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:'''Saragossa' redirects here. For the moth genus, see ''Saragossa (moth).
'Zaragoza', sometimes called 'Saragossa' in English, is the capital city of the autonomous region and former Kingdom of Aragon in Spain, and is situated on the river Ebro and its tributaries, the ''Huerva'' and ''Gállego'', near the centre of the region, in a great valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert (''Los Monegros'') to thick forest, meadows and mountains.
According to 2006 data from the Zaragoza council [1], the population of the city of Zaragoza was 660,895, ranking fifth in Spain. The population of the metropolitan area was estimated in 2006 at 702,662 inhabitants. The municipality is home to more than 50% of the Aragon population. The city is 199 metres above sea level, and constitutes a crossroads between Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao, all about 300 kilometres (200 miles) from Zaragoza.

Contents

History

Early History

Arab Saraqusta

Aragonese Era

Climate

Economy

Culture

Sport

Places of interest

Demographics

Sister cities

See also

Monuments

Notes

External links

History

Early History

The city used to exist in the name of Salduba, a Punic name of a Carthaginian military post built on the remains of a Celtiberian village, when the Romans invaded the area it fell under colonia of ''Caesaraugusta'', founded under Augustus in Hispania Citerior.

Arab Saraqusta

In 714 The Arabs took control of the city, naming it Saraqusta (سرقسطة). It later became part of the Emirate of Cordoba, It grew to become the biggest Arab city of Northern Spain. In 777 Charlemagne attempted to take the city but he was forced to withdraw when faced by the organized defense of the city and the Basque attacks in the rear (Chanson de Roland).
From 1018 to 1118 Zaragoza was one of the taifa kingdoms, independent Muslim states which emerged in the 11th century following the destruction of the Cordoban Caliphate. During the first three decades of this period, 1018–1038, the city was ruled by the Banu Tujib. In 1038 they were replaced by the Banu Hud, who had to deal with a complicated alliance with El Cid of Valencia and his Castillian Masters against the Almoravids who managed to bring the Taifas Emirates under their control. After the death of El Cid his kingdom was overrun by Almoravids and by 1100 Almoravids had managed to cross the Ebro into Barbastro, which brought Aragon into direct contact with Almoravids, The Banu Hud stubbornly resisted Almoravids and ruled until they were eventually defeated by the Almoravids in May 1110. The last sultan of the Banu Hud, Abd-al-Malik ''Imad ad-Dawla'', the last king of Zaragoza, forced to abandon his capital, allied himself with the Christian Aragonese under Alfonso I el Batallador and from the time the Muslims of Zaragoza became military regulars within the Aragonese forces.

Aragonese Era

In 1118 the Aragonese conquered the city from the Almoravids and made it the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. At his death without heirs in 1137, Zaragoza was swiftly occupied by Alfonso VII of León-Castile, who vacated it in 1137 only on condition it be held by Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona as a fief of Castile.
Zaragoza was the scene of two controversial martyrdoms related with the Spanish Inquisition: those of Saint Dominguito del Val, a choirboy in the basilica, and Pedro de Arbués, head official of the inquisition.
It suffered two famous sieges during the Peninsular War against napoleonic army: a first from June to August 1808; and a second from December 1808 to February 1809 (see Agustina de Aragón).
During the Spanish Civil War it was aimed to be taken by the Durruti Column, led by Buenaventura Durruti.

Climate

Zaragoza has a mediterranean continental desert climate as it is surrounded by mountains. The average rainfall is a scanty 310 mm with abundant sunny days, and the rainfalls centers in spring. There is drought in summer. The temperatures are high in summer reaching up to 40ºC (102°F). In Winter the temperatures are low (usually 0 to 10 ºC) either because of the fog (about 20 days from november to january) or a cold and dry wind blowing from the NW, the ''Cierzo'' (related to other northerly winds such as the Mistral in the SE of France and the Tramontana in Cataluña) in the clear days.

Economy

In addition to the advantageous geographic situation, a General Motors Opel factory was opened in 1982 in Figueruelas, a small village nearby. The progressive decline of the agrarian economy turned Opel into one of the main pillars of the regional economy, along with: Balay, which manufactures household appliances; CAF (''Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A.'') which builds railway engines for both the national and international markets; SAICA and Torraspapel in the stationery sector; and various more local companies, such as Pikolin and Lacasa, that are gradually making their ways into the international market.
As of 2006, the city's economy is benefitting from projects like Expo 2008 (the next official World's Fair, with the theme of ''water and sustainable development'', to be held between June 14 and September 13, 2008), [2], ''Plataforma Logística de Zaragoza'' (PLAZA), ''Parque Tecnológico de Reciclado'' (PTR), as well as being on the route of the AVE high-speed rail route since December 2003, which consolidates the city role as a communications hub.
Zaragoza is home to a Spanish Air Force base, which was (until September 1992) shared with the U.S. Air Force. In English, the base was known as Zaragoza Air Base. The Spanish Air Force maintained an F/A-18 Hornet wing at the base. No American flying wings (with the exception of a few KC-135's) were permanently based here, but it served as a training base for American fighter squadrons across Europe. It is the main headquarters for the Spanish Land Army, hosting the ''Academia General Militar'', a number of brigades at ''San Gregorio'', and other garrisons.

