Mallos
- Zalayeta
- Monte Alto (High Mountain)
- Falperra – Santa Lucia (Falperra – St Lucia)
- Juan Flórez – San Pablo (Juan Florez – St Paul)
- Os Castros (The Hill Forts)
- Agra do Orzán
- Sagrada Familia (Holy Family)
- Labañou – San Roque (Labañou – St Roch)
- Barrio das Flores (Flowers Suburb)
- Elviña
- O Ventorrillo
- Castrillón
- Adormideras (Opium Poppies)
- O Birloque
- Matogrande
- Os Rosales (The Bushes)
- Paseo de los puentes (Bridges Street)
- Mesoiro
- Novo Mesoiro (New Mesoiro)
- Someso
- Vioño
- Eirís
- San Pedro de Visma (St. Peter of Visma)
- Bens
- A Silva – San Xosé
- Palavea
- Casabranca – As Xubias (Whitehouse – The Jubias)
- Feáns
- A Zapateira (The Shoemaker)
- Santa Margarita
Climate
The climate of A Coruña is
temperate maritimeAn oceanic climate is the climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of all the world's continents, and in southeastern Australia...
and heavily moderated by the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
; however it does display some characteristics of a
Mediterranean climateA hi Mediterranean climate resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes most of the area with this climate type worldwide...
. Autumn and winter are often unsettled and unpredictable with strong
windsWINDS , is a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, however a problem detected in a second stage manoeuvring thruster delayed it to 23 February...
and abundant rainfall, coming from Atlantic
depressionsA low pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area. Low pressure systems form under areas of upper level divergence on the east side of upper troughs, or due to localized heating caused by greater insolation or active thunderstorm...
and it is often
overcastOvercast or overcast weather is the meteorological condition of clouds obscuring 95% or more of the sky.Overcast happens when the entire sky becomes covered with clouds; hence the word to describe it. Sometimes clouds can be different colors such as black or white, but the word usually refers to...
. The ocean keeps temperatures mild, and
frostFrost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapor available. Frost is also usually translucent in appearance. There are many types of...
and
snowSnow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes...
are rare. In summer, it is quite dry and sunny with only occasional rainfall, temperatures are warm but rarely uncomfortably hot due to the sea's cooling influence during the day. Spring is usually cool and fairly calm.
Prehistory
A Coruña spread from the peninsula where the
Tower of HerculesThe Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometers from the centre of A Coruña, Galicia, in north-western Spain. The name Corunna is said to be derived from the ancient columna, meaning column. The structure is tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of...
stands, onto the mainland. The oldest part, known popularly as Cidade Vella (Old City), Cidade Alta (High City) or the Cidade (City), is built on an ancient Celtic castro. It was supposedly inhabited by the Artabrians, the Celtic tribe of the area.
Roman times
The Romans came to the region in the 2nd century BC, and the colonisers made the most of the strategic position and soon the city became quite important in maritume trade. In 62 BC Julius Caesar came to the city (known at the time as Brigantium) in pursuit of the metal trade, establishing commerce with the regions that would eventually be France, England and Portugal. The town began growing, mainly during the 1st and 2nd centuries (when the Torre de Hércules was built), but declined after the 4th century and especially with the
incursions of the NormansNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is situated along the English Channel coast of Northern France between Brittany and Picardy and comprises territory in northern France and the Channel Islands.Normandy is divided between French and British...
, which forced the population to flee towards the interior of the Estuary of O Burgo.
Middle Ages
After the fall of the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
, A Coruña still had a commercial port connected to foreign countries, but contacts with the Mediterranean were slowly replaced by a more Atlantic-oriented focus
.
The process of deurbanization that followed the fall of the Roman Empire also affected A Coruña. Between the 7th and 8th centuries AD, the city was no more than a little village of laborers and sailors.
