Flix Explained

Flix
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain Catalonia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Catalonia
Coordinates:41.234°N 0.556°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Spain
Subdivision Type1:Community
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Tarragona
Subdivision Type3:Comarca
Subdivision Name3:Ribera d'Ebre
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Marc Mur Bages (2015)[1]
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Km2:116.9
Elevation M:48
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Demonym:Flixenc

Flix (in Catalan; Valencian pronounced as /ˈfliʃ/) is a town in the comarca of Ribera d'Ebre, Catalonia, Spain.[3] Situated on a promontory by the Ebro river, the town occupied an important strategic position. Situated on the Madrid - Barcelona railway line, it expanded in the early twentieth century with the construction of a hydroelectric power station in 1948 and a large chemical plant, Electroquímica de Flix.

One of the main tourist attractions is fishing in the horseshoe-shaped bend in the river (day ticket). Every year there is a large international fishing competition in Flix.

History

Flix was the site of a battle in the Spanish Civil War in 1938. The Battle of the Iron Bridge was fought between the International Brigades and the Fascists[4] as part of the Battle of the Ebro. The operation was initially a success for the republicans with the construction of the iron bridge nearly complete by the 3rd Division.[5] However at the end they had lost 3,000 soldiers and the battle. Today there is a memorial to this battle at Flix.

In 2005, the existence of a vast polluted area on the shores of the Flix Reservoir was disclosed. The environmental disaster involving large quantities of toxic waste was caused by the Ercros chemical factory, located by the shore of the artificial lake.[6] Following this disclosure, an ambitious plan to clean up the area was drawn.[7] This plan involves the building of containment barriers and the removal and treatment of the hazardous chemical waste.[8]

Demography

The population of Flix has grown since 1900 and peaked in the 1980s.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ajuntament de Flix. Generalitat of Catalonia. 2015-11-13.
  2. Web site: El municipi en xifres: Flix. Statistical Institute of Catalonia. 2015-11-23.
  3. Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. (Spanish). (Catalan).
  4. El Pais, 22 August 2009, page 1 of supplement
  5. http://balagan.org.uk/war/iberia/1936/ebro_offensive.htm Ebro Offensive
  6. Web site: El Síndic vol la neteja del pantà de Flix . 2011-04-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002083816/http://paper.avui.cat/societat/detail.php?id=1563 . 2011-10-02 . dead .
  7. Web site: Els pous de la discòrdia . 2011-04-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002083823/http://paper.avui.cat/societat/detail.php?id=146495 . 2011-10-02 . dead .
  8. http://www.avui.cat/cat/notices/2010/02/comencen_les_obres_de_col_locacio_de_la_barrera_que_aillara_els_llots_toxics_del_panta_de_flix_duran_86640.php Comencen les obres de col·locació de la barrera que aïllarà els llots tòxics del pantà de Flix durant la descontaminació
  9. http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=3&V0=1&V1=43060 Statistical information - Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya