The name Costa Blanca was coined in the 1950s as a way to promote tourism.[1][2] The region has a well-developed tourism industry and is a popular destination for British and German tourists.
The Iberians are the oldest people known to have lived in what is now Alicante province. Among several Iberian archaeologic sites, La Serreta (near Alcoy) is noteworthy as the location of the longest inscriptions ever found in the (still undeciphered) Iberian language.
During the same period, the Phoenicians (in Guardamar) and Greeks (along the coast north of Alicante city) created coastal colonies and interacted with the Iberians. The Lady of Elche is a famous archeological find from this period.
After a brief Carthaginian period, the Romans took over the area. Several cities thrived along the Via Augusta, which connected this part of Iberia to the rest of the Roman empire. One of those cities, Ilici Augusta (now Elche) even reached the status of colonia.
What is now Alicante province was initially split between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon by means of the Treaty of Almizra. Later, the whole territory became under the control of the Kingdom of Valencia, which was one of the domains of the Crown of Aragon.
Politics
Today, Alicante has 12 deputies in the Spanish Parliament. It also has 36 deputies in the Corts Valencianes, the regional parliament of the Valencian Community.
Climbing
Costa Blanca is a popular climbing location thanks to its limestone crags and good weather conditions.[3][4]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Costa_Blanca, and is written by contributors.
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