Santa Cruz de La Palma
Encyclopedia
Santa Cruz de la Palma is located on the eastern part of the island of La Palma
in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
of the Canary Islands
. Santa Cruz de la Palma is the second largest city (after Los Llanos de Aridane) and is the capital of the island. Santa Cruz de La Palma is linked with a main highway encircling every part of the island and is located north of the La Palma Airport
. It is located along an old lava flow coming out from the Caldereta (small caldera
) a volcano located just south of the city.
The population of the municipality is 17,265 (2001 census
), its population density
is 398/km² and the area is 43.38 km². Around 15,000 people live within the city limits, with the remaining population residing in other settlements. The city is located at sea level and the highest elevation is around 1,800 m.
on May 3, 1493. It was located between a river which is situated by a cave named Tedote (now Cueva de Carías, located north of the city). The city, originally called Villa del Apurón, served as a port that connected routes to the Americas, exporting goods from the island such as sugarcane. The city was sacked by pirates and was later reconstructed and fortified against future pirate attacks. Famous fortifications include the Castillo de Santa Catalina and Castillo de la Virgen. The economic crisis that affected the agriculture sector brought the greatest loss of population in the city's history, which limited its expansion and caused the population to stabilize and drop to 11,000. The population did not approach its original 18,000 again for the next hundred years.
Santa Cruz de la Palma has the only major port in the island, serving ferry routes to Cádiz
in Spain, as well as to Tenerife, Los Cristianos
and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
, Las Palmas on Gran Canaria
and Arrecife
. The main ferry operators in the port are Naviera Armas
and Fred. Olsen Express
, and many cruise line firms visit the port.
The 1996 population plunged slowly and from 1996 to 2001 read unchanged but boomed again but a little faster but from the 2002 to the 2004 census, the population slightly fell.
s.
La Palma
La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands...
in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province)
Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife also Province of Santa Cruz is a province of Spain, consisting of the western part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. It consists of about half of the Atlantic archipelago, including the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma, and...
of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Santa Cruz de la Palma is the second largest city (after Los Llanos de Aridane) and is the capital of the island. Santa Cruz de La Palma is linked with a main highway encircling every part of the island and is located north of the La Palma Airport
La Palma Airport
La Palma Airport is an airport located in Breña Baja and Villa de Mazo, south of the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma on La Palma in the Canary Islands. It is operated by Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea, who operate the vast majority of civil airports in Spain...
. It is located along an old lava flow coming out from the Caldereta (small caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
) a volcano located just south of the city.
The population of the municipality is 17,265 (2001 census
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
), its population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 398/km² and the area is 43.38 km². Around 15,000 people live within the city limits, with the remaining population residing in other settlements. The city is located at sea level and the highest elevation is around 1,800 m.
Subdivisions
- City neighborhoods:
- La Luz
- San Telmo
- San Sebastián
- El Puente
- Benahoare
- La Alameda
- La Calle Real
- El Pilar
- El Marquito
- Settlements:
- Velhoco
- Las Nieves
- La Dehesa
- La Encarnación
- El Planto
- El Carmen
- Mirca
History
The city was founded by Alonso Fernández de LugoAlonso Fernández de Lugo
Javier Alonso Luis Fernández de Lugo was a Spanish military man, conquistador, city founder, and administrator. He conquered the islands of La Palma and Tenerife for the Castilian Crown; they were the last of the Canary Islands to be conquered by Europeans. He was also the founder of the towns...
on May 3, 1493. It was located between a river which is situated by a cave named Tedote (now Cueva de Carías, located north of the city). The city, originally called Villa del Apurón, served as a port that connected routes to the Americas, exporting goods from the island such as sugarcane. The city was sacked by pirates and was later reconstructed and fortified against future pirate attacks. Famous fortifications include the Castillo de Santa Catalina and Castillo de la Virgen. The economic crisis that affected the agriculture sector brought the greatest loss of population in the city's history, which limited its expansion and caused the population to stabilize and drop to 11,000. The population did not approach its original 18,000 again for the next hundred years.
Land Use & Tourism
The coastline and the valley areas are made up of farmlands, the remaining areas around Santa Cruz de la Palma and the east central core are urban areas especially hotels, apartments, and colorful homes uphill northwest.Santa Cruz de la Palma has the only major port in the island, serving ferry routes to Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
in Spain, as well as to Tenerife, Los Cristianos
Los Cristianos
Los Cristianos is a town in Spain with a population of approximately 19,000 , situated on the south coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mountain Guaza. The town centre is around the Los Cristianos...
and Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital , second-most populous city of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the 21st largest city in Spain, with a population of 222,417 in 2009...
, Las Palmas on Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
and Arrecife
Arrecife
Arrecife is a city in the Canary Islands situated in the centre-east of the island of Lanzarote of which it has been the capital since 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef which covers the beach located in the city...
. The main ferry operators in the port are Naviera Armas
Naviera Armas
Naviera Armas Ferries is a company in Spain, founded in the 1940s, which operates at least 10 ferries.The company operates mainly in the Canaries, although services are available to the island of Madeira and Portugal, further north.-The Current Fleet:...
and Fred. Olsen Express
Fred. Olsen Express
Fred. Olsen Express is an inter island ferry service based in the Canary Islands, Spain. The company operates a fleet of six modern fast ferries, including the world's first trimaran fast ferry, the Benchijigua Express, which entered service in 2005. Fred Olsen Express operates five routes...
, and many cruise line firms visit the port.
Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late-19th century | around 18,000 | - | - |
| 1900 | 11,000 | - | - |
| 1991 | 17,205 | - | - |
| 1996 | 17,265 | - | - |
| 2001 | 17,265 | - | 401.51/km² |
| 2002 | 18,228 | - | - |
| 2003 | 18,201 | - | 216.26/km² |
| 2004 | 17,857 | - | 399.40/km² |
The 1996 population plunged slowly and from 1996 to 2001 read unchanged but boomed again but a little faster but from the 2002 to the 2004 census, the population slightly fell.
Other
Santa Cruz de La Palma has schools, a few lyceums, a gymnasium, churches, a small beach, a small port, a post office and a few squares plazaPlaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
s.
External links
- Official website
- Map and aerial photos
- Street map: Street map from Mapquest, MapPoint or Google
- Satellite images: Google
- Coordinates: 28°41′0"N 17°46′0"W