Alicante - online puzzles

Alicante (, also UK:, Spanish : [aliˈkante]; Valencian: Alacant [alaˈkant]) is a city located in Spain. It sits along the Costa Blanca, is the capital of the province of Alicante, and the comarca of Alacantí. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 330,525, estimated as of 2016, ranking as the second -largest Valencian city. Including nearby municipalities, the Alicante conurbation had 452,462 residents. The population of the metropolitan area (including Elche and satellite towns) is 757,085 as of 2014 estimates, ranking as the eighth-largest metropolitan area of Spain.

Toponymy

The name of the city echoes the Arabic name Laqant (لَقَنْت) or Al-Laqant (ألَلَقَنْت), which in turn reflects the Latin Lucentum.

History

The area around Alicante has been inhabited for over 7000 years. The first tribes of hunter-gatherers moved down gradually from Central Europe between 5000 and 3000 BC. Some of the earliest settlements were made on the slopes of Mount Benacantil. By 1000 BC Greek and Phoenician traders had begun to visit the eastern coast of Spain, establishing small trading ports and introducing the native Iberian tribes to the alphabet, iron and the pottery wheel.