Huelva lies on a large river estuary on the Atlantic coast. The mineral wealth of the area north of Huelva brought Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans who, along with the later arrivals of the Moors, left their archaeological mark on the city. Development of copper deposits much later by British companies transformed Huelva into a boom town.
Established by the Phoenicians as an important port and major trading post, Christopher Columbus sailed from Huelva for his historic voyage in the 15th century. Trade resulting from Columbus’ journey brought increased wealth to Huelva.
Mining activity in the 19th century led to the industrial development of the city. Since the 1950’s most of Huelva’s wealth has come from its flourishing petrochemical industry. Huelva boasts one of the most important petrochemical refineries in Spain, as well as one of the country’s largest ports. Since the 1980s, the province of Huelva has made great developments in agricultural cultivation, becoming Europe’s largest producer of strawberries, and one of the hottest destinations on the Spanish Wine Trail. The Huelva region is also known as one of the main sources of the famous Iberico Ham.
Huelva has a very active tourism and fishing industry, and is also home to the oldest existing Spanish soccer club (Recreativo de Huelva), founded in 1889.
Spain and Houston share extensive business, trade and cultural connections. Houston’s total trade with Spain was valued at more than $1.5 billion in 2009. More than 248 Houston companies have subsidiaries in Spain, and there are sixteen Spanish subsidiaries in Houston.
Fast Facts:
Population: 146,173 (as of 2007)
Country: Spain
Continent: Europe
Latitude & Longitude: 37° 15’ 30” N, 6° 57’ 3” W
GMT Time Difference: +1
Time Difference from Houston: +7 hours
Distance from Houston: 4935 mi/7940 km
Climate: Temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild winters
Language: Spanish
Governmental Structure: N/A
Current Mayor: The Honorable Pedro Rodríguez González, Mayor of Huelva
Other Sister Cities: N/A
Additional Information:
City of Huelva Municipal Website
Huelva Tourism