Cartaya

Historia

Cartaya is a Spanish locality and municipality in the Province of Huelva (autonomous community of Andalusia). In 2010 had 18,415 inhabitants. Its surface area is 226.4 km² and has a density of 81.34 people per km².Cartaya was founded as an urban core by the Marquis of Gibraleón, D. Pedro de Zúñiga in Piedras estuary, although its name comes from the Phoenician word "Carteia" meaning city so presumably its settlement, though not continuous, is older. Different traces found on its territory has been dated from the time of the Decline of the Roman Empire because it was an important communications hub between East and West. Is also documented the existence of population centers in farmsteads adjacents in the Middle Ages, which demonstrate that from ancient times lived in this area.The municipality's economy is mainly based on the primary sector, although in recent years of the 20th century encouraged the service sector using their leisure opportunities found in coastal areas and their natural surroundings. The per capita income is high, considering the neighboring municipalities. The cores of El Rompido y Nuevo Portil along with the numerous developments emerged in recent decades has enabled also an important population growth.From its term include the 4 km of beach (El Rompido, San Miguel Beach, Nuevo Portil beach and the westernmost part of El Portil, an atypical urban image due to the segregation of Punta Umbría), as well as, the former Convent of the Blessed Trinity, the Parish Church, the Hermitage of Santa María de Consolación and the Castle of the Zuñiga.ToponymyThe toponym Cartaya seems to be of Phoenician origin: Qart or Carteia that might be translated as The City. It must not get confused, nevertheless, with Libertinorum Carteia in San Roque. In the Andalusian period appeared under the name qarqaya, phonetically very similar to the present.