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Home > Travel Spain > Spain Destinations > Tarragona
Tarragona
Spain, also known as Kingdom of Spain, is one of the oldest inhabited regions on the planet. It is a country which is located in Southern Europe, and politically organized as a parliamentary monarchy. It is the largest sovereign nation of the three nations that make up the Iberian Peninsula. Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 provinces, grouped into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities with a high degree of autonomy. The name Spain comes from the Latin name Hispania whose capital is Madrid which is also the largest city of the Country.
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia, northeastern Iberian Peninsula, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the catalan comarca Tarragones. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 128,152, with entire urban area estimation of 348,921. In Roman times, the city was named Tarraco and was the capital of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. The Roman colony founded at Tarraco had the full name of Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco.
There are still many significant ancient remains at Tarragona. Part of the bases of large Cyclopean walls near the Quartel de Pilatos are thought to be anterior to the Romans. The building just mentioned, a prison in the 19th century, is said to have been the palace of Augustus. But Tarraco, like most other ancient towns which have continued to be inhabited, has been pulled to pieces by its own citizens for the purpose of obtaining building materials. Tarragona is home to a large port and the Universitat Rovira Virgili. Much of its economic activity comes from a large amount of chemical industries located in the city or in surrounding areas.
Santa Tecla Festival in Tarragona is one of the most important Spanish traditional festivals, between 15th and 24th September. It has been celebrated since 1321 and is considered to be national touristic interest by Spanish government. Tarragona is one of Spain's most popular destinations, and is well known for the quantity of cultural related attractions and monuments that the city has embraced.
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