Alicante Step by step - Universidad de Sevilla
Alicante Step by step - Universidad de Sevilla
Alicante Step by step - Universidad de Sevilla
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4<br />
If variety is the spice of life, <strong>Alicante</strong> takes the cake, however<br />
you look at it. This city with a population of over 300,000<br />
combines both classic and mo<strong>de</strong>rn, it offers business and<br />
pleasure, entertainment and educational opportunities, and<br />
manages to fit mountains and beaches within its city limits.<br />
It even has an island off the coast – the only inhabited island<br />
in the Land of Valencia.<br />
<strong>Alicante</strong> has a long history reaching back to prehistoric times,<br />
with archaeological remains having been found here from the<br />
third millennium before Christ. This is the site of an ancient<br />
Iberian urban settlement dating from the late 5th century BC.<br />
The city later became a Roman municipium, Lucentum, at the<br />
behest of the Emperor Augustus at the beginning of the Christian<br />
era. It has been a Spanish city for over 500 years, with a charter<br />
granted to it <strong>by</strong> Ferdinand the Catholic in 1490. Its title inclu<strong>de</strong>s<br />
the praiseworthy epithets of “illustrious, eminent, noble, loyal<br />
and always faithful”, bearing a gol<strong>de</strong>n fleece on its coat of<br />
arms since 1524 <strong>by</strong> permission of Carlos V. Today it is a first-<br />
rate tourist area thanks to its splendid beaches and its excellent<br />
climate, offering charm, tradition, monuments and tourist<br />
attractions, and an exciting festivities and cultural calendar<br />
throughout the entire year.<br />
<strong>Alicante</strong>’s provincial economy is strong, ranking as Spain's<br />
fourth largest province in terms of its Gross Domestic Product<br />
and number of inhabitants, plus its highly active University<br />
with 40,000 stu<strong>de</strong>nts distributed amongst the <strong>Alicante</strong> and<br />
Miguel Hernán<strong>de</strong>z faculties. This strength has given rise to a<br />
well-consolidated tradition in the field of organising congresses,<br />
conventions and professional encounters of all kinds.<br />
The 21st century and the new millennium will usher in a<br />
prosperous city in ongoing evolution, with the ad<strong>de</strong>d dynamics<br />
of being one of the offices of the European Union. It will shortly<br />
become the site of a unique theme park project called “The<br />
City of Light”. Apart from this, there is lots of local warmth,<br />
with local hospitality and cordiality rating highly, plus a<br />
multifaceted entertainment and cultural lineup – <strong>de</strong>scribed on<br />
the pages that follow – that attracts people to this city at any<br />
time of the year.