El Algar

The territory of the district is quite flat and there is only a raised landform: a hillock named Cabezo Álvarez. There are some flat spots like Fuente del Sapo and Saladar de Lo Poyo.{{Cite web|url=https://cartographic.info/espana/map.php?id=623828|title=Mapa de Cabezo Álvarez en 30366, Murcia, España -Montana|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}} No beds with constant water flow traverse the district, but there are some ramblas (dry water beds but during rainy periods) in El Algar.{{Cite web|url=https://urbanismo.cartagena.es/urbanismo/Lista/CAUCE|title=Urbanismo Cartagena|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}

In El Algar there are six localities. The main one is El Algar, with a population of 5,567. The second most populated area is Las Lomas, where 1,499 people live. There is also a village in the northeast of the territory named Los Urrutias; 848 people reside there. A residential population centre also occupies El Algar called Estrella de Mar, with a population of 275. There are also two hamlets: Los Rizos and Los Ruices. The first one is in the north of the district and four people live there. The second one is in the south and has a population of ten.

There is evidence of human presence during the era of Ancient Rome in archaeological sites related to former villae, mining and metallurgic spots and farming sites.{{Cite web|title=Publicación número 14799 del BORM número 230 de 05/10/2011|url=http://www.borm.es/borm/documento?obj=anu&id=457838|access-date=2020-09-01|website=Boletín Oficial de la Región de Murcia|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Publicación número 113 de BORM número 3 de 05/01/2011|url=http://www.borm.es/borm/documento?obj=anu&id=417941|access-date=2020-09-01|website=Boletín Oficial de la Región de Murcia|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Resolución 30 de noviembre de 2010 de la Dirección General de Bellas Artes y Bienes Culturales|url=http://www.borm.es/borm/documento?obj=anu&id=416071|access-date=2020-09-01|website=Boletín Oficial de la Región de Murcia|language=es}} The territory was probably uninhabited during the late Roman Empire.{{Cite web|url=https://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?sit=a,319,c,373,m,1871&r=ReP-7974-DETALLE_REPORTAJESPADRE|title=El Algar- Historia de El Algar - Región de Murcia Digital|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}} During the Middle Ages, some path crossings occupied El Algar, according to some historians. Herds must have passed by the territory when being led to a mountain range named Sierra Minera. As a consequence, a settlement of shepherds was gradually set up. There are document references that date back to the years 1555 and 1565.{{Cite book|last=Gómez Vizcaíno|first=Juan Antonio|title=Pueblos de Cartagena. Diputaciones del Municipio Historia y Patrimonio|isbn=8493179086|page=40|language=es}}

During the Trienio Liberal, El Algar was not part of Cartagena municipality as it is today, but of a municipality that existed during that period of time. This also covered the current districts of Cartagena El Beal and Rincón de San Ginés.{{Cite book|last=Gómez Vizcaíno|first=Juan Antonio|title=Pueblos de Cartagena. Diputaciones del Municipio, Historia y Patrimonio|page=41}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?sit=a,319,c,373,m,1871&r=ReP-8606-DETALLE_REPORTAJESPADRE|title=El Algar- Edad Contemporánea - Región de Murcia Digital|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}} When the period ended and an absolutist government system was again established, the new municipality ceased to exist and El Algar again belonged to Cartagena.

A mining boom took place in the current municipality of La Unión during the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Owing to the proximity of El Algar to La Unión, some landowners received profits resulting from shares in mining enterprises from the adjoining municipality. These affluent people from El Algar resulted in the construction of the area's landmark buildings.

In the first half of the 20th century, there was stagnation in El Algar as a consequence of the decline in mining. Many inhabitants were prompted to migrate to Catalonia. In 1914, there was a trichinosis epidemic affecting 275 people.

16.89% of the inhabitants are foreigners – 4.515% come from other European countries, 10.925% are Africans, 1.03% are Americans and 0.34% are Asians.{{Cite web|title=Población│Historia│Tu Ciudad│Ayuntamiento de Cartagena|url=https://www.cartagena.es/poblacion.asp?anyo=2019&clave1=EL%20ALGAR&clave2=&lista=esp|access-date=2020-09-20|language=es}} 18.78% inhabitants are younger than 15 years, which is approximately 4.28% above the nationwide average; 16.117% locals from 15 to 30 years of age, which is approximately 0.58% above the percentage for that age range in the rest of the country and 20.09% inhabitants aged more than 60 years, which is approximately 5.82% below the national level.{{Cite web|title=CREM - Datos Municipales Cartagena - 4. Población según entidades y edad (grupos quinquenales), por sexo. Ambos sexos.|url=https://econet.carm.es/web/crem/inicio/-/crem/sicrem/PU_CartagenaCifrasNEW/P8016/sec5.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Portal Estadístico de la Región de Murcia - CREM|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822175750/https://econet.carm.es/web/crem/inicio/-/crem/sicrem/PU_CartagenaCifrasNEW/P8016/sec5.html |archive-date=2021-08-22 }}{{Cite web|title=Resident population by date, sex and age (31304)|url=https://ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=31304&L=1|access-date=2021-08-22|website=INE|language=en}} The number of inhabitants during the 21st century can be seen in the table below.

