Barakaldo - History

History

The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica wrote of Barakaldo (spelling the name with the now-archaic "c"):

Pop.(1900): 15,013. Few Spanish towns have developed more rapidly than Baracaldo, which nearly doubled its population between 1880 and 1900. During this period many immigrant laborers settled here; for the iron works and dynamite factory of Baracaldo prospered greatly, owing to the increased output of the Biscayan mines, the extension of railways in the neighborhood,and the growth of shipping at Bilbao. The low flat country round Baracaldo is covered with maize, pod fruit and vines.

Modern Barakaldo was later the endpoint of a mining railroad, since iron mining was a major economic activity of the region during part of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Steel industry, led by Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, had a very important presence during the 20th century, until the industrial recession hit the region's economy hard in the 1980s.

Over recent decades, the industrial zones surrounding Barakaldo have declined in importance as several large companies have shut down, (e.g. Babcock & Wilcox. There are still some active factories, however the once majorly industrial areas are continuing to be redeveloped into residential properties, parks and shopping malls (e.g. Ikea and the MegaPark). A large exhibition centre (BEC, Bilbao Exhibition Centre) has recently been built on the outskirts of the town at Ansio.