Cape Trafalgar

Cape Trafalgar (/trəˈfælɡər/;[1] Spanish: Cabo Trafalgar [ˈkaβo tɾafalˈɣaɾ]) is a headland in the Province of Cádiz in the south-west of Spain. The 1805 naval Battle of Trafalgar, in which the Royal Navy commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson decisively defeated Napoleon's combined Spanish and French fleet, took place off the cape.

This article is about a geographic region in Spain. For the German ship of the same name, see SMS Cap Trafalgar.
Cape Trafalgar
Cabo de Trafalgar
Cape Trafalgar lighthouse
Location in Andalusia
Coordinates36°11′N 6°2′W

It lies on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the Strait of Gibraltar. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the Western limit of the strait and the Mediterranean Sea as a line that joins Cape Trafalgar to the North to Cape Spartel to the south.

Aerial view of Cape Trafalgar and the surrounding area.

The most prominent structure on the cape is a 34-metre-high lighthouse (51 metres above sea level), the faro de Cabo Trafalgar, built in 1860.

Etymology

The name is of Arabic origin, deriving either from Taraf al-Ghar (طرف الغار 'cape of the cave/laurel'),[2][3][4] or from Taraf al-Gharb (طرف الغرب 'cape of the west').[5][4] In both cases, taraf (طرف) means 'edge' or 'extremity' and refers to a promontory. In modern Arabic, however, the place is sometimes re-transcribed as al-Taraf al-Aghar (الطرف الأغر).[6]

See also

References
  1. "Trafalgar". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  2. A page of a professor of the Facultad de Filología of the Universidad de Salamanca
  3. Entry algar, in DRAE dictionary
  4. Richard Burton, The Arabian Nights (vol. 9)'s footnote 82
  5. Prof. Joseph E. Garreau, A Cultural Introduction to the Languages of Europe
  6. Etymology and Meaning of Trafalgar


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