The 11th-century
Chronica iriense names Faro do Burgo (ancient name of A Coruña) as one of the dioceses that king
Miro-Companies:*Miro Technologies, an MRO supplier from California*Miro Company, a French game manufacturer-In entertainment:*Miromusic, electronic dance band original from Denmark*Giardini di Mirò, an Italian rock group...
granted to the episcopate of
Iria FlaviaIria Flavia or simply Iria in Galicia, northwestern Spain, was a Celtiberian port, the main seat of the Caporos, on the road between Braga and Astorga. The Romans rebuilt the road as via XVIII or Via Nova and refounded the Celtiberian port as Iria Flavia to compliment Vespasian...
in the year 572:
"Mirus Rex Sedi suae Hiriensi contulit Dioceses, scilicet Morratium, Salinensem, (...) Bregantinos, Farum..."
[King Miro granted to his Irienses headquarters the dioceses of Morrazo, Salnés (...). Bergantiños, Faro...]
The Muslim invasion of the Iberian peninsula left no archeological evidence in this area, so it cannot be said whether or not the Muslim invaders ever reached the city. As Muslim rule in early 8th century Galicia consisted little more than a short-lived overlordship of the remote and rugged region backed by a few garrisons, and the city was no more than a village amidst Roman ruins, the invaders showed the same lack of interest in the ruined city as they did generally for the region.
As the city began to recover during the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
the main problem for the inhabitants was the
NormanNorman may refer to:* Norman people or Normans, a people who colonized Normandy in France and conquered other lands, particularly England** Norman architecture, styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans...
raids, as well as the ever present threat of raids ("razzies") from
Al-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to the parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Arab and North African Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492....
to the south. During 9th century there were several
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
attacks on the city, called at that time Faro or Faro Bregancio.
In the year 991, king
Vermudo IIBermudo II or Vermudo II , called the Gouty , was the King of Galicia and León . His reign is summed up by Justo Pérez de Urbel's description of him as “el pobre rey atormentado en la vida por la espada de Almanzor y en muerte por la pluma vengadora de un obispo” Bermudo II or Vermudo II...
began the construction of defensive military positions on the coast. At Faro, in the ruins of the
Tower of HerculesThe Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometers from the centre of A Coruña, Galicia, in north-western Spain. The name Corunna is said to be derived from the ancient columna, meaning column. The structure is tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of...
, a fortress was built, which had a permanent military garrison. To pay for it, he gave power over the city to the bishop of Santiago. The bishop of Santiago became the most important political post in Galicia, and remained so until the 15th century.
In 1208, Alfonso IX re-founded the city of
Crunia. Some privileges, such as those of disembarking and selling
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
without paying taxes, were granted to the city, and it enjoyed a big growth in fishing and mercantile business. The city grew and extended through the isthmus. In 1446
John II of CastileJohn II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454. He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Katherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Pedro of Castile...
granted to A Coruña the title of "City". The Catholic Kings established the Royal Audience of the Kingdom of Galicia in the city, instead of
SantiagoSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, it was a "European City of Culture" for the year 2000...
. A Coruña also became the headquarters of the Captaincy General.
Modern period
During the
Modern periodModern history, or the modern era, describes the historical timeframe after the Middle Ages. Modern history can be further broken down into the early modern period and the late modern period...
, the city was an important port and centre for the manufacturing of textiles. In 1520, king Charles I of Spain (future Emperor Charles V of
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
), met in the Courts of A Coruña and embarked from its harbor to be elected Emperor. Charles I allowed the Government of the Kingdom of Galicia to distribute space in Europe between 1522 and 1529. Commerce with the
IndiesThe Indies is a term used to describe the lands of South and Southeast Asia, occupying all of the present Indian Union, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and also Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, East Timor, Malaysia and Indonesia...
was allowed between 1529 and 1575. The Castle of San Antón was built as a defense of the city and its harbour.
From the port of Ferrol in the
Province of A CoruñaA Coruña is the most North-western Atlantic-facing province of Spain, and one of the four provinces which constitute the autonomous community of Galicia...
,
Philip IIPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
left to marry
Mary TudorMary I , was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death. She was the oldest daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived...
in 1554, and much later, in 1588, from the same port the
Spanish ArmadaThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England.Philip II of Spain had been co-monarch of England until the death of his wife Mary I in 1558...
would set sail to the
Spanish NetherlandsThe Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers...
and
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In the following year, during the
Anglo-Spanish WarThe Anglo–Spanish War was an intermittent conflict between the kingdoms of Spain and England that was never formally declared. The war was punctuated by widely separated battles, and began with England's military expedition in 1585 to the Netherlands under the command of the Earl of Leicester in...
