Granada
Granada names 3 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Granada an ancient kingdom
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
an ancient kingdom, and one of the old provinces in southern Spain, bounded by Andalusia, Murcia, and the Mediterranean. It is now divided into the provinces of Granada, Almeria, and Malaga, the united areas of which amount to 11,063 square miles. The surface of Granada is mountainous and picturesque in a high degree. The mountain ranges, the chief of which are Sierra Nevada, the Sierra de Ronda, and the Alpujarras, run parallel with the coast. The principal rivers are the Almanzora, Almeria, Genil, Guadalhorce, and Guadiaro. The province is on the whole fruitful and highly cultivated. The mountains are rich in silver, copper, lead, and iron. Granada was part of the Roman province of Boetica; but after the Arab invasion it formed an independent Moorish kingdom. It was the last possession of the Moors in Spain, and was conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
gra-na'da, an ancient kingdom of the Moors. It had a Mediterranean frontage and now forms three provinces of southern Spain. Granada, the capital city of the kingdom, was also the chief commercial city. It is beautifully situated on two rivers at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. First the city with its terraces and gilded mosques, then the Alhambra, and behind these the snow-capped mountains,--travelers describe Granada as an imposing sight. The Moors made their last stand in Europe here. Sixty thousand men held the city for a year against the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella, but they were forced to surrender their stronghold in 1492. See Moors ; Spain ; Alhambra
Granada city and capital of the above province
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
city and capital of the above province, was the ancient metropolis of the Moors in Spain, and stands on the Genil, 120 miles from Seville. The town exhibits the form of a half-moon, its streets rising above each other, with a number of turrets and gilded cupolas, the whole crowned by the Alhambra, or palace of the ancient Moorish kings. It is built on two adjacent hills, and divided into four quarters. The Darro river runs between the two hills and traverses the town, after which it falls into the larger stream of the Genil, which flows outside the walls. The principal buildings are the cathedral, the archbishop's palace, the mansion occupied by the captain-general of the province, the university; but the grand ornament of Granada is the Alhambra, the wonder of Arabian architecture. Its remains sufficiently evince its original splendor. It commands a beautiful prospect; but a still finer is afforded by another Moorish palace, called the "Generalife," built on the opposite hill, and the retreat of the court during the heats of summer. Pop. about 78,000.
Granada a department and city of Nicaragua
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a department and city of Nicaragua. The department, lying between the Pacific and Lakes Nicaragua and Managua has an area of nearly 2,600 square miles; is mostly a level savannah, but contains the volcano of Masaya and the Mombacho peak (4,500 feet). The city is on the N. W. side of Lake Nicaragua, and is connected with Managua by rail. Founded in 1522, it was formerly the chief town of the republic, but has suffered greatly from the civil wars. It is still an important trading center. Pop. about 17,100.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's 1921 note that the old kingdom "is now divided into the provinces of Granada, Almeria, and Malaga" still holds on the map, but since 1981 all three have belonged to the autonomous community of Andalusia, which runs its own parliament and government from Seville; the mountain mining of "silver, copper, lead, and iron" has essentially ceased, and the Sierra Nevada now supports a national park (1999) and Spain's southernmost ski resort. The city Collier's gave as "pop. about 78,000" is nearer 230,000 today, and the Alhambra, which the 1921 writer thought showed only "remains" of its splendour, was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984 and is now the most visited monument in Spain, admitting millions a year on timed tickets. Granada in Nicaragua, "formerly the chief town of the republic" with 17,100 people, has grown past 100,000 and lives largely on tourism to the colonial centre it rebuilt after the nineteenth-century wars; Managua has been the capital since 1852.
Written for this edition, 2026.