Velez-Malaga - Encyclopedia

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

VELEZ-MALAGA, a town of southern Spain, in the province of Malaga, finely situated in a fertile valley at the southern base of the lofty Sierra de Alhama, and on the left bank of the small river Velez, z m. from its mouth and 27 m. by road E.N.E. of Malaga. Pop. (1900) 23,586. Velez-Malaga formerly was a place of considerable commercial importance, but its prosperity has much declined; there is no railway, and the town suffered severely in the earthquakes of 1884 and the floods of 1907. The vegetation of the neighbourhood is most luxuriant, including the aloe, palm, sugar-cane, prickly pear, orange, vine, olive and sweet potato. Velez-Malaga was held by the Moors from 711 to 1487, when it was captured by Ferdinand of Castile. Under Moorish rule the citadel was built and the town became an important trading station and fortress. Its harbour, the Velez estuary, affords good anchorage and is well sheltered.