As it is part of Cartagena municipality, El Algar is included in the Health area II (Cartagena). A {{Lang|es|consultorio}} (primary care centre with fewer functions than the {{Lang|es|centros de salud}}) is located in Los Urrutias and a {{Lang|es|centro de salud}} in the main town.{{Cite web|title=MurciaSalud, el portal sanitario de la Región de Murcia. Centros Sanitarios|url=http://www.murciasalud.es/caps.php?op=mostrar_area&id_area=2|access-date=2020-09-10|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=SIAP. Datos cuantitativos de la fase 1. Glosario de términos - Definiciones y aclaraciones|url=https://www.mscbs.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/docs/siap/GLOSARIO_DE_TERMINOS.pdf|access-date=2020-11-25|website=Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social|language=es}}

Two early childhood and primary education centres (CEIP) are located in the main town, a secondary education centre (IES) is also located there, and an early childhood and primary education centre can be found in Los Urrutias.{{Cite web|title=Listado de centros|url=https://transparencia.carm.es/documents/184026/184318/Directorio+de+centros+educativos+p%C3%BAblicos/5822499b-8648-4325-88fe-e10101e3bb66|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Portal de Transparencia - Región de Murcia|pages=10, 16|language=es|archive-date=2017-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214124149/http://transparencia.carm.es/documents/184026/184318/Directorio+de+centros+educativos+p%C3%BAblicos/5822499b-8648-4325-88fe-e10101e3bb66|url-status=dead}}

A highway under the autonomous community (Spanish region) named RM-12 traverses the southern part of the district from the south-west to the south-east and south of the main locality. A state competency road named N-332 is located in the eastern half of the territory and traverses it from the north-west to the south-west and is also present in the main town.{{Cite web|title=Geovisor|url=https://urbanismo.cartagena.es/urbanismo/GeoVisor?FOR=Page&Composicion=INFORMACION&Fondo=CARTOGRAFIA&CQEntidad=INFO.Diputaciones&CQValor=3&CQAdd=2&CQBox=684528-4165776-692796-4173273|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-21|website=urbanismo.cartagena.es|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821171726/https://urbanismo.cartagena.es/urbanismo/GeoVisor?FOR=Page&Composicion=INFORMACION&Fondo=CARTOGRAFIA&CQEntidad=INFO.Diputaciones&CQValor=3&CQAdd=2&CQBox=684528-4165776-692796-4173273 |archive-date=2021-08-21 }}

There is a bus service connecting the town to Cartagena{{Cite web|title=Línea 20: CARTAGENA - LA MANGA │Transportes públicos │Ayuntamiento de Cartagena|url=https://wwwe.cartagena.es/ALSA/linea20.asp|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-21|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101012433/http://wwwe.cartagena.es:80/ALSA/linea20.asp |archive-date=2016-11-01 }} as well as bus service with transportation to and from Murcia, but it is infrequent.{{Cite web|title=Interbús Región de Murcia - El lujo de viajar en autobús|url=https://www.interbusmurcia.es/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-21|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011035433/http://interbusmurcia.es:80/ |archive-date=2018-10-11 }}

One of the more popular sports teams is the football team Club Deportivo El Algar (C.D. El Algar).{{Cite news|date=2016-08-08|title=El Club Deportivo El Algar, con seis refuerzos y Rafa Lorente en el cuerpo técnico|language=es|work=La Opinión de Murcia|url=https://www.laopiniondemurcia.es/deportes/2016/08/08/club-deportivo-algar-seis-refuerzos/758674.html|access-date=2020-09-01}} There is also a women's volleyball team called Surmenor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cartagena.es/detalle_agenda.asp?id=55655&pagina=1&c=&t=&d=&h=|title=I Torneo Algar Surmenor – Ayuntamiento de Cartagena}}{{Cite news|date=2019-07-14|title=El Algar Surmenor toma forma para la élite|language=es|work=La Verdad|url=https://www.laverdad.es/deportes/mas-deportes/algar-surmenor-toma-20190714002146-ntvo.html|access-date=2020-09-01}}

