Cádiz

Spanish city and naval base, capital and seaport of the province of Cádiz, sited on a peninsula on the south side of Cádiz Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, 103 km/64 mi south of Seville; population (2001) 133,400. There are ferries to the Canary Islands and Casablanca, Morocco, and shipbuilding and repairs are important, as are fishing and tourism. After the discovery of the Americas in 1492, Cádiz became one of Europe's most vital trade ports. The English adventurer Francis Drake burned a Spanish fleet here in 1587 to prevent the sailing of the Armada. The city has an 18th-century cathedral.