Provinces of Andalucía Andalucía is the most populous and the second largest region in area of all the Autonomous Communities in Spain and is officially recognized as a nationality of Spain. Its capital city and the seat of the Provincial Government is Sevilla. The territory is divided into eight provinces with each bearing the same name as its capital city: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla. Andalucia is also traditionally divided into two historical subregions: Upper Andalucía or Eastern Andalucía, consisting of the provinces of Almería, Granada, Jaén, and Málaga, and Lower Andalucía or Western Andalucía, consisting of the provinces of Cádiz, Córdoba, Huelva and Sevilla. Almería The main economy of the province of Almería is mining, industry and tourism although greenhouse farming is the main reason for its current day prosperity. Therefore the inland valleys of the province of Almería are now known as the Mar de Plástico (sea of plastic) because of the plastic covered market gardens and which has attracted a large immigrant population. The city of Almería stands on the Mediterranean Sea at the foot of a mountain range. It dates back to the 16th century with its most famous monument being the Alcazaba fortress, dominating the city and which was big enough to hold 20,000 men, during the times of the raids by the Turks and North Africans in the 16th and 17th centuries. Outside the city of Almería, tourism is of increasing importance; the main centres are Mojácar to the east and Roquetas to the southwest. Cádiz The largest town in Cádiz is Jerez de la Frontera in the Guadalquivir Valley. Its economy is almost completely based on wine and sherry production. It is also famous for its fine horses and for its brilliant flamenco singers and dancers. The city of Cádiz is a port, and despite having a population of only 100,000 people it has the highest population density in Spain, as a promontory, jutting out into the sea, expansion has been difficult. The city of Cádiz dates back to 1100 B.C. when it was established as a Phoenician trading post. Algeciras, although not a beautiful town, is worth a mention as the largest port and industrial town in the province of Cádiz. It is also the busiest crossing point for Morocco in North Africa and is a thriving city with a huge range of restaurants serving tourists in transit. From Algeciras it is possible to take two day trips to Morocco in North Africa and also the spectacular railway up the mountains to the city of Ronda in the province of Málaga. Córdoba The province of Córdoba has really only one main city and that is the infamous city of Córdoba itself. To the north and east it is very mountainous, with many small towns and hidden valleys. To the south and east the province is very agricultural along the floodplain of the Guadalquivir River. The city of Córdoba dates back to Roman times, when it was the highest navigable point on the River Guadalquivir. It has an important Roman bridge and was the export centre for olive oil, wheat and wine. It is also on the Roman road going to Castile. This was Europe’s most important cultural, artistic and commercial centre in the Middle Ages and it still has many beautiful monuments; with the most important being the “Mezquita”, its Cathedral Mosque which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Granada The towns in Upper Andalucía or Eastern Andalucía are less populated. There are fewer fertile valleys and expansion is constrained by the mountains. Traditionally they were centres of commerce or situated along important trading routes. The city of Granada is the biggest city. Its economy is complex, although nowadays it depends largely on tourism attracted by its history and historical monuments, of which the most famous is the mighty Alhambra Palace, also a UNUESCO World Heritage Site. The Sacromonte Hill overlooking the Old Town within the city has innumerable cave dwellings and is the home to Spain’s largest gypsy population. The city of Motril is the second largest city in the province of Granada and provides the main port for the province of Granada, at the end of the agricultural river valley. The port, called “El Varedero, is the most active trading port in the whole of Andalucía, especially for exporting fruit and cash crops. Huelva Tourism is the province of Huelva’s main industry thanks to its spectacular coastline with sandy beaches and sand dunes and the Doñana National Park. The main “tourist town” is Matalascañas. The city of Huelva though is an industrial town dependent on its mining and petroleum refining industries. Established as a mining centre by the Carthaginians it still retains some of its old monuments and is famous for its sites and museums dedicated to the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. Jaén The province of Jaén is largely mountainous, but has several important towns on the main routes to Castile: Andújar, Linares and Úbeda. The town of Úbeda along with Baeza are also both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Traditionally though the province of Jaén was always one of the poorer provinces, but is now the world’s leading producer of olive oil. The landscape is largely unspoilt and dotted with small towns housing many Renaissance buildings. The great Guadalquivir River has its source in the province of Jaén as a small mountain spring in the Sierra de Cazorla. The city of Jaén was the gateway to the mountain passes through to Granada from Castile. The city of Jaén has many important monuments including the Moorish Castle built on top of Mount Catalina and now converted into a parador with a superb restaurant and wonderful views of the city and the seas of olive groves. Málaga The main economy of the city of Málaga and along the Costa del Sol is tourism, although commerce and transport of goods generated by its large and flourishing port are also important. In the era of the Moors, the city of Málaga was the main centre for import and export. Nowadays the city of Málaga is famous for being the birthplace of the artist Pablo Picasso and there are three museums dedicated to his art. The town of Ronda in the hills above the city of Málaga is also very popular with tourists and day trippers from the Costa del Sol. Ronda is one of the most beautiful towns of the province and is famous for its breathtaking views. The drive up the windy mountain passes is not for the fainthearted. Ronda is also home to the oldest bullring in Spain. Sevilla Except for a low mountain range to the north the province of Sevilla, it is largely flat and is an important agricultural and industrial centre on the Guadalquivir Plain. The city of Sevilla is the capital of Andalucía and is the fourth largest city in Spain. It has several large dormitory towns and has been a big centre for immigration from the countryside throughout the 19th century. Its pre-Roman origins from the 1st century BC make it a very important historical city, second only to the city of Granada in numbers of visits by tourists. The old town houses numerous monuments including the Cathedral with the Giralda Tower (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) one of the biggest Christian cathedrals in the world.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:11:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015