Badajoz (province)

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Badajoz is a province of western Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Sevilla, and Huelva, and by Portugal.

With its area of 21 766 sq.km., it is the largest province in Spain. The other province of Extremadura, Cáceres, is the second largest.

Badajoz has a population of 662,808 (2002). Its capital is the city of Badajoz. Other cities in the province include Mérida, capital of the autonomous community. See also List of municipalities in Badajoz.

[edit] Topography

Although in many districts there are low ranges of hills, the surface is more often a desolate and monotonous plain, flat or slightly undulating. Its one large river is the Guadiana, which traverses the north of the province from east to west, fed by many tributaries; but it is only at certain seasons that the river-beds fill with any considerable volume of water, and the Guadiana may frequently be forded without difficulty. The climate shows great extremes of heat in summer and of cold in winter, when fierce north and north-west winds blow across the plains.

After Badajoz, the capital, the principal towns are Almendralejo, Azuaga, Don Benito, Jerez de los Caballeros, Mérida and Villanueva de la Serena). It also contains the historically interesting village of Albuera.