Province of Castellón

Castellón (Spanish: [kasteˈʎon]) or Castelló (Valencian: [kasteˈʎo]) is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east.^[1] The western side of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area.

Geography

Castellón's capital is Castellón de la Plana (Valencian: Castelló de la Plana). The province had a population of 501,237 in 2002, 30% of whom were residing in the capital, 60% in its metropolitan area, and 85% along the coastline. As of 2012, the population had since grown to 604,564 people.^[2] The province, and in particular its idle large airport, has become a symbol of the wasteful spending and corruption prior to the Spanish financial crisis.

It is a bilingual territory, with many inhabitants speaking both Spanish and the local, co-official language of Valencian. Spanish and Catalan are closely related and understandable to a fair degree Catalan. There are marked distinctions in vocabulary and grammar which puts Catalan closer to Occitan in southern France and would make it difficult for a monolingual speaker of Spanish to understand. Usage is a source of some controversy and political but not to the degree as in Catalonia.

Other major cities of the province include Villarreal, Borriana, La Vall d'Uixó and Vinaròs. There are 135 municipalities in Castellón; see List of municipalities in Castellón.

Economy

Traditionally, the economy of Castellón has been focused on the production of citrus and vegetables (Nules and Benicarló). Since the 17th century, Castellón has developed an important ceramic and ceramic tile industry (Onda, L'Alcora, Nules, Castellón and Villarreal) and nowadays most of the Spanish tile producers are concentrated in the province. Also, furniture (Benicarló and Vinaròs) and chemical industries (Benicarló and Castellón) are present.

Traditional industries such as shoe and footwear (La Vall d'Uixó), fishing (Castellón, Vinaròs) and textiles (Vilafranca and Morella), have given way to a service-based economy due to the increasing importance of tourism in the economy of the province.

Comarques

The province is historically subdivided into the following comarques:

Notes and references

External links

Media related to Province of Castellón at Wikimedia Commons

Municipalities of the province of Castellón
Aín Albocàsser Alcalà de Xivert Alcúdia de Veo Alfondeguilla Algimia de Almonacid Almassora Almedíjar Almenara Alquerías del Niño Perdido Altura Arañuel Ares del Maestrat Argelita Artana Atzeneta del Maestrat Ayódar Azuébar Barracas Bejís Benafer Benafigos Benassal Benicarló Benicàssim Benlloch Betxí Borriol Borriana Cabanes Canet lo Roig Castell de Cabres Castellfort Castellnovo Castellón de la Plana Castillo de Villamalefa Catí Caudiel Cervera del Maestre Chilches Chodos Chóvar Cinctorres Cirat Cortes de Arenoso Costur Culla Càlig El Toro Eslida Espadilla Fanzara Figueroles Forcall Fuente la Reina Fuentes de Ayódar Gaibiel Geldo Herbés Higueras Jérica La Jana L'Alcora La Llosa La Mata de Morella La Pobla de Benifassà La Pobla Tornesa La Salzadella La Serra d'en Galceran La Torre d'En Besora La Vall d'Uixó La Vilavella Les Coves de Vinromà Lucena del Cid Ludiente Matet Moncofa Montanejos Montán Morella Navajas Nules Olocau del Rey Onda Orpesa Palanques Pavías Peníscola Pina de Montalgrao Portell de Morella Puebla de Arenoso Ribesalbes Rossell Sacañet San Jorge Sant Mateu San Rafael del Río Santa Magdalena de Pulpis Sant Joan de Moró Sarratella Segorbe Soneja Sot de Ferrer Sueras Tales Teresa Tírig Todolella Toga Torás Torralba del Pinar Torreblanca Torrechiva Torre Endoménech Traiguera Les Useres Vallat Vall d'Alba Vall de Almonacid Vallibona Vilafamés Vilanova d'Alcolea Vilar de Canes Villafranca del Cid Villahermosa del Río Villamalur Villanueva de Viver Vila-real Villores Vinaròs Vistabella del Maestrazgo Viver Xert Zorita del Maestrazgo Zucaina

Provinces of Spain

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