,
Francis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral , was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, a renowned pirate, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth I awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588, subordinate...
besieged A Coruña, but was repelled, starting the legend of
María PitaMaría Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita , known as María Pita, was a heroine of the defense of A Coruña in 1589 against the English Armada....
, a woman who took her dead husband's weapon and continued shooting until she captured a flag of the British enemy.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the wars of the Spanish monarchy caused a great increase in taxes and the start of conscription. In 1620,
Philip IIIPhilip III was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II of Portugal , from 1598 until his death. His chief minister was the Duke of Lerma...
created the School of the Boys of the Sea. In 1682 the Tower of Hercules was restored by Antúnez.
19th century
A Coruña was the site of the
Battle of CorunnaThe Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
during the
Peninsular WarThe Peninsular War was a contest between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars...
, on 16 January 1809, in which British troops fought against the French to cover the embarkation of British troops after their retreat. In this battle
Sir John MooreLieutenant-General Sir John Moore, KB was a British soldier and General. He is best known for his military training reforms and for his death at the Battle of Corunna, in which he defeated a French army under Marshal Soult during the Peninsular War.-Early years:He was born in Glasgow, the son of...
was killed.
Spanish resistance during the
Peninsular WarThe Peninsular War was a contest between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars...
was led by Sinforiano López, and A Coruña was the only Galician city that achieved success against the French troops. French troops left Galicia at the end of May 1809.
During the 19th century, the city was the centre of anti-monarchist sentiment.
On August 19, 1815, Juan Díaz Porlier, pronounced against Fernando VII in defense of the
Spanish Constitution of 1812The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was promulgated by the Cádiz Cortes, the national legislative assembly of Spain acting while in refuge. The Spaniards baptised the constitution "La Pepa" because it was adopted on Saint Joseph's Day, The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was promulgated by the Cádiz...
. He was supported by the
bourgeoisieHistorically, the bourgeoisie were a social class of people, characterized by their ownership of capital and the related culture. They were a part of the middle or merchant classes of European feudalism, where their power came from employment, education, and wealth, as distinguished from those...
and the educated people. But on August 22 he was betrayed. He was hanged in the Campo da Leña two months later.
In all the 19th-century rebellions, A Coruña supported the
liberalLiberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history...
side.
A Coruña also played an important role in the Rexurdimento, and there were founded the Galician Royal Academy in 1906 and the Brotherhoods of the Galician Language in 1916.
Regarding the economy, in 1804 the National Cigarette Factory was founded, and there the workers' movement of the city had its origins. During the 19th century other businesses (glass, foundries, textiles, gas, matches, etc.) were slowly established, but it was maritime trade and migrant travel that attracted Catalan, Belgian, French and English investments. The Bank of A Coruña was founded in 1857. The new provincial division of 1832 also influenced economic development.
20th century
At the beginning of the 20th century, A Coruña had about 45,000 inhabitants. After the decade of 1960, it recovered the business initiative that had been lost, with Barrié de la Maza (
Banco PastorBanco Pastor is the second oldest bank in Spain .It was founded in 1776 by Jaime Dalmau Batista as Jaime Dalmau y Cía , who had a shipping company operating between the port of A Coruña and several American ports...
, Fenosa, Aluminio de Galicia, Genosa, Emesa, etc.).
Elections of 1931
In the Spanish general elections, 1931, all the political parties knew that the electoral results had important political consequences. The campaign of Unión Monárquica was very important in A Coruña and was supported by
El Ideal GallegoEl Ideal Gallego is a Galician newspaper from A Coruña. Founded in A Coruña on 1 April 1917 by José Toubes Pego. In 1999, El Ideal Gallego acquired El Diario de Ferrol becoming its editor and moving their headquarters to the City Port and Naval Station of Ferrol, which like A Coruña, also lies in...
. Republicans and socialists constituted a block, made up of ORGA, independent republicans, PSOE and the Partido Radical Socialista.
