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ALGECIRAS, or ALGEZIRAS

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 642 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ALGECIRAS, or ALGEZIRAS , a seaport of See also:southern See also:Spain in the See also:province of See also:Cadiz, 6 m. W. of See also:Gibraltar, on the opposite See also:side of the See also:Bay of Algeciras. Pop. (1900) 13,302. Algeciras stands at the See also:head of a railway from See also:Granada, but its only means of See also:access to Gibraltar is by See also:water. Its name, which signifies in Arabic the See also:island, is derived from a small islet on one side of the See also:harbour. It is supplied with water by means of a beautiful See also:aqueduct. The See also:fine See also:winter See also:climate of Algeciras attracts many invalid visitors, on whom the See also:town largely depends for its prosperity. The harbour is See also:bad, but at the beginning of the loth See also:century it became important as a fishing-station. See also:Whiting, soles, See also:bream, See also:bass and other See also:fish are caught in See also:great quantities by the Algeciras See also:steam-trawlers, which visit the Moroccan See also:coast, as well as See also:Spanish and neutral See also:waters. There is also some See also:trade in See also:farm produce and See also:building materials which supplies a See also:fleet of small coasters with See also:cargo. Algeciras was perhaps the See also:Portus Albus of the See also:Romans,. but it was probably refounded in 713 by the See also:Moors, who retained See also:possession of it until 1344.

It was then taken by See also:

Alphonso XI. of See also:Castile after a celebrated See also:siege of twenty months, which attracted crusaders from all parts of See also:Europe; among them being the See also:English See also:earl of See also:Derby, See also:grandson of See also:Edward III. It is said that during this siege See also:gunpowder was first used by the Moors in the See also:wars of Europe. The Moorish See also:city was destroyed by Alphonso; it was first reoccupied by Spanish colonists from Gibraltar in 1704; and the See also:modern town was erected in 176o by See also:King See also:Charles III. During the siege of Gibraltar in 178o-1782, Algeciras was the station of the Spanish fleet and floating batteries. On the 6th of See also:July 18oi the English See also:admiral See also:Sir See also:James See also:Saumarez attacked a Franco-Spanish fleet off Algeciras, 1. 21 and sustained a See also:reverse; but on the 12th he again attacked the enemy, whose fleet was See also:double his own strength, and inflicted on them a See also:complete defeat. The important See also:international See also:conference on Moroccan affairs, which resulted in an agreement between See also:France and See also:Germany, was held at Algeciras from the 16th of See also:January to the 7th of See also:April sgo6. (See See also:MOROCCO).

End of Article: ALGECIRAS, or ALGEZIRAS

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