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The Salinas de Torrevieja predate the 13th century and were an old royal possession.



Until 1802 in Torrevieja there was only an old guard tower, which gives the place its place name, and some salineros houses. But in 1803, King Carlos IV decreed the transfer of the administration of the Royal Salinas from La Mata to the location of the current nucleus of Torrevieja, and the construction of houses was authorized. In 1829, the town was totally destroyed by an earthquake and later rebuilt. The production and trade of salt determined and organized life in this place, which in 1931 became a city by privilege granted by Alfonso XIII. Artisanal production was limited in the 19th century to the manufacture of flax, hemp and cotton for popular consumption. Despite the fact that the anchorage made it difficult to load the salt, the port was not completed until 1954.



In the middle of the 19th century, the extraction of salt was directed mainly through Swedish and Dutch ships. The national market for this product was mainly Galician and, to a lesser extent, Valencian. The importance of the foreign market for this product has been maintained during the 20th century: a quarter of the salt produced is consumed in Spain and the rest is exported, and its salt flats are the most important in Europe. Torrevieja was also in the XIX century the maritime outlet for the agricultural productions of the Vega Baja.



Shield



The Torrevieja coat of arms collects the symbols of the Torrevieja coast of yesteryear. In the sea we observe the sailboats that were the means of exporting the salt from the salinas. The two small houses or barracks that are on the ground represent the incipient Torrevieja, against a sky dotted with seagulls. The watchtower occupies the center of the shield, being semi-destroyed, recalling the devastating earthquake that struck Torrevieja in 1829.



There is also the rhombus with the four red and yellow stripes, a sign of belonging to the extinct Kingdom of Aragon. The emblem is symbolically crowned by the royal crown.



Torrevieja (in Valencian Torrevella) is a city in the Valencian Community, Spain. Located in the province of Alicante, in the Vega Baja del Segura region, on the shores of the Mediterranean. With 101,756 inhabitants (INE 2009), it is the third city in population in the province of Alicante after Alicante and Elche and the fifth city in population of the Valencian Community after Castellón de la Plana.





Geography

The city of Torrevieja occupies an area of ​​71 square kilometers, in which streets, beaches and lagoons are located. It has 20 km of coastline, highlighting the beaches of La Mata, Los Locos, El Cura, El Acequión or Los Náufragos.



Its average temperatures range between 12 ° and 25 ° C.



Torrevieja has a district, Torrelamata (or La Mata) located in the north of the city, in the direction of Guardamar del Segura.



The municipality of Torrevieja borders Guardamar del Segura to the north, Orihuela to the south, and Los Montesinos, Rojales and San Miguel de Salinas inland.

Population [edit]



The official population of Torrevieja, according to INE data from 2008, is 101,381 inhabitants, of which 49.2% are Spanish and 50.8% foreigners. According to data from the municipal register, Torrevieja had at the beginning of 2009 with 104,700 inhabitants. As for the Spanish population registered in the municipality, the majority were born in the provinces of Alicante, Madrid, Murcia, Vizcaya and Asturias.



Among foreigners, the most numerous are the British, who represent 12.4% of the total population of the city (INE 2007), followed by Germans, Swedes, Russians, Colombians, Ukrainians, Moroccans and Norwegians.



In the field of music, it is worth highlighting the habaneras groups, Ricardo Lafuente Aguado being one of its most renowned authors. Among his works, ´´TORREVIEJA´´ stands out, better known for its first stanza: ´´Is Torrevieja a mirror ... ´´



The Francisco Vallejos Choir is one of the most representative choirs of the salinera city founded in 1954.



The Torrevejense Musical Union, with more than one hundred years of history, also enjoys deserved fame. Recently created is the chamber orchestra of the Ars Ætheria Musical and Cultural Association.



Since 1955 the Torrevieja International Habaneras and Polyphony Contest, declared of international tourist interest, has been held annually.



Parallel to this great Contest, the International Choral Meeting ´´Ciudad de Torrevieja´´ emerged in 1987, of a non-competitive nature, organized by the Francisco Vallejos Choir and sponsored by the Hon. Torrevieja Town Hall.



Also very important is the Ciudad de Torrevieja Novel Prize, which has been awarded since 2001, the second, after the Planeta Prize, with the highest economic value for the winner, € 360,000.

Aquopolis Torrevieja: water park belonging to the Parques Reunidos group. It has numerous attractions for all types of public, including the Boomerang, Black Hole or the Kamikaze.



Municipal Leisure Center: a nightclub located north of Torrevieja for the older public. Parties and meals for the elderly take place in this enclosure.



Ozone: leisure area in the north of the city. In it we find the IMF cinemas (9 theaters), bowling, recreational, Casino Mediterraneo and numerous shops mainly dedicated to restoration such as KFC, Manekken Piss ...



Habaneras Shopping Center: numerous shops and some bars and restaurants such as the Foster Hollywood.



Pacha Torrevieja: Torrevieja's most famous nightclub, located in the industrial estate. It is visited by thousands of people a year.



KKO: one of the best-known nightclubs in the city located in the Casa Grande industrial estate.



Ramon y Cajal Street: in this street there are numerous pubs and bars. Very popular Friday and Saturday.



Avenida de las habaneras: small discos occur in the lower buildings of the avenue.



Fairground: permanent fair. In summer the attractions are doubled. In addition, in winter it is the place where the Barraca Popular is installed, home to numerous concerts.



Municipal Theater: numerous concerts, theaters and events take place in this venue.



Eras de la sal: venue for concerts and the Torrevieja International Habaneras and Polyphony Contest



Antonio Soria Park: venue for concerts with a large influx of public and an enclosure in which there are sports activities areas as well as the city's water park.



Virgen del Carmen Cultural Center: theaters and concerts.

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