HUELVA

capital of Huelva province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southwestern Spain. The city lies on the western shore of a peninsula formed by the estuaries of the Odiel and Tinto rivers, which empty into the Gulf of Cdiz of the Atlantic Ocean near the Portuguese frontier. It was originally a Carthaginian trading station and afterward a Roman colony (Onuba), whose restored aqueduct now supplies the city with water. Occupied by the Moors, Huelva was recaptured for the Christians in 1257 by Alfonso X the Wise of Castile. The colossal statue of Christopher Columbus, 112 feet (34 m) high, was erected there in 1892 to commemorate the fourth centenary of his voyage, which began and ended in the nearby village of Palos de la Frontera. Columbus resided in the neighbouring Franciscan monastery of La Rbida (now a summer university) after his original plans for the voyage had been rejected by King John II of Portugal in 1484. When the famous Riotinto copper mines to the north were given greater commercial impetus after 1872, the city grew rapidly in size and wealth. A major ore-shipping port, Huelva is also a fisheries headquarters and trades in grain, grapes, olives, and cork. Industrial railways link the ore deposits with the port. Pop. (1994 est.) 145,049. province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southwestern Spain. It is bordered by the Guadiana River and Portugal to the west and by Sevilla province to the east. The province's mountainous northern portion (Sierra de Aracena) gives way in the south to the flat, fertile La Campia, or lowland, which stretches to the Atlantic. The estuaries of the Odiel and the Tinto, the main rivers of the province, join to form the ra (inlet) at the provincial capital, Huelva city. Dry farming (cereals) predominates, but cultivation of cotton, olives, and fruit trees is also important. The local mineral deposits have been exploited since ancient times, and the Riotinto copper and pyrite mines near Nerva are world famous. The tuna-fishing industry supports many preserving and salting factories. Tourism along the sunny Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) greatly increased after 1960. Important cities in the province include the capital, Huelva (q.v.), and Ayamonte, Lepe, and Moguer. Area 3,894 square miles (10,085 square km). Pop. (1992 est.) 443,467.