Valencia

Va·len·ci·a  (v-lnsh-, -ch, -s-)

1. also (bä-lnthyä) A region of eastern Spain on the Mediterranean coast south of Catalonia. Inhabited by Iberian peoples in early times, it was colonized by Greek and Carthaginian traders and fell to the Moors in the eighth century. The Cid ruled the region and the city of Valencia from 1094 until his death in 1099.

2. also (bä-lnthyä) A city of eastern Spain on the Gulf of Valencia, a wide inlet of the Mediterranean Sea. First mentioned as a Roman colony in 138 b.c., Valencia was taken by the Visigoths in a.d. 413, the Moors in 714, and James I of Aragon in 1238, after which it flowered commercially and culturally. The city was the seat (1936-1937) of the Loyalist government during the Spanish Civil War. Spain's third-largest city, it is a popular resort and a commercial and industrial center. Population: 798,000.

3. also (bä-lnsyä) A city of northern Venezuela west-southwest of Caracas on the western shore of Lake Valencia. Founded in 1555, it is a major industrial center. Population: 1,190,000.

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Valencia (Spanish) [baˈlenθja]

n

1. (Placename) a port in E Spain, capital of Valencia province, on the Mediterranean: the third largest city in Spain; capital of the Moorish kingdom of Valencia (1021-1238); university (1501). Pop.: 739 412 (1998 est.) Latin name Valentia [vəˈlɛntɪə]

2. (Placename) a region and former kingdom of E Spain, on the Mediterranean

3. (Placename) a city in N Venezuela: one of the two main industrial centres in Venezuela. Pop.: 1 338 833 (2000 est.)

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Valencia - an industrial city in northern Venezuela Republic of Venezuela, Venezuela - a republic in northern South America on the Caribbean; achieved independence from Spain in 1811; rich in oil
	2.	Valencia - a city in eastern Spain on the Mediterranean; "Valencia is the third largest city in Spain" Espana, Kingdom of Spain, Spain - a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power