Santander

Santander, city and port in north Spain, capital of Cantabria Province, on the Bay of Biscay. Santander has a spacious harbour and is one of the principal industrial cities of north Spain as well as a popular holiday resort. A major export is iron ore, which is mined in the surrounding region and smelted at foundries in the city. Other industries include food-processing plants, shipyards, and factories in which metal goods, paper, and glass are manufactured. Santander was the chief port of the medieval kingdom of Castile, and the old section of the city is the site of a 13th-century Gothic cathedral. The University of Santander (1972) is located here. Population 182,926 (2006 estimate).