This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2018) |
Almería(/ˌælməˈriːə/,[1]alsoUS:/ˌɑːl-/;[2][3]Spanish:[almeˈɾi.a]) is aprovinceof theautonomous communityofAndalusia,Spain. It was named after the Arab ruler of Taifa,Banu Al-Miri.It is bordered by the provinces ofGranada,Murcia,and theMediterranean Sea.Its capital is thehomonymouscity ofAlmería.
Almería | |
|---|---|
| Province of Almería Provincia de Almería(Spanish) | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Map of Spain with highlighted | |
| Coordinates:37°10′N2°20′W/ 37.167°N 2.333°W | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Andalusia |
| Capital | Almería |
| Government | |
| • Body | Provincial Deputation of Almería |
| • President | Javier Aureliano (PP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,774.87 km2(3,388.00 sq mi) |
| • Rank | Ranked 27th |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 701,688 |
| • Rank | Ranked 24th |
| • Density | 80/km2(210/sq mi) |
| Demonyms | Spanish:Almeriense, Urcitano |
| Official language(s) | Spanish |
| Parliament | Cortes Generales |
| Website | dipalme.org |
Almería has an area of 8,774 km2(3,388 sq mi). With 701,688 (2014) inhabitants, its population density is 79.96/km2,slightly lower than the Spanish average. It is divided into103 municipalities.
Geography
edit
The highest mountain range in the Province of Almería is the 50 km (31 mi) longSierra de Los Filabres,a subrange of theSierra Nevada.
Europe's driest area is found in Almería and is part of theCabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.[4]The arid landscape and climate of the province have made it an ideal setting forWestern films,especially during the 1960s. Because of the demand for these locations, quite a number of Western towns were built near theTabernas Desert.Films such asA Fistful of Dollars,For a Few Dollars More,andThe Good, The Bad, and The Uglywere shot here. Years later, the film of800 Bulletswas filmed in the same place. Large sections ofConan the Barbarian(1982),Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,Lawrence of ArabiaandPattonwere shot there as well.[5]
The main rivers are theAndarax RiverandAlmanzora River,which are located near Granada in theAlpujarras.TheBenínar Reservoir,located nearDarrical,provides part of the water needed in the production in greenhouses.[citation needed]
Fauna
editAlmería has very diverse and rich fauna. Animals found inCabo de GataandNíjarinclude thered fox,theAlgerian hedgehogand reptiles such as theocellated lizard,Timon nevadensis,and theladder snake.Birds characteristic of theSierra de María-los Vélezinclude thecrested lark,thecalandria,and the commonpipit,as well as birds of prey likeBonelli's eagle.Snakes and butterflies are common. TheParnassiusbutterfly stands out due to itsendemicstatus. In theSierra Nevadaand theSierra de los Filabresthere are also many birds of prey and protected mammals such as themountain goat,theEuropean wildcatand thewild boar.
Economy
edit
Historically, Almería was an important exporter of minerals (especially iron, lead, and fine marble) and grapes.[6]The most important economic activity is nowgreenhousefarming. Millions of tons of vegetables are exported to other European countries and other parts of the world each year.[7]
Tourism is also a key sector of the economy, due to the sunny weather and attractive areas such asRoquetas de Mar,Aguadulce,El Ejido,Mojacar,VeraorCabo de Gata.[citation needed]
Industry
editThe principal industrial activity is in theMacael(Comarca del Marmol)canterasmarblequarrying 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 theAlto Almanzoravalley 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. Smallpueblosof agriculturalists have given rise to computerised machining factories.[citation needed]
Research facilities
edit
The German-SpanishCalar Alto Observatoryis one of the most important observatories of Spain.
In Tabernas there is a solar energy research centre, thePlataforma Solar de Almería(PSA).[8]
France'sMichelinoperates an industrial research centre inCabo de Gata.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1857 | 315,664 | — |
| 1900 | 359,013 | +13.7% |
| 1910 | 380,388 | +6.0% |
| 1920 | 358,149 | −5.8% |
| 1930 | 341,550 | −4.6% |
| 1940 | 359,730 | +5.3% |
| 1950 | 357,401 | −0.6% |
| 1960 | 360,777 | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 375,004 | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 405,019 | +8.0% |
| 1991 | 465,662 | +15.0% |
| 1996 | 501,761 | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 533,168 | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 635,850 | +19.3% |
| 2014 | 701,688 | +10.4% |
Issues
editFruit pickers
editAn estimated 7,000-10,000 immigrant fruit pickers live in toxic conditions in shanty towns next to fruit farms in the region, and are exploited by employers who pay them less than minimum wage and offer noPPEas mandated by law.[9]
History
editPrehistoric
editThePaleolithic Ageof Almería was characterized by small nomadic and hunter-gatherer groups. The oldest Paleolithic site is Zájara Cave I (Cueva de Zájara I) in the Caves of the Almanzora (Cuevas del Almanzora).
