The Hemispheric at the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències by Santiago Calatrava, Valencia, Spain.

Valencia (Spanish: Valencia /ba'lenθja/; Valencian: València /bə'łεnsjə/) is a medium-sized port city (the third largest city in Spain) and industrial area on the east coast of Spain. It is the capital of the Valencian Community and of province of Valencia. Population of the city of Valencia proper was 791,000 as of 2003 estimates. Population of the urban area was 1,355,000 as of 2000 estimates. Population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,800,000 as of 2003 estimates. As of 2004, the mayor of Valencia is Rita Barberá Nolla. Calatrava is known for his organically inspired designs, such as LUmbracle at his Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... This page deals with language. ... Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Spanish (Castilian) Area  – total  – % of Spain Ranked 8th  23 255 km²  4,6% Population  – Total (2003)  – % of Spain  – Density Ranked 4th  4 326 708  10,3%  186,05/km² Demonym  – English  – Valencian  – Spanish  Valencian  valencià/valenciana  valenciano/valenciana Statute of Autonomy July 10... Categories: Spain geography stubs | Valencia | Provinces of Spain ... A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or hubs. ... A mayor (Latin maīor better) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ...

Economy

Valencia has enjoyed strong economic growth over the last decade, much of it spurred by tourism and construction. However, this model of development has led to a great deal of building on rural land. Furthermore, the Valencia government's implementation of the LRAU [law regulating urban activity] has been extremely controversial since it involves the expropriation of foreign residents' homes without compensation. The matter was the subject of a scathing documentary, broadcast by Spain's second national channel (TVE2) in 2005.

Critics argue that this legislation (which was theoretically designed to protect rural land) is being misused for large urban and industrial developments. The European Union's Committee of Petitions reported on the issue in 2004, finding that the Valencian government was breaching basic European rights. The ambassadors of EU Member States have protested to the Spanish authorities on behalf of their citizens and the issue may be referred to the European Court of Human Rights. Wide media coverage of the case abroad threatens the local "residential tourism" industry. The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental organisation of European countries, which currently has 25 member states. ... The ECHR should not be mistaken for the European Court of Justice, an institution of the European Union for the resolution of disputes under EU law. ...

Culture

It is famous for the Las Fallas festival in March, for paella valenciana and the new City of Arts and Sciences. A Falla prior to being burned Falles (in Catalan/Valencian) or Fallas (in Spanish) is a Valencian tradition which celebrates Saint Josephs Day (March 19th) in Valencia, Spain. ... For alternative meanings, see March (disambiguation). ... A Valencian Paella Paella is a rice dish, originally from Valencia, Spain, where it is eaten especially on Sundays and in Falles. ... LUmbracle El Museu The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (Valencian), Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (Spanish) or City of Arts & Sciences is an ensemble of five areas in the dry river bed of the now diverted River Turia in Valencia, Spain. ...

Valencia has a metro system [1] (http://www.metrovalencia.com), run by FGV. Valencia has a reasonably successful football club known as Valencia C.F. This page refers to urban rail mass transit systems. ... Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana or FGV is a Spanish railway company which operates several metre gauge lines, in the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Spain. ... Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia, CF or just Valencia or Los Ches) is a team in the first division of the Spanish Football League. ...

The two official languages spoken in the city are Spanish and Valencian (or Catalan). Although the predominant language is Spanish, the local government makes sure it emphasises the use of the local language. For instance, all signs in the Metro are in Valencian, with Spanish translations underneath in smaller type. This page deals with language. ... Catalan (Català, Valencià) is a Romance language spoken by as many as approximately 12 million people in portions of Spain, France, Andorra and Italy, although the majority of Catalan speakers are in Spain. ...

History

Pavement of a Valencia street, with arbour. Many ordinary places in the city are designed with attention to detail, and a sense of aesthetics.

The city was founded by the Romans in 137 BC on the site of a former Iberian town, by the river Turia. (The river flooded in the 1950s killing many Valencians. The river was re-routed and the dry river bed was converted to a park that runs through the city.) Download high resolution version (1024x768, 145 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 145 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806). ... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC - 130s BC - 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC Years: 142 BC 141 BC 140 BC 139 BC 138 BC - 137 BC - 136 BC 135 BC... Iberia can mean: The Iberian peninsula of southwest Europe; That part of it inhabited by the Iberians, speaking the Iberian language. ... The River Turia (Valencian: Riu Túria; Spanish: Río Turia) is a waterway running through the Valencian Country and reaching the sea at the City of Valencia. ...

