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Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción)

Andalusia geography stubsBeaches of AndalusiaLa Línea de la Concepción
Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción) with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background
Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción) with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background

Playa de Poniente (English: West beach) is a beach in the municipality of La Línea de la Concepción, in the Province of Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain, located to the northwest of Gibraltar. It has a length of about 800 metres (2,600 ft) and average width of about 20 metres (66 ft).

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción)
Paseo Marítimo de Poniente, La Línea de la Concepción

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 36.162027777778 ° E -5.3573611111111 °
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Address

Paseo Marítimo de Poniente

Paseo Marítimo de Poniente
11300 La Línea de la Concepción
Andalusia, Spain
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Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción) with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background
Playa de Poniente (La Línea de la Concepción) with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background
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La Línea de la Concepción
La Línea de la Concepción

La Línea de la Concepción (Spanish pronunciation: [la ˈlinea ðe la konθeβˈθjon]), often referred to simply as La Línea, is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. The city lies on the sandy isthmus which is part of the eastern flank of the Bay of Gibraltar, and it limits with the Gibraltar–Spain border to the south. La Línea has close economic and social links with the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is part of the comarca of Campo de Gibraltar. The first dwellings, which date back to the 18th century, were behind the Spanish fortification lines drawn up during the Sieges of Gibraltar which took place during the 18c and 19c wars in Europe. The population of La Línea was a part of the municipality of San Roque until the community was decreed on 17 January 1870 to be a standalone municipality. The people of La Línea have traditionally found work in Gibraltar, from the days in the 18th century when Gibraltar was an important naval port. La Linea was, and still is, a supplier of fresh produce from its open and fertile land area as well as its population supplying workers, mainly for the Gibraltar Dockyard. This provision stopped with the total closure of the border by the Spanish government between 9 June 1969 and 15 December 1982 as a result of the dispute between Spain and Britain regarding the sovereignty of Gibraltar. The border was fully reopened on 5 February 1985.La Línea is a major supplier of fruit and vegetables to Gibraltar; other industries include the manufacture of cork, liquor, and fish paste. It also had an important military garrison with substantial fortifications and a port.

Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar
Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar

The Lines of Contravallation of Gibraltar (Spanish: Línea de Contravalación de Gibraltar or Línea de Gibraltar), known in English as the "Spanish Lines", were a set of fortifications built by the Spanish across the northern part of the isthmus linking Spain with Gibraltar. They later gave their name to the Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción. The Lines were constructed after 1730 to establish a defensive barrier across the peninsula, with the aim of preventing any British incursions, and to serve as a base for fresh Spanish attempts to retake Gibraltar. They played an important role in the Great Siege of Gibraltar between 1779 and 1783 when they supported the unsuccessful French and Spanish assault on the British-held fortress. The siege was ended after the lines of contravallation were attacked by British and Dutch forces under the command of the Governor of Gibraltar, General Augustus Eliot. The attack caused the Spanish forces to retreat and abandon the fortifications and the combined British led forces virtually destroyed all the Spanish gun batteries and the enemy cannon and munitions either captured or destroyed. This attack is still commemorated to this day and is known as 'Sortie Day'. Only 25 years later they were effectively abandoned by the Spanish as the Peninsular War recast France as Spain's enemy and Britain as its ally. Stripped of guns, stores and garrison, which were sent elsewhere to bolster Spanish resistance against French forces, the Lines were demolished by the British in February 1810 with the permission of the Spanish as a French army approached. Although Napoleon had no intention of attacking Gibraltar, the British feared that the Lines could be used to support a French siege against the territory. The modern town of La Línea de la Concepción was subsequently established amidst the ruins of the fortifications, of which only a few fragmentary remains can be seen today.