Flix
Encyclopedia
Flix (ˈfɫiʃ, ˈfliʃ) is a town in the comarca
of Ribera d'Ebre
, Catalonia
. Situated on a promontory by the Ebre (Ebro) river, the town occupied an important strategic position. Situated on the Madrid
–Barcelona
railway line, it expanded in the early twentieth century with the construction of a hydroelectric power station and a large chemical plant
, Electroquímica de Flix.
There is good fishing in the horseshoe-shaped bend in the river (day ticket). Every year there is a large international fishing competition at Flix. Flix is a little upstream from Ascó
where excellent fishing can also be enjoyed.
in 1938. The Battle of the Iron Bridge was fought between the International Brigades
and the Fascists as part of the Battle of the Ebro
. The operation was initially a success for the republicans with the construction of the iron bridge nearly complete by the 3rd Division. However at the end they had lost 3,000 soldiers and the battle. Today there is a memorial to this battle at Flix.
In 2005 the existence of a vast polluted area on the shores of the Flix Reservoir was disclosed. The environmental disaster
involving large quantities of toxic waste
was caused by the Ercros chemical factory, located by the shore of the artificial lake. Following this disclosure an ambitious plan to clean up the area has been drawn. This plan involves the building of containment barriers and the removal and treatment of the hazardous chemical waste.
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
of Ribera d'Ebre
Ribera d'Ebre
Ribera d'Ebre is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. The name in Catalan refers to its location on the banks of the river Ebre, usually referred to in English by its Spanish name, "Ebro.- Municipalities :Populations are from 2001.* Ascó - pop. 1,617...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. Situated on a promontory by the Ebre (Ebro) river, the town occupied an important strategic position. Situated on the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
–Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
railway line, it expanded in the early twentieth century with the construction of a hydroelectric power station and a large chemical plant
Chemical plant
A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment,...
, Electroquímica de Flix.
There is good fishing in the horseshoe-shaped bend in the river (day ticket). Every year there is a large international fishing competition at Flix. Flix is a little upstream from Ascó
Ascó
Ascó is a large village in the comarca of Ribera d'Ebre, Catalonia, Spain, on the right bank of the Ebre river. The village of Ascó is known for its nuclear power station, and for excellent fishing in the river....
where excellent fishing can also be enjoyed.
History
Flix was the site of a battle in the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in 1938. The Battle of the Iron Bridge was fought between the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
and the Fascists as part of the Battle of the Ebro
Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War...
. The operation was initially a success for the republicans with the construction of the iron bridge nearly complete by the 3rd Division. However at the end they had lost 3,000 soldiers and the battle. Today there is a memorial to this battle at Flix.
In 2005 the existence of a vast polluted area on the shores of the Flix Reservoir was disclosed. The environmental disaster
Environmental disaster
An environmental disaster is a disaster to the natural environment due to human activity. It should not be confused with the separate concept of a natural disaster.-History:...
involving large quantities of toxic waste
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
was caused by the Ercros chemical factory, located by the shore of the artificial lake. Following this disclosure an ambitious plan to clean up the area has been drawn. This plan involves the building of containment barriers and the removal and treatment of the hazardous chemical waste.
Demography
The population of Flix has grown since 1900 and peaked in the 1980s.| 1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 1986 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2516 | 3374 | 4272 | 5116 | 5003 | 4054 |