Among Among the the causes causes of of this this loss loss of of population population isis the the peculiar peculiar geography geography of of Cádiz; Cádiz; the the city city lies lies on on aa narrow narrow spit spit of of land land hemmed hemmed inin by by the the sea. sea. Consequently, Consequently, there there isis aa pronounced pronounced shortage shortage of of buildable buildable land. land. The The city city has has very very little little vacant vacant land, land, and and aa high high proportion proportion of of its its housing housing stock stock isis relatively relatively low low inin density. density. (That (That isis to to say, say, many many buildings buildings are are only only two two or or three three stories stories tall, tall, and and they they are are only only able able to to house house aa relatively relatively small small number number of of people people within within their their "footprint".) "footprint".)
The The older older quarters quarters of of Cádiz Cádiz are are full full of of buildings buildings that, that, because because of of their their age age and and historical historical significance, significance, are are not not eligible eligible for for urban urban rerenewal. newal. Replacement Replacement of of these these old old buildings buildings with with high-density high-density apartment apartment projects projects would would allow allow Cádiz Cádiz to to sustain sustain aa higher higher population. population.
MASTERS
According According to to aa 2006 2006 census census estimate, estimate, the the population population of of Cádiz Cádiz proper proper was was 130,561, 130,561, and and the the population population of of the the entire entire metropolitan metropolitan area area was was estimated estimated to to be be 629,054. 629,054. Cádiz Cádiz isis the the seventeenth seventeenth largest largest Spanish Spanish city. city. However, However, inin recent recent years, years, the the city city has has been been steadily steadily losing losing population; population;
itit isis the the only only municipality municipality of of the the Bay Bay of of Cádiz Cádiz (the (the comarca comarca composed composed of of Cádiz, Cádiz, Chiclana, Chiclana, ElEl Puerto Puerto de de Santa Santa María, María, Puerto Puerto Real, Real, and and San San Fernando), Fernando), whose whose population population has has didiGadir (in Phoenician: )רדג, the original name given to the outpost established here by the Phoenicians, means "castle", "fortress", or, more generally, "walled stronghold" or simply "wall". The name is equivalent to the place-name, Agadir, which is common in north Africa. To this day, "agadir" means "wall" in the Berber language. Gadir became the most important Phoenician enclave on the Iberian Peninsula.
Later, the city became known by a similar Attic Greek name, Gadeira, τὰ Γάδειρα. In Ionic Greek, the name is spelled slightly differently: Γήδειρα. This spelling appears in the histories written by Herodotus. Rarely, the name is spelled ἡ Γαδείρα, as, for example, in the writings of Erastosthenes (as attested by Stephanus of Byzantium).
In the Latín language, the city was known as Gades; in modern Arabic, it is called سداق, Qādis. The Spanish autonym for a resident of Cádiz is gaditano.
minished. minished. Between Between 1995 1995 and and 2006, 2006, itit lost lost more more than than 14,000 14,000 inhabitants, inhabitants, aa decrease decrease of of 9%. 9%.