In the elections, the republican parties obtained 34 of the 39 council seats. The best results were of the ORGA and of the Partido Radical Socialista, and the Partido Radical lost a lot of support.
During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco
After the
Spanish civil warThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
, supporters of the Republic were forced to go into exile, and those who remained in the country suffered repression by the new government. Supporters of the Fascist faction occupied all important positions, and obtained university degrees "by war".
During this time, the
NazisNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
murdered 13 citizens of A Coruña in Mathausen.
During World War II, the following German U-Boat had been reported as sunk somewhere near the port of A Coruña:
- Unterseeboot 514 Sunk 8 July, 1943 north-east of Cape Finisterre
right|thumb|300px|Position of Cape Finisterre on the [[Iberian Peninsula]]Cape Finisterre is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain....
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. 54 dead (all hands lost).
A group of Franco supporters, lead by Pedro Barrié, bought the estate known as the Pazo de Meirás and gave it to
FrancoFrancisco Franco Bahamonde, commonly known as Francisco Franco , or simply Franco, was a military general and dictator of Spain from October 1936, and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in 1975...
. In the year 1970,
ETAor ETA , is a terrorist, criminal, Basque nationalist and separatist organization. Founded in 1959, it evolved from a group advocating traditional cultural ways to a paramilitary group with the goal of independence for the greater Basque Country from a Marxist-Leninist perspective.Since 1968, ETA...
almost managed to assassinate Franco in A Coruña, but failed at the last moment.
Democracy returns
From 1983 to 2006, the mayor of the city was Francisco Vázquez Vázquez (PSOE), and the city became devoted to services, but he also was criticised because of his offenses to the
Galician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal.Galician and Portuguese...
and his town-planning policies.
On January 20, 2006 Paco Vázquez was named ambassador to the
Vatican CityVatican City , officially the State of the Vatican City , is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy...
, and was later replaced by Javier Losada. Since the 2007 Municipal Elections the local government has been a coalition of the two left-wing parties, PSdeG and
BNGBNG may stand for:* Baby name game- an acronym used on Yahoo! Answers baby names board*Bare Naked Gravity - Bluesband - Aach - Germany - www.bngmusic.de *Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten*Bloque Nacionalista Galego - Galician Nationalist Bloc*Bob and George...
.
The province and city of A Coruña during the 20th century
{{A Coruña Province Population 18th Century}}
{{A Coruña Province Population 19th Century}}
{{A Coruña Province Population 20th Century}}
After the
Battle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars . The battle was the most decisive British naval victory of the war...
(1805) and the War of Independence (1808–1814), the fortunes of Ferrol began to deteriorate. The largest port in northern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, site of one of the three Royal Dockyards, together with
CartagenaCartagena is a Spanish Mediterranean city and naval station in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia....
and
CadizCádiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Cádiz Province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, almost became a “dead” town during the reign of Ferdinand VII. By 1833 the City and Naval Station of Ferrol saw its civilian population reduced to just 13,000. During the administration of the
Marquis de MolinaThe Marquis de Molina was Spanish Minister of Naval affairs, mid-19th century, reign of Isabella II of Spain counting amongst other political achievements the construction and launch in the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol, of Spain's first steam propelled ship in 1858...
, Minister for Naval affairs in the
mid-19th centuryThe 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Ottoman, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
new activities sprang up, but Ferrol never fully returned to its former glories. It should be noted that during those years, most of the
Spanish Colonies in Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
succeeded in gaining independence from their former
metropolisA metropolis is a big city, in most cases with over half a million inhabitants in the city proper, and with a population of at least one million living in its urban agglomeration. Big cities belonging to a larger urban agglomeration, but which are not the core of that agglomeration, are not...
.
The population of the City of A Coruña in 1900 reached 43,971, while the population of the rest of the province including the City and Naval Station of nearby Ferrol as well as
Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, it was a "European City of Culture" for the year 2000...
was 653,556. A Coruña's miraculous growth happened during aftermath of the
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
at a similar rate to other major Galician cities, but it was after the death of
Francisco FrancoFrancisco Franco Bahamonde, commonly known as Francisco Franco , or simply Franco, was a military general and dictator of Spain from October 1936, and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in 1975...
when the city of A Coruña left all the other Galician cities behind (i.e.: with the exception of Vigo of course).
