Port of Algeciras

Port of Algeciras

Port of Algeciras
Location
Coordinates 36°07′48″N 5°26′29″W / 36.13012°N 5.44144°W / 36.13012; -5.44144
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnage metric revenue tons (CY 2010)
Annual container volume  twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) (CY 2010)

The Port of Algeciras is the port and harbour of Algeciras, a city located in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is a commercial, fishing and passenger port. It consists of numerous maritime infrastructures scattered throughout the Bay of Gibraltar. Although only the town of Algeciras and La Linea de la Concepción overlook the bay, there are port facilities in the rest of the bank, also belonging to the municipalities of San Roque and Los Barrios. It is managed by the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay near the port of Tarifa.

It is the first port of Spain with almost 100 million tons in 2015 [1] and second in the Mediterranean Sea,[2] and in 2004 was the 25th in the world in container transport. In 2010 it exceeded 70 million tons in total traffic and more than 2.8 million containers.[3] The port totals over 10 km of quays in different basins, which manage all types of passenger and freight traffic.

It is 7th busiest container port in the continent of Europe and 42nd in the world with a trade volume of 2.81 Mio. TEUs in 2010 (World Shipping Council) and 9th busiest port by cargo in Europe and 57th in the world with a cargo volume of 69,572,000 tons in 2008.[4] Also, it was the 3rd largest transhipment port in Europe and 10th in the world in 2004.[5]

Despite the heavy ship track, whales and dolphins are known to swim into the port from time to time (see Bay of Gibraltar.)

In addition to containers, port operations include bunker fuel handling, cruise shipping, roll-on/roll-off and facilities for a fishing fleet.

In 2006 the Port of Algeciras handled 65 million MT in trade, an increase of 5 million MT over 2005.

History

Large freighters in the port of Algeciras

Unlike other major European ports, the present port is rather young. In ancient times the maritime shipping focused on Carteia, which was abandoned in the Middle Ages. During the Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula, Algeciras became the crossing point for crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. In the Reconquista the border area became the Moorish Kingdom of Granada, which caused it to be destroyed and abandoned in 1379. The population became concentrated in Gibraltar.

With the conquest of Gibraltar in 1704, the population fled and was distributed mainly along the bay. Several settlements were established, of which the only one on the banks of the sea was the repopulation of Algeciras. In the new distribution of the bay a port facility was not created until 1894, when a wooden jetty was created at the mouth of the Río de la Miel.

Destinations

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ministerio de Fomento-Puertos del Estado, «Récord histórico en los puertos, 501,8 millones de toneladas de mercancías.»
  2. ↑ C de Comunicación, «Estos resultados sitúan a los puertos españoles entre los cien primeros del mundo y los veinte más importantes de Europa. Así, Valencia se situó como 26º del mundo y 5º de Europa, Algeciras 42º y 8º, Barcelona 63º y 12º y Las Palmas 95º y 18º, respectivamente.»
  3. ↑ "Port of Algeciras Handbook". Global South European Maritime Hub. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  4. ↑ AAPA World Port Rankings 2008
  5. ↑ Container shipping: Overcapacity inevitable despite increasing demand
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Coordinates: 36°08′10″N 5°26′06″W / 36.136°N 5.435°W / 36.136; -5.435

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