| The Port of Barcelona is the capital of Barcelona province in Spain, just 90 miles south of the border with France. It's Spain's major Mediterranean port and an important commercial center for the country's economy. Port History The city was first established in the 3rd Century with the Roman name Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino. During the rule of the Visigoths, it was known as Barcinona. The Moors called it Barjelunah. In 985 AD, the Port of Barcelona was sacked by the Muslim caliphate of Cordoba. In the 10th and 11th Centuries, the counts of Barcelona dominated Catalonia. After Catalonia and Aragon were united in 1137, the Port of Barcelona became a major trading center. The Plague weakened the city in the 14th Century, and its political power declined after Naples became capital of the Catala-Aragonese kingdom in 1442. Decline continued with the rise of the Habsburgs, increasing Turkish power, and the discovery of America. In the early 18th Century, the Catalans let Archduke Charles III of Austria move his court there, bringing the siege of Barcelona by Philip V of Spain. After the city fell to Philip in 1714, he eliminated self-government. However, the birth of the cotton industry there brought prosperity to the Port of Barcelona. Napoleon's troops occupied the Port of Barcelona the early 1800s. After the Napoleonic War, growth in the textile industry had two significant impacts: a new industrial sector and Catalonia's position as the richest region in Spain. Unfortunately, growth also led to class conflict between workers and the bourgeoisie, and anarchism and violence flourished until the Spanish Civil War. By 1900, almost half of all imports to Spain came through Catalonia. With economic strength came calls for self-rule, and a Catalan republic was declared in Barcelona in 1931. When the Civil War started in 1936, the Port of Barcelona was the center of the new Republic. However, the Republic surrendered in 1939, and the region lost many rights and privileges. In 1977, an autonomous Catalan government was restored, bringing much development to the Port of Barcelona. It hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, bringing new life to the city including. Port Commerce The Port Authority of Barcelona governs the port. It is the busiest Mediterranean port for containerized cargo and cruisers and the third busiest port in Europe for transport of vehicles. In 2006, over 47 million tons of cargo passed through the Port of Barcelona, including 2.3 million TEUs in containerized cargo, 9.5 thousand vessels, and over 2.5 million passengers. Total cargo included 31.8 million tons of general cargo, 9.1 million tons of petroleum and petroleum products, 4.1 million tons of solid bulk, and 1.5 million tons of liquid bulk other than petroleum. Foreign trade made up 38.3 million tons, compared to 8.1 million tons of domestic goods. The 2.3 TEUs of containerized cargo amounted to 22.6 million tons. The Port of Barcelona covers over 2000 acres and offers waters up to 52 feet deep. It includes over 32 acres of covered storage and almost 720 acres of open storage. It contains four terminals for containers and multi-purpose international traffic and three terminals for domestic traffic. Specialized terminals include two for automobiles, one for fruits, one for coffee and cocoa, one for non-ferrous metals, and one refrigerated terminal. Cruising and Travel Of the 2.5 million passengers moving through the Port of Barcelona in 2006, 1.4 million were on pleasure cruises. There are seven terminals in the Port of Barcelona exclusively devoted to cruise traffic. The Port of Barcelona is easy to explore on your own, but if you want to get a true sense of the place, you�l need to spend at least four days there. At the very least, you should try to get to the Boqueria market on La Ramblas, take a |