Every year, a popular race, Subida a la Fuente del Sapo, occurs on one of the last days of August. An exceptional sport fact related to El Algar was Vuelta España 2018 (a Spanish national cycling competition) – part of the sixth stage of the race occupied the main town of the district.{{Cite news|title=Bodas de Plata de la Subida a la Fuente del Sapo|language=Spanish|work=La Opinión de Murcia|url=https://www.laopiniondemurcia.es/carreras-populares/2018/09/01/bodas-plata-subida-fuente-sapo/950992.html|access-date=2020-02-13}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cartagena.es/detalle_noticias.asp?id=50338|title=La Vuelta Ciclista a España recorrerá el jueves 43 kilómetros del municipio de Cartagena|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}

The sports facilities in the district are a pavilion and a football pitch.{{Cite web|title=Instalaciones│Instalaciones│Concejalía de Deportes-Ayuntamiento de Cartagena|url=https://deportes.cartagena.es/instalaciones.asp|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Instalaciones│Intalaciones│Concejalía de Deportes-Ayuntamiento de Cartagena|url=https://deportes.cartagena.es/instalaciones.asp?categoria=3}}

• Casa Rubio: a dwelling owned by a well-off man who had received economic profits from the mining activities of La Unión. It was built in 1895.{{Cite web|url=https://urbanismo.cartagena.es/DocExt/PLDOC/2008-0001/Cat/Elementos/rpg_2012_2_Elem_F_1.pdf|title=RPG_2012_2_Elem_F_160003|page=160251|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}
• Apolo Theatre: built in 1905.{{Cite web|url=https://urbanismo.cartagena.es/DocExt/PLDOC/2008-0001/Cat/Elementos/rpg_2012_2_Elem_F_1.pdf|title=RPG_2012_2_Elem_F_160003|page=160252|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}
• Zamar carriage museum: the museum includes carriages and old motorcycles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?q=museo%20carruajes%20zamar|title=Museo de Carruajes Zamar - Región de Murcia Digital|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}
• Villa María{{Cite web|url=https://www.laopiniondemurcia.es/cartagena/2016/03/01/modernismo-campo-cartagena/717976.html|title=Modernismo en el Campo de Cartagena|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}
• Windmills: In Campo de Cartagena, there are windmills which are typical of the area; some of them are located in El Algar.{{Cite web|url=https://listarojapatrimonio.org/ficha/molinos-de-viento-del-campo-de-cartagena/|title=Molinos de Viento del Campo de Cartagena - Lista Roja del Patrimonio|language=es|access-date=2020-02-14}}{{Cite web|url=https://urbanismo.cartagena.es/DocExt/PLDOC/2008-0001/Cat%5CElementos%5Crpg_2012_1_Elem_F_2.pdf|title=RPG_2012_1_Elem_F_160701|pages=160715, 160723, 160724, 160725, 160727|language=es|access-date=2020-02-13}}{{Cite web|url=https://repositorio.uam.es/bitstream/handle/10486/8284/44991_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=Tecnologías tradicionales desparecidas: Los molinos del viento del Campo de Cartagena|last=Mas Hernández|first=Ana|language=es|access-date=2020-02-14}}

The festive events that occur in the district are listed below:{{Cite book|last=Gómez Vizcaíno|first=Juan Antonio|title=Pueblos de Cartagena. Diputaciones del Municipio, Historia y Patrimonio|pages=47}}

• Patron saint festival: It starts on 31 August and ends on 15 September. Activities during this period include a rock festival, a novena, a pasacalles (similar to standard parades), an opening address, a carrera de cintas (race on horseback where the rider has to take a ribbon) and a procession dedicated to the patron virgin.{{Cite web|title=Fiestas patronales El Algar 2012|url=https://laguiaw.com/upload/archivos_93805_1347267470.pdf|website=La Guía W - La Guía Definitiva - Encuentra lo que quieras, donde quieras|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Programa Fiestas El Algar 2017|url=https://laguiaw.com/contenido/documentos/93805/programacion-fiestas-el-algar-2017.pdf|website=La Guía W - La Guía Definitiva - Encuentra lo que quieras, donde quieras|language=es}}{{Cite web|title=Fiestas de El Algar - La Guía W - La Guía Definitiva - Encuentra lo que quieras, donde quieras|url=https://laguiaw.com/fiestas-de-el-algar|language=es}}
• Romería of Los Llanos patron virgin
• Festivity in Los Urrutias

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Category:Cartagena, Spain

Category:Populated places in the Region of Murcia