Málaga, city and seaport in Andalusia, southern Spain, capital of Málaga Province, on the Mediterranean Sea near Gibraltar. It is a popular holiday resort and one of the most important commercial seaports of Spain. Industries in the city produce sugar, wine, cotton textiles, and chemicals. The University of Málaga (1972) is here. Málaga was founded by Phoenicians in the 12th century bc and was at various times a Carthaginian, Roman, and Moorish colony. Under the Romans, and especially under the Moors, it developed into a strong military station. It was captured in 1487 by Spanish Christians after a heroic resistance. From 1810 to 1812 it was held by the French. Its historic buildings include a 16th-century cathedral and the ruins of a Moorish fortress. The artist Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881. Population 561,250 (2007).