Almería is a
provinceIn addition to its Autonomous Communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces.Formerly of greater importance, since the arrival of the autonomous community system the provinces have had fewer powers. They are still used as electoral districts, in postal addresses, phone codes, and as...
of southern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. It is bordered by the provinces of
GranadaGranada is a province of southern Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Albacete, Murcia, Almería, Jaén, Córdoba, Málaga, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital city is also called Granada....
,
MurciaThe Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia is one of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities...
, and the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
. Its capital is
AlmeríaAlmería is the capital of the province of Almería, Spain. It is located in southeastern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea.-History:The name "Almería" stems from Andalusian Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to the "The Mirror of the Sea".The city was founded by caliph Abd ar-Rahman...
.
Its area is 8,769 km². Its population is 546,499 (2002) with a density of 62.32/km². It contains 101 municipalities.
Almeria belongs to the Autonomus Community of Andalucia, in Southern Spain.
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
's only desert is found in Almería, and is part of the
National Park of Sierra NevadaCabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a nature reserve in southeastern Spain, near the city of Almería. It is the largest terrestrial-maritime reserve in the European Western Mediterranean Sea, covering 460 km² including the town of Carboneras, the mountain range of Sierra de Cabo de Gata, and...
(in the
Sierra NevadaThe Sierra Nevada, meaning "snowy range" in Spanish, is a mountain range in the region of Andalusia in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at ....
mountain range), which it shares with Granada province.
The desert landscape and climate that characterizes part of the province have made it an ideal setting for Western films, especially during the 1960s.
Almería is a
provinceIn addition to its Autonomous Communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces.Formerly of greater importance, since the arrival of the autonomous community system the provinces have had fewer powers. They are still used as electoral districts, in postal addresses, phone codes, and as...
of southern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. It is bordered by the provinces of
GranadaGranada is a province of southern Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Albacete, Murcia, Almería, Jaén, Córdoba, Málaga, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital city is also called Granada....
,
MurciaThe Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia is one of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities...
, and the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
. Its capital is
AlmeríaAlmería is the capital of the province of Almería, Spain. It is located in southeastern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea.-History:The name "Almería" stems from Andalusian Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to the "The Mirror of the Sea".The city was founded by caliph Abd ar-Rahman...
.
Its area is 8,769 km². Its population is 546,499 (2002) with a density of 62.32/km². It contains 101 municipalities.
Almeria belongs to the Autonomus Community of Andalucia, in Southern Spain.
Geography
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
's only desert is found in Almería, and is part of the
National Park of Sierra NevadaCabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a nature reserve in southeastern Spain, near the city of Almería. It is the largest terrestrial-maritime reserve in the European Western Mediterranean Sea, covering 460 km² including the town of Carboneras, the mountain range of Sierra de Cabo de Gata, and...
(in the
Sierra NevadaThe Sierra Nevada, meaning "snowy range" in Spanish, is a mountain range in the region of Andalusia in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at ....
mountain range), which it shares with Granada province.
The desert landscape and climate that characterizes part of the province have made it an ideal setting for Western films, especially during the 1960s. Because of the demand for these locations, quite a number of Western towns were built near the
Desert of Tabernas. Films such as
The Good, the Bad and the UglyThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly , is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
and
A Fistful of DollarsA Fistful of Dollars is a 1964 western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood alongside Gian Maria Volontè, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, José Calvo and Joseph Egger. Released in Italy in 1964 then in the United States in 1967, it initiated the popularity of the Spaghetti...
were shot here. Years later the film of
800 Bullets was filmed in the same place. Large sections of
Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British epic film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Austrian Sam Spiegel , from a script by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson...
and
PattonPatton is a biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
were shot there as well.
The principal river is Rio Andarax (Andarax River), which is located near Granada in the Alpujarras. The
Beninar pressure, which is located near Darrical, gives part of the water needed in the production in greenhouses.
Fauna
Interesting and unique species of animals native to the Alto Almanzora are in the process of extinction.
