Torre de Hércules

A Coruña (also known in English as Corunna; Galician A Coruña, Spanish La Coruña) is a Galician city, in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of A Coruña province. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Galician (Galego) is a language variety of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia (in the Galician language, Galicia or Galiza), an autonomous community with the constitutional status of historic nationality and located in northwestern Spain, and in areas in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castilla-Le... Motto: Capital Santiago de Compostela Official languages Galician and Castilian Area  – Total  – % of Spain Ranked 7th  29 574 km²  5,8% Population  – Total (2003)  – % of Spain  – Density Ranked 5th  2 737 370  6,5%  92,36/km² Demonym  – English  – Galician  – Spanish  – Portuguese  Galician  galego  gallego  galego Statute of Autonomy April... A Coruña province A Coruña ( Spanish, La Coruña), is a province of extreme northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia. ...

Historical and modern A Coruña

As of the 2003 census, the population of the city of A Coruña was 243,902, and the population of the entire urban area was estimated in 2003 at 388,692 inhabitants. It is a busy port on the Atlantic Ocean and provides a distribution point for agricultural goods from the region. Its industry is also based on shipyards, metalworks, oil refinery, glass and ceramic plants. It is also a centre for ocean-going fishing. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Latin petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earths crust. ...

The city is the site of the Roman Torre de Hércules, which is now a lighthouse. The city is well-known for its characteristic glazed window balconies, called galerías. La Torre de Hercules, the Tower of Hercules, a lighthouse which has seen two millenniums of time and kept watch over the North Atlantic for as long. ...

During the Middle Ages, the city was an important port and center for manufacturing of textiles. In 1588, the Spanish Armada [1] (http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolnaval1588/) sailed from the bay of the Naval Station of El Ferrol [2] (http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/ferrolandcorrugna1788/) (Province of A Coruña). In 1598, the city was sacked by an English fleet under Francis Drake. In 1809, it was the site of battle during the Peninsular War in 16 January 1809, to cover embarkation of British troops after their retreating and in which Sir John Moore was killed. During the 19th century, the city was the centre of antimonarchist sentiment. See also: Battle of Corunna. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Events May 12 - Day of the Barricades in Paris. ... Spanish Armada Conflict Anglo-Spanish War Date June 19, 1588 – August 12, 1588 Place English Channel; Gravelines, France Result Decisive English victory The Spanish Armada (Old Spanish: Grande y Felicissima Armada, large and most fortunate fleet; but called by the British, with ironic intention, la Armada Invencible, the Invincible Fleet... Ferrol is a Galizan town near A Coruña. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Sir Francis Drake, c. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Peninsular War (1808-1814) was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Sir John Moore (November 13, 1761 - January 16, 1809) was a British soldier and General. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Battle of La Coruña took place on January 16, 1809, between 14,000 British under Sir John Moore, and 16,000 French under Marshal Soult, who was endeavouring to prevent the British from evacuating by sea from the port. ...

There have been various changes in the city's structure over the last few decades — it now shares some administrative functions and is less of a military centre. Companies have grown, especially in certain subsectors such as finance, communication, layout and sales, manufacturing, technical services and the port itself (it is the largest in Europe in terms of fresh fish unloaded), with the increase in other port activities like crude oil and solid bulk, making up 75% of Galician port traffic.

The city has been relaunched over the last few years with better access, an improved cultural, sporting, leisure and scientific infrastructure, a better framework, the recovery of the shoreline and the strengthening of 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 has a football club in Spain's top division, Deportivo de La Coruña (note that the club name uses the Spanish spelling). The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, S.A.D. (abbreviated Depor) is a Spanish football club. ...

Etymology and linguistic issues

The toponym derives from Caronium, the name of a Roman oppidum. At the time of Ferdinand II of Leon (12th century) the name Crunia appeared for the first time. The use of the article (La Crunia) is noted from 1262 onwards. At a later point, a vowel after the C reappeared and the ni cluster naturally evolved into the sound /ɲ/, written nn, or abbreviated to ñ. This left the name as La Corunna. At this point the name Corunna entered English (with the Gallicized spelling Corrugna also appearing in the eighteenth century), although this name is now being forgotten, and tends to be replaced with the local names, which as noted above are La Coruña in Spanish and A Coruña in Galician. In Portuguese, the name is Corunha and this style of spelling (A Corunha) is sometimes used by Portugal-oriented Galicians. There is also a rare, archaic Galician form A Cruña. To the Romans, an oppidum was the main settlement in any administrative area. ... Ferdinand II., king of Leon (d. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... The palatal nasal is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. ...

As with other places in Spain since the end of Francoism, the issue of what to call the town in Spanish is a little controversial. The Galician version of the name is the official one, even in Spanish, and is the only one used by the Xunta de Galicia and the Spanish government. In a recent (2 November 2004) vote, the Town Council of A Coruña decided to go back to the Spanish name in Spanish texts, but it will take a separate vote to apply this change at higher administrative levels. November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External Links

• Reign of Charles III of Spain: El Ferrol + Puente D'Eume and La Corrugna by Hugh Debbieg Dutch Pilot (1731-1810) (http://ferrol.historia.tripod.com/elferrol1780/)
• The town council of A Coruña  (http://www.aytolacoruna.es)