Cartagena was founded about 230 BC by Carthaginian general Hasdrubal as Qart Hadast, Punic for "new city". Hasdrubal extended the newly acquired Carthaginian empire in Iberia by skillful diplomacy, and consolidated it by the foundation of Qart Hadast in an excellent haven as the capital of a new province. Hannibal got silver from the mines there to carry on the war against Rome.

When it was taken by the Roman general Scipio Africanus Major in 209 BC it was renamed as Carthago Nova, Latin for "New Carthage" (which is somewhat humourous, as "Carthago" is a latinization of "Qart Hadast," thus unknowingly the Romans named the city "New New City"). At the time Carthago Nova was said to be one of the richest cities in the world. The city gave its name (without the 'new') to the youngest province in the Hispaniae diocese, in the form of an adjective: Carthaginiensis.

In 1873, the garrison arose against the First Spanish Republic and formed the independent Cartagena Canton. Since they had the best part of the Spanish Navy, they cruised the Spanish Mediterranean trying to bring them to Cantonalism. The Federalist Spanish government declared them a pirate fleet, encouraging foreign countries to chase and sink them.

The city features some of the most important collections of Punic, Roman and Byzantine remains in Spain. Cartagena has many archaeologic sites. Ruins identified as a temple to Melqart have been uncovered. Throughout the old centre you can find museums with remains of Roman buildings.

Part of the heritage is kept at the Municipal Archaeological Museum and Maritime Archaeology Museum featuring the most variedand best kept examples of 18th Century Military architecture in theMediterranean including the ‘Peral Submarine’ and the ‘Capitania’.The Autonomy Act struck a compromise by having Murcia as the seat of the regional government and Cartagena as the seat of the regional parliament (Asamblea Regional).