The city has been occupied by the Visigoths, Moors and the Aragonese. In 1094, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid) conquered Valencia (this victory was immortalised in the Lay of the Cid), but the city returned to the Almoravids in 1102. The king James I of Aragon reconquered the city in 1238 and incorporated it to the new formed Kingdom of Valencia, one of the kingdoms forming the Crown of Aragon. The Visigoths, originally Tervingi, or Vesi (the noble ones), one of the two main branches of the Goths (of which the Ostrogothi were the other), were one of the loosely-termed Germanic peoples that disturbed the late Roman Empire. ... A high altitude form of heathland habitat widespread in northern Britain; see heath. ... Capital Zaragoza Area  - total  - % of Spain Ranked 4th 47 719 km 9,4% Population  - Total (2003)  - % of Spain  - Density Ranked 11th 1 217 514 2,9% 25,51/km Demonym  - English  - Spanish Aragonese aragon s Statute of Autonomy August 16, 1982 ISO 3166-2 AR Parliamentary representation  Congress seats  Senate... Events May - the siege of Valencia ends Duncan III of Scotland succeeds Duncan II of Scotland as King of Scotland The first mention of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, as it became a bishopric see. ... Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. ... A page from the original codex, starting from line 1922 El Cantar de Mio Cid is the oldest conserved Spanish cantar de gesta. ... Events Valencia is captured by the Almoravids. ... James I of Aragon (Catalan: Jaume I) (Montpellier February 2, 1208 - July 27, 1276), surnamed the Conqueror, was the king of Aragon, count of Barcelona and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276. ... Events In the Iberian peninsula, James I of Aragon captures the city of Valencia September 28 from the Moors; the Moors retreat to Granada. ... The Aragonese Empire was the regime of a large portion of what is now Spain, plus numerous Mediterranean possessions, for much of the later Middle Ages. ...

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Valencia was one of the major cities in the Mediterranean. The writer Joanot Martorell, author of Tirant lo Blanch, and the poet Ausias March are famous Valencians of that era. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Joanot Martorell (1413–1468) was the Valencian author of the novel Tirant lo Blanch in the Valencian or Catalan language. ... Tirant lo Blanc, written by the Valencian knight Joanot Martorell, finished by Martí Joan De Galba and published in Valencia in 1490, is an epic romance and one of the key works in the evolution of the Western novel. ... This article should be translated from material at ca:Ausi s March. ...

The first printing press in the Iberian Peninsula was located in Valencia. The first printed Bible in a Romance language, Valencian, was printed in Valencia circa 1478, attributed to Bonifaci Ferrer. This page deals with language. ... Events February 18 - George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is privately executed in the Tower of London. ...

Valencian bankers loaned funds to Queen Isabella for Columbus' trip in 1492. Isabella of Castile (Spanish: Ysabel, Isabel or Isabela) (22 April 1451 - 26 November 1504) was queen of Castile. ... 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. ... Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ...

War of the Germanies 1519–1522. Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ...

Expulsion of Moriscos in 1609. Morisco (Spanish Moor-like) or mourisco (Portuguese) is a term referring to a kind of New Christian in Spain and Portugal. ... Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ...

During the War of the Spanish Succession, Valencia sided with Charles of Austria. After the victory of the Bourbons at the Battle of Almansa (April 25, 1707), the city lost its privileges or furs. Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain. ... The Battle of Almansa, part of the War of the Spanish Succession, took place in 1707. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... Events March 26 - Act of Union with Scotland becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ...

After the fall of Madrid in the Spanish Civil War, the capital of the Republic was moved to Valencia. The city suffered from the blockade and siege by Franco's forces. The postwar period was hard for Valencians. During the Franco years, speaking or teaching Valencian was prohibited; using the language at all was subject to criminal penalties. Coat of arms The Plaza de España square Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located in the center of the country at 40°25′ N 3°45′ W. Population of the city of Madrid proper was 3,093,000 (Madrilenes, madrileños) as of 2003 estimates. ... Alternative meaning: Spanish Civil War, 1820-1823 A republican soldier seeks cover on the Plaza de Toros in Teruel, east of Madrid. ... This page deals with language. ...

Valencia was granted Autonomous Statutes in 1982.

Valencia was selected in 2003 to be the first city in Europe ever to host the historic America's Cup regatta, to take place in 2007. The Americas Cup is the most famous trophy in the sport of yachting, and the oldest active trophy in sports. ...

The name

The original Latin name of the city was Valentia /wa'lentia/, meaning "Strength", "Vigour". By regular sound changes this has become Valencia /ba'lenθja/ in Spanish and València in Valencian. The latter name is pronounced /bə'łεnsjə/ in Central Catalan. One possible pronunciation in Valencian (South-west Catalan) is /va'lensja/. (See International Phonetic Alphabet for the symbols used to represent pronunciation.) Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... This page deals with language. ... This article is about the alphabet officially used in linguistics. ...

Gallery

External links

• City of Valencia (http://www.ayto-valencia.es/)
• Valencia Travel Guide at Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Valencia_(City))
• subway metropolitan area (http://www.metrovalencia.com/)

subway metropolitan area (http://www.metrovalencia.com/)