Santander

Santander, a thriving seaport on the north coast of Spain, stands on an inlet of the Bay of Biscay, about equally distant from Oviedo on the west and San Sebastian on the east, and by rail 316 miles N. of Madrid. The bay on which it stands is accessible to the largest vessels at all times. The town occupies a picturesque site, but is quite modern in appearance, and has few buildings of note. Of its former convents one now serves as a theatre, another as a cigar-factory, giving employment to about 1000 people. The remaining industries are chiefly breweries, cotton, paper, and flour mills, iron-foundries, and ship-building-yards. The commerce of the port increases steadily: the exports—flour, wine, food-stuffs, and metals—have in some years reached a value of £898,000, and the imports—tobacco, food-stuffs, codfish, iron and steel goods, textiles, coal, petroleum, chemicals, timber, &c.—a value of £2,000,000. On the 4th November 1893 a ship discharging in the harbour took fire, and the consequent explosion of 21 cases of dynamite destroyed quays, whole streets of houses, and hundreds of lives. Santander is a favourite seaside resort in summer. Pop. (1887) 41,829. It was here Charles I. embarked for England after his trip to the Spanish court. The town was sacked by Soult in 1808.—The province, a mountainous land, with fertile transverse valleys, is the seat of active industries (cotton, paper, flour, beer, &c.), and rich in minerals (iron, coal, copper, zinc, lead). Area, 2113 sq. m.; pop. (1887) 242,843.