Santander

Santander city (1990 pop. 194,221), capital of Cantabria prov., N Spain, in Cantabria, on the Bay of Biscay. It is a seaport, fishing center, and a popular resort. On the nearby peninsula of Magdalena is a former royal summer palace. An ancient port, Santander became, after the discovery of America, one of the busiest harbors of N Spain. The exploitation of nearby mines has favored the development of industries (ironworks and shipyards). The 13th-century cathedral and the business district were destroyed by fire in 1941, but have been restored. There is an international summer university named for the writer Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo. It is the site of the Univ. of Santander (1972).

Santander, Colombia, Philippines, Spain 1. Colombia: a department created in 1886 and named after General Francisco de Paula Santander (1792–1840), a colleague of Simón Bolívar in the struggle for South American independence from Spain and president of New Granada (Colombia) (1833–7).2. Spain (Cantabria): formerly Portus Victoriae Juliobrigensium. The head of the martyr San Emeterio ‘St Hemiterius’ is said to have been brought here from Calahorra in the 3rd century and a monastery was subsequently built. The city takes its name from the Latinized form of his name, Sancti Emetherii, passing through various versions first: Sant Emter, San Ender, and Sant Ander.