Cartagena, << `kahr` tah HAY nah >> (pop. 216,365), is city in southeastern Spain. It stands on a beautiful bay of the Mediterranean Sea. Cartagena has a large, well-protected harbor and is the site of one of Spain’s most important naval bases. The city exports agricultural products and lead and iron ore. Factories there produce cordage (cords or ropes), canvas, and chemicals.
The mines near Cartagena attracted the Carthaginians, who founded the city about 225 B.C. The city later was part of the Roman and Byzantine empires. Cartagena’s people were among the first to rise against Napoleon after he conquered Spain in 1808. Cartagena was one of the last cities to surrender to General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