The miraculous meteoric increase of population of the city of A Coruña and to a lesser degree Ferrol and
Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in the north west of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, it was a "European City of Culture" for the year 2000...
, during the years which follow the
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
during the mid 20th century, can only be explained when we see the figures of the number of villages and hamlets of the province which disappeared or nearly disappeared during the same period. We are talking here about an economic revolution and not so much to an explosion of births or a substantial increase in living standards which of course has happened too, but looking to the overall picture what has happened is that the fields have been abandon due to the introduction of new machinery and most of the population has moved to find jobs in the main cities increasing the number of people working in the
TertiaryThe tertiary sector of economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector...
and
Quaternary sectorsThe quaternary sector of the economy is an extension of the three-sector hypothesis of industry. It principally concerns the intellectual services: information generation, information sharing, consultation, education and research and development...
.
The city of A Coruña today
| City's Metropolitan area 2007 |
| District |
population |
| Coruña |
245,164 |
| Culleredo |
26,707 |
| Arteixo |
27,713 |
| Oleiros |
31,694 |
| Sada |
13,606 |
| Bergondo |
6,540 |
| Abegondo |
5,808 |
| Cambre |
22,513 |
| Carral |
5,647 |
The municipality of A Coruña has 245,164 inhabitants, and has one of the highest population densities of Spain and Europe, with around 6,700 inhabitants per square kilometer.
A Coruña and its metropolitan area have more than 419,800 inhabitants. Including the city of Ferrol and the municipalities of Bergantiños and Betanzos, the population of the conurbation is 634,000, making it the most populous area in Galicia, and the second most populous in the northwest region of Spain, after Asturias.
Tourism
Tourism in A Coruña has increased in recent years to the point of reaching received 62 cruise ships a year. One of the drivers of this tourism is the promenade that skirts the entire city, the longest in Europe. It measures 10 kilometers. There is also a tram and a bike path that runs through most of the journey. Furthermore, it is a cultural tour, because his side have been at several museums such as The House of Man and La Casa de los Peces (Aquarium Finisterrae). On the tour we can also find the Castle of San Antón, which contains the archaeological museum, or the Tower of Hercules.
The two main beaches of A Coruña (Orzán and Riazor) are located in the heart of the city and are bordered by the promenade above. This location makes them a great attraction for tourists, being also a meeting point for surfers much of the year. Moreover, the city has other sands like Bens Creek, Las Lapas, Adormideras, San Amaro beach or Oza.
Important tourist holiday is declared the night of San Juan, celebrated with a massive fireworks celebration, parade, burning fails and the ancient fires in all city beaches well into dawn.
In 2006 and for the first time ever, the number of tourists has doubled the population of the city, virtually to 500,000 the number of people who chose the city as a tourist destination.
The city has an extensive network of hotels, international chains and local businesses offer between them a hotel offer over 3,500 beds, which puts the city at the forefront of Galicia. La Coruna has a five-star hotel, Hotel Finisterra, (Hesperia chain). Four-star hotels, Alfonso Molina, María Pita Trip, the Trip Cuatro Caminos, Hesperia John Florez or the Eurostars Ciudad de La Coruña.
Main sights
{{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
.
- The city is the site of the Roman
Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Tower of HerculesThe Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometers from the centre of A Coruña, Galicia, in north-western Spain. The name Corunna is said to be derived from the ancient columna, meaning column. The structure is tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of...
, which is a lighthouse that has been in continuous operation for nearly 2,000 years.
- The city is also well-known for its characteristic glazed window balconies, called galerías. Originally, this type of structure came about as a naval architecture solution for the challenging weather, particularly designed for rainy days. This fashion started in Ferrol in the 18th century when some of the technicians working for the Royal Dockyards had the wonderful idea of using the shape of the back of a war ship in a modern building. Soon, afterwards, most sea ports in northern Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, including the Basque regionThe Basque Country as a greater region is a European cultural region in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain, on the Atlantic coast....
were adding these glazed window balconies to their city-port houses.
