Buey (close to present-day El Rompido) disappeared altogether. One cause may have been the plague epidemic of 1602. In later centuries - especially the 18th century - population began to rise again, and Cartaya expanded greatly in size. This was despite the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which must have caused widespread damage to local buildings (including the convent). Between 1804 and 1808, Cartaya belonged to the maritime Province of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It remained part of the kingdom of Seville until the territorial reorganization of Spain in 1833, when it became part of the new province of Huelva. In the late 19th century, the village of El Rompido began to develop. Although other villages had previously existed at the mouth of the Piedra, it was the development of an almadraba fishing operation that caused El Rompido to take shape. The fishery was based on the "arrow", on the other side of the river. As communications with Cartaya had to be made from the left bank of the river, families settled there and a village sprang up opposite the tuna fishery. Many of the fishermen were immigrants, especially from Portugal, who married local women. Portuguese surnames, such as Almeida or Brito, are still common in El Rompido. In the mid 20th century, the village of Punta Umbria moved for Independence from Cartaya. Despite opposition from the municipal council, Punta Umbría became a new locality of Huelva province on 26 April 1963. Punta Umbria hoped to benefit from the growing tourism industry and proposed El Portil as a location for tourist development. Despite this, the plan approved in 1968 achieved little development. With the arrival of democracy and the promulgation of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the municipal council of Cartaya gained more autonomy. Since then, Cartaya has grown into one of the most populous municipalities in the province of Huelva. Population and urban arrangement Centres of population The three main population centres are: Cartaya itself; El Rompido (including the suburbs of Urberosa and Los Pinos); and Nuevo Portil. Demography The population was 18,415 people in 2010, composed of 9,508 men and 8,907 women. Growth has been significant, with the population doubling since the end of the 1980s. The population decreased significantly in 1963 because the village of Punta Umbría was separated from Cartaya into its own locality. Population pyramid The analysis of the population pyramid shows the following: Those aged less than