Culture

Zaragoza is linked by legend to the beginnings of Christianity in Spain. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously to Saint James the Great in the 1st century, standing on a pillar. This legend is commemorated by a famous Catholic basilica called ''Nuestra Señora del Pilar'' ("Our Lady of the Pillar").
The event, called "Las Fiestas del Pilar", is celebrated on October 12, which is a major festival day in Zaragoza. Since it coincided in 1492 with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, that day is also celebrated as ''El Día de la Hispanidad'' (Columbus Day, literally ''Hispanic Day'') by Spanish-speaking people worldwide.
"El Pilar" lasts for nine days, with all kinds of acts: from the massively attended Pregon (opening speech) to the final fireworks display over the Ebro, there are bands, dances, procession of gigantes y cabezudos (carnival figures made of papier mache), concerts, exhibitions, the famous "vaquillas" bulls) and the bull festival. Some of the most important features are the Ofrenda de Flores (Flower offering) to the virgin on the 12th, when an enormous cloak is made of the flowers

Sport

Zaragoza was strongly associated with Jaca in its failed bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. It would have hosted the Opening and Closing ceremonies (at La Romareda stadium), as well as most of the ice events venues.
Zaragoza's football team, Real Zaragoza, plays in the ''Primera división''. One of the most remarkable events in the team's recent history is the winning of the former UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1995. The team has also won the Spanish National Cup "Copa del Rey" six times: 1965, 1966, 1986, 1994, 2001 and 2004 and a Fairs Cup (1965).
Zaragoza's handball team, CAI BM Aragón, plays in the Liga ASOBAL.
Their local basketball team, CAI Zaragoza, is now on the LEB league.

Places of interest

Near the basilica on the banks of the Ebro are located the city hall, the Lonja (old currency exchange), the La Seo or Cathedral of San Salvador, a magnificient church builded over the main mosquee (partially preserved in the 11th century nord wall of the Parroquieta), with romanesque apses from 12th century; inside, the imponent hallenkirche from 15-16th centurys ,the baroque tower, and, finally, with its famous Museum of Trapestries. Near, the Roman ruins of forum and port city wall.
Near this area is a tapas zone called ''El Tubo'' and a nightclub district called ''El Casco Viejo''. Other nightclub districts are ''La Zona'' and ''El Rollo''.

Some distance from the centre of the old city is an expansive Moorish castle or palace called the Aljafería, the most important Moorish buildings in Northern Spain and the setting for Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore (The Troubadour). The Aragonese parliament currently sits in the building.
The churches of San Pablo, Santa María Magdalena and San Gil are builded in 14th century, but towers can be old minarets of 11th century; San Miguel of 14th century; Santiago (San Ildefonso) and Fecetas monastery are baroque with mudejar ceilings of 17th century. All churches are Mudéjar monuments of that comprise the World Heritage Site
Other important sights are the estately houses and magnificient palaces in the city, mainly of 16th century: palaces of condes de Morata or Luna (Audiencia), Deán, Torrero (colegio de Arquitectos), Don Lope or Real Maestranza, condes de Sástago, condes de Argillo (today Pablo Gargallo museum), archbishop, etc.
The most important Zaragoza museums are the Museum of Fine Arts, with paintings of early aragonese artists, 15th century, and of El Greco, Ribera and Goya, and the Camon Aznar Museum, with paintings ranging from Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Velazquez and Goya to Renoir, Manet and Sorolla.
Zaragoza is linked by Renfe's AVE high-speed rail service to Madrid and to Tarragona (via Lérida), and to Barcelona next 21 december 2007, in Catalonia.

Demographics

Population growth, in thousands, can be seen here:

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bar:1960 text:"1960"
bar:1970 text:"1971"
bar:1981 text:"1981"
bar:1991 text:"1991"
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bar:1910 color:brightblue from:0 till:112
bar:1920 color:brightblue from:0 till:141
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bar:1940 color:brightblue from:0 till:239
bar:1950 color:brightblue from:0 till:264
bar:1960 color:brightblue from:0 till:326
bar:1970 color:brightblue from:0 till:480
bar:1981 color:brightblue from:0 till:591
bar:1991 color:brightblue from:0 till:594
bar:1994 color:brightblue from:0 till:607
bar:1996 color:brightblue from:0 till:602
bar:2001 color:brightblue from:0 till:611
bar:2004 color:brightblue from:0 till:639
bar:2005 color:brightblue from:0 till:647
bar:2006 color:brightblue from:0 till:661




★ Historical Series of population: National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE)

★ Dates 2006 City council of Zaragoza.

Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Zaragoza:[3]

★ Pau

★ Biarritz

★ Móstoles

★ Bethlehem Palestinian Territories

★ León

★ La Plata

★ Zaragoza

★ Tijuana

★ Ponce

★ Coimbra

★ Zamboanga City Philippines

See also

★ Archdiocese of Zaragoza

★ Zaragoza Airport

★ Expo 2008

Monuments

★ La Seo Cathedral

★ Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar

★ Madonna del Pilar

★ Aljaferia

Notes

External links

★ Council of Zaragoza

★ Zaragoza Monuments, Galleries, Walks and Attractions

★ Tourist attractions in Zaragoza