- In the summertime, the Orzan and Riazor beaches are immensely popular destinations, located directly opposite of the port in the central part of the city.
- The city also has a robust social scene at night, especially in the summer. Most bars and clubs are on Calle Orzan, which runs directly parallel to Paseo Maritimo on the beach side. Like other parts of Spain, most clubs on Orzan do not open until 11 pm at the earliest and do not close until maybe three or four in the morning. Another popular destination, for mostly a more youthful crowd, is Los Jardines (The Gardens), a park near the beginning of Calle Real and El Puerto mall.
Economy
A Coruña is nowadays the richest region of Galicia and its economic engine. There have been various changes in the city's structure over the last few decades—it now shares some administrative functions with the nearby city of Ferrol. Companies have grown, especially in sectors such as finance, communication, planning, sales, manufacturing and technical services, making A Coruña the wealthiest metropolitan area of Galicia. The port itself unloads large amounts of fresh fish, and with the increase in other port activities like crude oil and solid bulk, which make up 75% of Galician port traffic.
In 1975, the clothing company
ZaraZara is the flagship chain store of Inditex Group owned by Spanish tycoon Amancio Ortega, who also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and Bershka. The group is headquartered in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, where the first Zara store opened in 1975...
, founded by
Amancio Ortega GaonaAmancio Ortega Gaona is a Spanish fashion entrepreneur. Ranked by Forbes as Spain's richest man and the 10th richest man in the World in 2009. He is the founder, with his then-wife Rosalía Mera, and chairman of the Inditex Group...
, opened its first store in the city and has since become a national and international clothing chain.
Inditex, the main textile manufacturer of the world, has its headquarters in the nearby town of
ArteixoArteixo is a municipality of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Its area is 93.76 km² and its population is 25,295 . Its population density is 269.78 people/km².- Demographics :...
. A Coruña concentrates the 30% of the GDP of Galicia and in the period between 1999 and 2001 it grew 35%, surpassing
VigoVigo is the largest city in Galicia, Spain, located in the province of Pontevedra.It has a population of 295,703, with an extended metropolitan population of 468,654, making it the 14th-largest metropolitan area of Spain. Vigo is the largest city in Spain which is not a provincial...
which was traditionally economically stronger. Other important companies of the city are
Banco PastorBanco Pastor is the second oldest bank in Spain .It was founded in 1776 by Jaime Dalmau Batista as Jaime Dalmau y Cía , who had a shipping company operating between the port of A Coruña and several American ports...
, Caixa Galicia, Martinsa Fadesa, the Repsol-YPF refinery and
La Voz de GaliciaLa Voz de Galicia is a Galician newspaper from A Coruña. Founded in 1882 by Juan Fernández Latorre, today is the most important newspaper in Galicia and the sixth of Spain. It is written in Castilian language with some presence of the Galician language in cultural or opinion sections.The paper has...
, the main daily newspaper of Galicia.
Over the last few years, emphasis has been placed upon better access and infrastructure, especially cultural, sporting, leisure and scientific areas. Following a spectacular
oil spillAn oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
when the
Aegean SeaOn December 3, 1992 the double bottom Greek-flagged tanker, Aegean Sea, en-route to Repsol refinery in A Coruña, Spain suffered an accident off the Galician coast. It had successfully passed all required tests and revisions....
wrecked and exploded, considerable resources have been used in the recovery of the shoreline and strengthening the tourist sector. All this has reaffirmed the city's existing character as a centre for administration, sales, port activities, culture and tourism. The city also has a
regional airportA Coruña Airport , also known as Alvedro Airport, is the airport serving the Galician city of A Coruña in northwestern Spain. In 2007, 1,266,804 passengers used the airport.- Airlines and destinations :- External links :*...
which operates services by
IberiaIberia, Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A. is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services. Its main bases are Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport. In 2008 the airline reported a net profit of €32 million - its 13th consecutive...
,
SpanairSpanair is the second largest airline in Spain, with its head office on the grounds of Palma de Mallorca Airport in Palma de Mallorca. It was, until 2009, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines Systems, which now holds slightly under 20% of the company. Spanair provides a scheduled passenger network...
