Cadiz, chartered city and important port in the west central Philippines, on the north coast of Negros Island, in Negros Occidental province, facing the Visayan Sea. Cadiz lies 65 km (40 mi) to the northeast of the capital of Negros Occidental, Bacolod. The area around Cadiz is the Philippines' major sugar-producing area, and sugar-milling is a major industry in Cadiz. Cadiz is also a major commercial fishing center and there is some rice production in the region. The coastal road that circles Negros Island connects Cadiz to the west with Bacolod, Victorias (site of the country's largest sugar mill and refinery), and Silay; and to the east with Sagay and Escalante. As with many Philippine chartered cities, the total area of the city (515 sq km/199 sq mi) includes a large portion of farmland. Cadiz was designated a chartered city in 1967. Between 1980 and 1990 the population of Cadiz decreased by nearly 8 percent, compared with a population increase of 26 percent for the nation during that time. Population (1999) 128,472.
