Alicante (province)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location of Alicante province in Spain.

Alicante or Alacant (in Valencian) is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Land of Valencia. It is bordered by the provinces of Murcia on the southwest, Albacete on the west, Valencia on the north, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east. The capital is the city of Alicante.

1 Territory and resources
2 Historical divisions
3 History and Politics
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Territory and resources

Main towns in Alicante province

According to the 2005 census, Alicante ranks as the 5th most populous province in Spain, with 1,732,389 inhabitants. Cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the province are Alicante (319,380 inhab.), Elche (215,137 inhab.), Torrevieja (84,348 inhab.), Orihuela (75,009 inhab.), Benidorm (67,492 inhab.), Alcoy (60,931 inhab.), and Elda (55,571 inhab.). It has an area of 5.863 km², and so it has a population density of 295.5 hab/km².

The land is mountainous in the north and west, whereas it is flat in the south; the most elevated points in the province are Aitana (1,558 m), Puig Campana (1,410 m), Moncabrer (1,389 m), Carrascal de Alcoy (1,354 m), Maigmó (1,296 m), Sierra de la Pila (1,264 m), Sierra de Crevillente (835 m) and El Mongó (753 m). The coast extends from Cabo de la Nao (Nao Cape) in the north to almost reaching the Mar Menor (Minor Sea) in the south. With regard to water resources, there are many ramblas (dry rivers which fill in with water when it rains), and the most important rivers are Serpis, Vinalopó and Segura. Other rivers are Girona, Algar, Amadorio, Ebo, Ravine of the Sheeps and Tarafa, afluent of the Vinalopó. The climate is Mediterranean, with tempered winters and dry hot summers. The mean temperature is 17.5ºC with scarce torrential rainfalls (355 mm a year). Frost and snow are unknown in the coastal areas. The predominant vegetation is bushy (thyme, esparto, juniper, etc.), although there are some particular areas with pines, grapevines, olive trees, almond trees, orange trees, lemon trees, carob trees and palm trees.

The main factors that generate wealth in Alicante province are: agriculture (fruits, vegetables and wines), fishing (sardines, mullets, etc.), industry (textile, footwear and toys), tourism and trade (by harbour). Apart from Alicante city, other important centers of economic activity are: Alcoy (textile, paper); Denia, Xabia and Benidorm (seaside resorts); Elche and Elda (footwear); Crevillente (carpets); Jijona (turrón); Orihuela (kitchen garden); San Vicente del Raspeig (University); Torrevieja (tourism, salt); Altea, Calpe, Villajoyosa and Villena.

[edit] Historical divisions

Alicante province in the Community of Valencia. Map subdivided according to the historical divisions.

Traditionally, the province of Alicante is divided into nine comarcas or comarques (in Catalan):

Comtat: 27,157 inhabitants; its capital is Cocentaina; textile industry and agriculture.
Alcoià: It is subdivided into two clearly differentiated subcomarcas:
- Valls d'Alcoi: 68,691 inhabitants; its capital is Alcoy; olive trees and textile industry; Moros y Cristianos festivals.
- La Foia de Castalla or Hoya de Castalla: 41,021 inhabitants; its capital is Castalla; its most populous city is Ibi; industry of toys.
Marina Alta: 175,310 inhabitants; its capital is Denia; it is the most rainy comarca; tourism.
Marina Baja or Marina Baixa: 166,255 inhabitants; its capital is Benidorm; eminently tourist; beautiful beaches and mountains.
Alto Vinalopó or Alt Vinalopó: 52,170 inhabitants; its capital is Villena; agriculture and footwear; Moros y Cristianos festivals.
Vinalopó Medio or Vinalopó Mitjà: 165,294 inhabitants; its capital is Elda; footwear industry, marble, wines and grapes.
Bajo Vinalopó or Baix Vinalopó: 267,954 inhabitants; its capital is Elche; agriculture, footwear and carpet industry, tourism; Misteri d'Elx festival.
L'Alacantí: 443,261 inhabitants; its capital is Alicante; services and tourism; highly urbanised comarca; Bonfires of Saint John festival.
Vega Baja del Segura or Baix Segura: 325,276 inhabitants; its capital is Orihuela; its most populous city is Torrevieja; agriculture and tourism.

[edit] History and Politics

Phoenicians, Iberians, Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans settled cities like Ilici Augusta (now Elche), Hemeroskopeion, Dianium (now Denia), Alonis/Alone/Alona (now Villajoyosa) or Lucentum (now Alicante) in the Alicantinian territory. From the 13th century, kings like Ferdinand III of Castile, James I of Aragon, Alfonso X of Castile, James II of Aragon and Alfonso IV of Aragon reconquered the cities that Moors occupied. Alicante was a strategic province in the War of the Spanish Succession and in the War of Spanish Independence.

Alicante contributes with 11 deputies in the Spanish Parliament and with 30 deputies in the Corts Valencianes, the regional Parliament of the Land of Valencia.