,
EasyJetEasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered in Hangar 89 at London Luton Airport, Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom based airline company, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 387 routes between 104...
,
ClickairClickair was a low-cost airline based in Barcelona, Spain. In 2008-2009 it merged with Vueling Airlines and took its name. Clickair flew to nearly 40 destinations in Europe. The airline's main base was Barcelona with hubs at Málaga, Seville and Valencia....
and
PortugaliaPortugália is a regional airline based in Lisbon, Portugal, a subsidiary of TAP Portugal. It operates scheduled international and domestic services from Lisbon and Porto, as well as European charter services...
to
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
,
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
,
BilbaoBilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country in northern Spain and the capital of the province of Biscay ....
,
SevilleSeville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos or...
,
LisbonLisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is also the seat of the district of Lisbon and the main city of the Lisbon region...
and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. During the winter of 2007–2008, the airline
Pyrenair linked A Coruña with the Aragonese city of
HuescaHuesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon...
, one of the most important winter sports centers of
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
.
Sport
The city has a
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
club in Spain's top division,
Deportivo de La CoruñaReal Club Deportivo de La Coruña, S.A.D. is a Galician football club from A Coruña, member of the LFP...
.
Politics
Francisco Vázquez Vázquez had been mayor of the city from 1983; however, after becoming the Spanish
ambassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents their country. They are usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of their country....
to the
VaticanThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic...
, he was replaced by Javier Losada on February 10, 2006.
Notable people
- José Andrés Cornide Saavedra (1734–1803), writer
- Ramón de la Sagra Peris (1798–1871), botany teacher, philosopher and social economist.
- Emilia Pardo Bazán
Emilia Pardo Bazán was a Galician author and scholar....
(1851–1921), novelist, journalist, essayist and critic.
- Eduardo Dato Iradier (1856–1921), lawyer and politician.
- Ramón Menéndez Pidal
Ramón Menéndez Pidal was a Spanish philologist and historian. He worked extensively on the history of the Spanish language and Spanish folklore. His main topic was the legend of The Cid....
(1869–1968), writer.
- José Millán Astray
José Millán-Astray y Terreros was the founder and first commander of the Spanish Foreign Legion, and a major early figure of Francisco Franco's Regime in Spain.- Early life :...
(1879–1954), founder and first commander of the Spanish Foreign Legion.
- Santiago Casares Quiroga
Santiago Casares y Quiroga was a Spanish politician who was Prime Minister of Spain from 13 May to 19 July 1936....
(1884–1950), lawyer and politician.
- Wenceslao Fernández Flórez
Wenceslao Fernández Flórez was a popular Spanish journalist and novelist of the early 20th century. Throughout his career, he retained an intense fondness for the land of his birth.- Early life and career :...
(1885–1964), narrator, journalist and humorist.
- Salvador de Madariaga y Rojo (1896–1978), writer and poet.
- Fernando Casado D'Arambillet (1917–1994), better known as Fernando Rey
Fernando Casado Arambillet, better known as Fernando Rey , was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States.-The beginnings:...
, actor.
- María Casares
María Casares was a French actress of Spanish origin and one of the most distinguished stars of the French stage...
(1922–1996), actress.
- Luis Suárez Miramontes
Luis Suárez Miramontes is a Spanish former footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, CD España Industrial, CF Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria and Spain. Suárez who usually played as an inside left, is regarded as one of Spain's greatest players...
(born 1935), football player and manager.
- Amancio Amaro Varela (born 1939), football player.
- Emilio Pérez Touriño
Emilio Pérez Touriño is a Galician politician and economist. He is the former secretary general of the Socialist Party of Galicia and, from August 2005 to March 2009, former president of the autonomous community of Galicia . Namely, he was president of the executive branch, the Xunta de Galicia...
(born 1948), former president of the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia.
- Manuel Rivas Barros (born 1957), writer, poet, essayist and journalist.
- Andrés Díaz Díaz, (born 1969), athlete.
External links
{{Galician cities}}
{{Municipalities in A Coruña}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:A Coruna}}