Jarama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jarama | |
| River | |
 Jarama River in Titulcia
|
|
| Country | Spain |
|---|---|
| States | Guadalajara, Madrid |
| Part of | Tagus |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Henares, Tajuña |
| - right | Lozoya, Guadalix, Manzanares |
| Source | Peña Cebollera |
| - location | Sierra de Ayllón |
| - elevation | 2,119 m (6,952 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Mouth | Tagus |
| - location | near Aranjuez |
| - elevation | 494 m (1,621 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Length | 190 km (118 mi) |
| Basin | 5,047 km² (1,949 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 31.7 m³/s (1,119 cu ft/s) |
Jarama is a river in central Spain. It flows north to south, and passes east of Madrid when El Atazar Dam is built on a tributary, the Lozoya River. It flows into the river Tagus in Aranjuez. The Manzanares is a tributary of the Jarama.
Contents |
[edit] Battles
During the Spanish Civil War at Paracuellos del Jarama, 1000 (other sources give the number of 2000) nationalist prisoners were killed by the Republican Militia guards during the Battle of Madrid (November 8-9, 1936). It is disputed whether Santiago Carrillo, the Communist leader in Madrid, ordered these executions or not, albeit they were committed under his authority[1][2]. He has denied his involvement in several interviews[3].
The Jarama was also the scene of fierce fighting - the Battle of Jarama - in 1937. Nationalist forces crossed the river in an attempt to cut the main Madrid-to-Valencia road and isolate the Republican capital. Nationalist forces led by Spanish Legionnaires and Moroccan soldiers (Regulares) of the Army of Africa were confronted by forces from the Republic including the 15th International Brigade. The 15th Brigade contained both the British Battalion of Volunteers and American volunteers in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Despite heavy casualties (over 270 British out of 600) the nationalists were stopped short of their objective. A period of trench warfare followed before the front stabilised. The battle cost both sides a combined total of up to 45,000 casualties.
[edit] In fiction
El Jarama is a novel by Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio about young people from Madrid meeting for a picnic by the river. Its realistic dialog renovated Spanish novels.
[edit] Other meanings
The Circuito Permanente Del Jarama is the main motor racetrack of Madrid. Before the construction of the safer Montmeló, Montjuïc and Jerez racetracks, it hosted 9 Formula One Championship races and several motorbike prizes.
[edit] References
- ^ Ian Gibson, "Paracuellos. Cómo fue". 1983, Plaza y Janés. Barcelona.
- ^ Vidal, Cesar, "Paracuellos-Katyn: Un ensayo sobre el genocidio de la izquierda". 2005, Libroslibres ISBN 84-96088-32-4
- ^ Entrevista con Santiago Carrillo. elmundo.es. November 24, 2000.
