El Puerto de Santa María is a city located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to the 2003 census, the city has a population of 79,889, of which 49,924 live in the urban center, and the remainder in the surrounding areas. The Guadalete River is a small stream located in the Spanish province of Cádiz, arising in the Grazalema Mountains at an elevation of about 1000 m, and running for 172 km into the Bay of Cádiz at El Puerto de Santa Maria, south of the city of C... Cádiz province Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ...

Geography

El Puerto de Santa María is located on the Atlantic coast of the Bay of Cádiz, near the municipalities of Jerez de la Frontera, Rota, Puerto Real, and Cádiz. It is popular for its beaches, which are the town's principal tourist attraction. Well known beaches include Vistahermosa, Valdelagrana, and La Puntilla. Like many other southern cities, there are many smaller towns encompassed by the municipality. There is also a major port, known as Puerto Sherry. A large amount of land has been devoted to the Bay of Cádiz Nature Reserve. The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ... Jerez redirects here; there is also a smaller place Jerez de los Caballeros in Extremadura, Spain. ... A tourist town in southwestern Spain, Rota is also the location of a US military base, including Navy, Marine and Air Force units. ... Cádiz is a coastal city in southwestern Spain, in the region of Andalusia, and is the capital of the province of Cádiz. ...

Economy

The most important economic activity is tourism, mainly because of the beaches. The town also hosts large groups of motorcyclists during the Jerez Motorcycle Grand Prix. There is commercial development in the center and periphery, and a highly developed wine industry. A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... A motorcycle (or motorbike) is a two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ... A glass of white wine This article is about the beverage. ...

Festivals

The principal festival is the Spring Fair, held between the fifth and sixth week after Holy Week. In recent years, it has coincided with May 1. Holy Week is the Christian week from Holy Monday through Easter (Resurrection) Sunday. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

History

Christopher Columbus's second expedition to the Americas set sail from El Puerto de Santa María. No authentic contemporary portrait of Columbus has been found; this late 19th-century engraving is one of many conjectural images For information about the director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ...