Ferrol
a Spanish seaport in Galicia, Spain; on a narrow arm of the sea, 11 miles by water and 33 by rail N. E. of Corunna. A poor fishing town till 1752, it now is one of the strongest fortified places in the kingdom, and possesses one of its three largest arsenals (with dockyards, naval workshops, etc.), while the annual trade reaches about £500,000.
The harbor is safe and capacious, and has a very narrow entrance, defended by two forts. The town has manufactures of naval stores, linen, cotton, and leather, and exports corn, brandy, vinegar, and fish. In 1805 a French fleet was defeated by the English off Ferrol. The town was taken by the French in 1809 and 1823, and in 1872 had a republican rising. Pop. about 30,000.