Economy
The most important economic activity is greenhouse farming. Millions of tons of vegetables are exported to other European countries and other parts of the world each year. Tourism is also a key sector of the economy, due to the sunny weather and attractive areas such as Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce, Almerimar, Vera or Cabo de Gata.
The principal industrial activity is in the
MacaelMacael is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.The city is famous for the production of marble.-Demographics:Source: ...
(Comarca del Marmol)
canteras marbleMarble is a non foliated metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite . It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications...
quarrying area in the Sierra de los Filabres region from Macael Viejo to Chercos, Lijar and Cobdar which produce in excess of 1.3 million tons. The Cantoria, Fines, Olula del Rio and Purchena area of the Alto Almanzora valley is fast becoming the regional megalopolis through high imports and exports and employment in local, national and international marble processing. All the tourist accommodations and construction throughout coastal Spain has driven high demand and brought huge modernisation. Small
pueblos of agriculturalists have given rise to computerized machining factories.
The German-Spanish
Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory is one of the most important observatories of Spain.
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
's
MichelinMichelin based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France, is primarily a tyre manufacturer, currently either the world's second-largest or the largest...
operates a research center in Cabo de Gata and in Tabernas there is a solar energy research center,
PSA.
History
The rich customs and Fiestas of the denizens retain links deep into the past, unto the
MoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim people of Berber, Black African and Arab descent from North Africa, some of whom came to conquer and occupy the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. The North Africans termed it Al Andalus, comprising most...
, the
RomansAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, the
GreeksAncient Greece is the civilisation belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth. It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the...
, and the Phoenicians.
During the
taifaIn the history of Iberia, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.The origins of the taifas must be...
era, it was ruled by the Moor Banu al-Amiri from 1012 to 1038, briefly annexed by Valencia (1038-1041), then given by
ZaragozaZaragoza, also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Kingdom of Aragon, Spain...
to the
Banu SumadihThe Banu Sumadih were an Islamic dynasty that ruled Almería in Al-Andalus in the 11th century, subordinate to Zaragoza, until it was conquered by the Almoravids...
dynasty until its conquest by the Almoravids in 1091. Some centuries later, it became part of the kingdom of
GranadaGranada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.- Overview :The city of Granada is placed at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, Beiro, Darro and Genil, at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
Largest salad
On September 29, 2007,
PulpíPulpí is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.-Demographics:Source: -Largest salad:...
, in Almería (province),
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
tossed the world's largest
saladSalad is any of a wide variety of dishes including: green salads; vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They include a mixture of cold or hot foods, often including raw vegetables and/or fruits.Green salads...
, with 6,700 kilograms (14,740 pounds) of lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper and olives, supervised by 20 cooks over 3 hours. A
Guinness World RecordsGuinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing an internationally recognised...
judgeA judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is like an umpire in a game and...
was present to confirm the new record. The salad was prepared in a container 18m (59ft) long and 4.8m (15.7ft) wide.
| Demographic evolution |
| Year |
Population |
% Spain |
| 1857 |
315.664 |
2,04% |
| 1900 |
359.013 |
1,93% |
| 1910 |
380.388 |
1,90% |
| 1920 |
358.149 |
1,67% |
| 1930 |
341.550 |
1,44% |
| 1940 |
359.730 |
1,38% |
| 1950 |
357.401 |
1,27% |
| 1960 |
360.777 |
2,33% |
| 1970 |
375.004 |
2,71% |
| 1981 |
405.019 |
1,18% |
| 1991 |
465.662 |
1,10% |
| 1996 |
501.761 |
1,18% |
| 2001 |
533.168 |
1,30% |
| 2006 |
635.850 |
1,42% |
See also
- List of municipalities in Almería
- Plataforma Solar de Almería
The Plataforma Solar de Almería is a center for the exploration of the solar energy.-History:It was founded in the early 1980s and run by the centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas , its location is on the edge of the Tabernas Desert in the Spanish province of...
- 1966 Palomares B-52 crash
External links