The first villages and spaces dedicated exclusively to burials appear by the Neolithic Age, and even before the Upper Paleolithic Age. The cave paintings of the Cave of the Signs (Cueva de los Letreros) and twenty other caves and shelters of Los Vélez are dated to this era, and were designated a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1989.
In one of the shelters of the first settlers of the peninsula, the Coat of the Beehives (Abrigo de las Colmenas), there remains a human figure with arms outstretched holding an arc above its head. According to legend, this picture represents a covenant made by prehistoric man with the gods to prevent future floods. It is the earliest depiction of the AlmeríanIndalo,which was named in memory ofSaint Indaletius,and meansIndal Eccius( "messenger of the gods" ) in the Iberian language.
Over the years, the Indalo has become the best known symbol of Almería. Some see this figure as a man holding a rainbow, but it might also be an archer pointing a bow towards the sky. The Indalo lent its name to the artistic and intellectual movement of the Indalianos led byJesús de PercevalandEugenio d'Orswhich was a movement of nostalgic attraction by the people ofMojácar.The people of Mojácar painted Indalos with chalk on the walls of their houses to guard against storms and theEvil Eye.
It wasLuis Siret y Cels,an eminent Belgian archaeologist, who described the rich prehistoric wealth of Almería, particularly that of theMetal Age.Siret said that Almería was like "an open-air museum". Indeed, Almería is home to two of the most important cultures of the Metal Age in the peninsula:Los MillaresandEl Argar.
The earliest known city, Los Millares, dates to theCopper Ageand is strategically located on a spur of rock between the Andarax River and the Huéchar Ravine (rambla de Huéchar), in the southern part of the province. It was a town of more than a thousand inhabitants, protected by three lines of walls and towers, and had an economy based on copper metallurgy, agriculture, animal husbandry, and hunting on a moderate scale. Furthermore, they constructed a large necropolis and exported metal figures and pottery to a large part of the peninsula.
The equally influential culture of El Argar appeared later, during theBronze Age.They developed a characteristic form of pottery, thevaso campaniforme( "beaker" ) that spread throughout all of Northern Spain. Their cemeteries were more advanced with respect to the culture of Los Millares and they had diverse agricultural production and animal husbandry.
Ancient
editThe rich customs andFiestasof the denizens retain links deep into the past, unto theUmayyads,theRomans,theGreeks,and thePhoenicians.
Middle Ages
editIt became part of theMuslim Empirein 711. During thetaifaera, it was ruled by the Arab MuslimBanu al-Amiritribe from 1012 to 1038, briefly annexed byValencia(1038–1041), then given byZaragozato theBanu Sumadihdynasty until its conquest by theAlmoravidsin 1091. Some centuries later, it became part of the kingdom ofGranada.
See also
editNotes and references
edit- ^"Almería".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 2022-09-02.
- ^"Almería".The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language(5th ed.). HarperCollins.Retrieved27 July2019.
- ^"Almería".Collins English Dictionary.HarperCollins.Retrieved27 July2019.
- ^"Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park".earthobservatory.nasa.gov.2022-05-21.Retrieved2024-02-10.
- ^"Tabernas Desert (Alméria, Spain)".European Film Academy.Retrieved2024-04-29.
- ^"Almería".Encyclopaedia Britannica.Vol. 1 (14 ed.). 1930.
- ^"Almería's Sea of Greenhouses".earthobservatory.nasa.gov.2022-07-11.Retrieved2024-02-10.
- ^Plataforma Solar de Almería
- ^de Pablo, Ofelia; Zurita, Javier; Kelly, Annie; Carlile, Clare (20 September 2020)."'We pick your food': migrant workers speak out from Spain's 'Plastic Sea'".The Guardian.Guardian News & Media Limited.Retrieved31 October2022.
External links
edit
- (in Spanish)Diputación Provincial de Almería(Provincial government)
