Cavite City, Component city in Cavite, Philippines
Cavite City is a port town in Cavite province in the Philippines that sits on a hook-shaped peninsula reaching into Manila Bay. The town is divided into several harbor areas surrounded by three bays that shape the coastline.
The Spanish founded the town in 1571 as a naval base and used the natural harbor to control the bay. From the 17th century onward it served as the main port for the galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco that carried goods across the Pacific.
The name Cavite comes from the Spanish word for a narrow coastal strip and describes the shape of the peninsula. In the old harbor district you can still see the mix of Spanish architecture and local building styles that now serve as homes and shops.
The town is accessible by road connections with Manila and other places in the province, with main roads running along the coast. Several public markets offer fresh food and everyday goods and are busiest in the mornings and early afternoons.
Chabacano, a creole language with Spanish influence, is spoken here in daily life and developed during colonial times from the mix of Spanish with local languages. You hear it in markets, shops and residential neighborhoods where it is used alongside Tagalog.
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