Estepa

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Estepa
Municipality

Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Latin: Ostippo, Quid Ultra?
(Estepa, What else?)
Estepa
Location in Spain
Coordinates: 37°17′30″N 4°52′45″W / 37.29167°N 4.87917°W / 37.29167; -4.87917Coordinates: 37°17′30″N 4°52′45″W / 37.29167°N 4.87917°W / 37.29167; -4.87917
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Andalusia
Province Sevilla
Comarca Sierra Sur de Sevilla
Founded 1241
Government
 • Alcalde Juan García Baena (PSOE)
Area
 • Total 202.42 km2 (78.15 sq mi)
Elevation 604 m (1,982 ft)
Population (2008)
 • Total 12,547
 • Density 62/km2 (160/sq mi)
Demonym Estepeño/a
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 41560
Website Official website

Estepa is a municipality in the extreme south-east of the province of Seville. Its population was 12,397 inhabitants in 2007.[1] The town is located north of the Sierra del Becerro mountains.

History

Estepa possesses a very ancient past and preserves its remains well. Some date back to the prehistoric times, with remains of silex, axes of stone, etc. Later, the remains reveal the accession of the Libyan-Phoenician (or Libyan-Punic) race. Two accessions are known, at least; one placed in Los Canterones, and the other under present-day Estepa.

Historians do not agree on the double denomination of which Estepa is mentioned in classic sources,[citation needed] as Astapa and Ostippo. In Roman Epoch, it was Ostippo, a free city linked to the Conventus de Astigi (Écija). The Roman city would have occupied the high part of the city, but little evidence remains. Numerous remains of agricultural developments suggest many small populations in the plains to the north of Estepa.

In the Middle Ages, it was home to the Masters of the Order of Santiago, conquerors' cradle, D. Juan Torres de Vera.[citation needed]

Estepa is well known for its production of Christmas-time sweets, mainly mantecado, or traditional Spanish crumble cake, notable for being based in pork fat. Estepa has 30 shortcake dough factories,[citation needed] and 15 factories are associated with Coexema A. I. E., that mainly deals with the export of products. Each factory employs up to 2,000 employees,[citation needed] from September to December, 90% of which are women.[citation needed] The factories produce about 20 million kilos (or nearly 45 million pounds) of Christmas sweets annually.[citation needed]

Other industries are gaining prominence in the area as well, such as Graphic Arts, mechanical constructions, machinery, factories, transports, slaughter houses, lime stone production, etc. South of the mountain range is an Industrial Estate with more than 140,000 meters of surface area distributed into 96 parcels. It is financed by Espa and Sodestepa LLC.[citation needed]

Tourism is also a major part of Estepa's economy. Tourists can visit many monuments and historical places, such as Convento de Santa Clara, Convento de San Francis, a castle, Balcony of Andalusia, and many churches and cathedrals.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Estepa". Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía (in Spanish). Instituto de Estadística de Andalucía. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-18. 

External links

Municipalities in the province of Seville
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