The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria and a popular holiday resort that offers award-winning sandy beaches, nice gardens, shopping facilities, a wide range of restaurants and bars, and is situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west) and the Basque Country (to the east). Population in 1998 was about 184,000. Just over a third of Cantabrians live in Santander.
As of 2004, Santander has a population of 183,800. This number has remained fairly steady since 1981. Spain's low fecundity rate and aging population have combined with rising immigration figures to keep the population growth fairly stagnant. Nevertheless, the Santander conurbation continues to sprawl as young families move away from the high cost of living in the heart of the city.
In the Roman Empire, the town was known as Portus Victoriae Iuliobrigensium. Its present name is derived from St Emeterio (Santemter, Santenter, Santander), a martyr whose head was brought there in the 3rd century, along with that of St Celedonio, according to legend.
In 1248 Santander participated in the battle for Seville, receiving a coat of arms as reward, was an important port for Castile in the later Middle Ages, and also for trade with the New World. It officially became a city in 1755.
In 1893 the freighter Cabo Machichaco exploded in the harbor, killing 500 people. Santander became the favored summer location for King Alfonso XIII, and it remains popular for vacations, although a fire in 1941 destroyed much of the old part of the city. Fanned by a strong south wind, the fire burned for two days. There was only one casualty, but thousands of families were left homeless and the city was plunged into chaos. The fire destroyed the greater part of the medieval downtown and gutted the city’s Romanesque cathedral.
