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Province of Alicante

March 06, 2023

For other uses, see Alicante (disambiguation).

Alicante[a] (Valencian: Alacant)[b] is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the second most populated Valencian province. Likewise, the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Community (Alicante and Elche, respectively) are located in this province.

Alicante
Provincia de Alicante (Spanish)
Província d'Alacant (Valencian)
Province
Province of Alicante
Coat of arms
Map of Spain with Alicante highlighted
Coordinates: 38°30′N 0°30′W / 38.500°N 0.500°W / 38.500; -0.500Coordinates: 38°30′N 0°30′W / 38.500°N 0.500°W / 38.500; -0.500
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityValencian Community
CapitalAlicante
Government
 • PresidentCésar Sánchez Pérez (PP)
Area
 • Total5,816.5 km2 (2,245.8 sq mi)
 • RankRanked 41st
 1.16% of Spain
Population
 (2018)
 • Total1,838,819[1]
 • RankRanked 5th
 3.98% of Spain
Demonymsalacantí, -ina (va)
alicantino,-na (es)
Official language(s)Spanish and Valencian
ParliamentCortes Generales

Alicante 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 province is named after its capital, the city of Alicante.

Territory, population and resources

 
Main towns in Alicante province

According to the 2018 population data, Alicante ranks as the fourth most populous province in Spain (after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia), with 1,838,819 inhabitants.[2] Cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the province are Alicante (334,757 inhabitants), Elche (230,112), Torrevieja (101,792), Orihuela (86,164), Benidorm (71,034), Alcoy (61,552), Elda (55,168), and San Vicente del Raspeig (53,126).[3]

The province has the largest ratio of foreigner population among all Spanish provinces. The total of 446,368 foreigners are registered in the province, which represents 23.6 percent of the total population.[2] Out of 141 municipalities that make up the province, foreign population is above 25% in 54 municipalities, and above 50% in 19 municipalities. The latter include San Fulgencio (80%), Rojales (74%), Benitatxell (69.8%), Algorfa (69.7%), Llíber (67%), Teulada (65.5%), Daya Vieja (64.4%); San Miguel de Salinas (64.3%), Calp (62.8%), Els Poblets (61.6%), Alcalalí (60.8%), Benijófar (58.5%), L'Alfàs del Pi (56.6%), Orba (55%), Xàbia (54%), Torrevieja (53.5%), Murla (52%), Fondó (51.7%), and Benidoleig (50%).[2]

From the 50 provinces of Spain, Alicante is the only one with three metropolitan areas—Alicante–Elche, Elda–Petrer and Benidorm—even though only one of them (Alicante–Elche) is ranked within the Spanish top ten metropolitan areas.[4] It has an area of 5,816.5 km2 (2,245.8 sq mi), and so it has a population density of 313.8 inhabitants/km2.

Geography and climate

 
Physical map of Alicante province

The province is mountainous, especially in the north and midwest, whereas it is mostly flat to the south, in the Vega Baja del Segura area; the most elevated points in the province are Aitana (1,558 m), Puig Campana (1,410 m), Montcabrer (1,389 m), Carrascar de la Font Roja (1,354 m), Maigmó (1,296 m), Serra de Crevillent (835 m) and El Montgó (753 m). All of these peaks are a part of the Subbaetic Range.

The coast extends from the cape, Cap de la Nau, in the north to almost reaching the Mar Menor (Minor Sea) in the south. With regard to water sources, due to the dry rain regime there are no major rivers, but mostly ramblas (dry rivers), which fill in with water when torrential rains occur.

The only remarkable streams are the Vinalopó, Serpis, and the river Segura. Other minor seasonal creeks (some completely dried out in summer) are Girona, Algar, Amadorio and Ebo.

There are saline wetlands and marshlands along the coast such El Fondo and the former wetlands and now salt evaporation ponds in Santa Pola and Torrevieja. All of them are key Ramsar Sites which make the Alicante province of high relevance for both migratory and resident seabirds and waterbirds.

Important coastal dunes are present in the Guardamar area which were planted with thousands of pine trees during the 19th century in order to protect the ville from the dunes advancing, which has created now an area of remarkable ecologic value.

The climate is strikingly diverse for such a reduced area. Three major areas can be cited:

  • Most of the province belongs to a semi-arid climate. It roughly goes along the coastal plain from La Vila Joiosa through the southernmost border (cities included here are, amongst others, Alicante, Elche, Orihuela and Torrevieja). Summers are very long, hot to very hot and very dry, winters are cool to mild and its most prominent feature is very scarce precipitation, typically below 300mm. per year and most likely to happen during spring and autumn. The reasons for this lack of precipitation is mostly the marked rain shadow effect caused by hills to the west of the Alicante province (and, to a lesser degree, those in the northern part of the province which, in turn, enhance the inverse Orographic lift effect around Cap de la Nau). Most of its few rainy days happen during Autumn and Spring.
The predominant vegetation in this part of the province is Matorral Scrublands including thyme, esparto, juniper and the like.
  • Proper Mediterranean climate is present in the northeastern areas around Cap de la Nau, mostly to its North but also to its South, in diminishing grades until disappearing slightly north of Benidorm. It roughly goes along the coastal plain from the northern border of the province through the Benidorm area. The north slopes of the mountains in the Marina Alta have a remarkably wetter microclimate with an average of up to 900mm of precipitation due to orographic lift, with most of the precipitation occurring in Autumn and Spring. The precipitation in this area is an average four times the one of the semiarid South, with this big precipitation gap occurring in a matter of just 100 km (62 mi).
The vegetation of this part is an enriched version of the Matorral shrubland and also Mediterranean pine woods.
  • The Alicante province also has a mostly dry Mediterranean to Continental Mediterranean climate. These are the innermost part of the province (for example Villena) and some closer to the sea but at a higher elevation (for example Alcoy). Here winters are cool to cold and a few days of snow are not unusual; summers are mild to hot and rains at about 500 mm average and slightly more evenly distributed through the year than in the previous mentioned areas. The innermost part of this domain is more quite dry while the mountainous part reach slightly higher precipitation figures which allow Kermes Oak woods to thrive, such as the one in La Carrasqueta or in the Mariola range, both near Alcoy.

History and politics

Main article: Kingdom of Valencia

The Iberians were the oldest documented people living in what today is the Alicante province. Belonging to these there are several archaeologic sites from which is especially known the one in La Serreta (near Alcoy) because the longest inscriptions remaining in the undeciphered Iberian language were found there.

Along the coast and contemporarily to the Iberians, the seafaring Phoenicians (in Guardamar) and Greeks (along the coastal section to the north of the Alicante city) settled stable trading colonies and interacted with the former (see Lady of Elche for the most renowned archeological piece of this period).

After a brief Carthaginian period, the Romans took over. Romanization in this part of Iberia was intense, the Via Augusta communicated this part of the Empire to the metropoli and so several cities thrived, from which the one known as Ilici Augusta (now Elche) even reached the status of colonia.

After a brief period of Visigothic ruling, the area was taken by Islamic armies and became a part of Al Andalus. From the 13th century, kings like Ferdinand III of Castile, James I of Aragon, Alfonso X of Castile, James II of Aragon reconquered the cities that Moors occupied. What today is the Alicante province was initially split between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon by means of the Treaty of Almizra, however later on the whole territory became under the control of the Kingdom of Valencia, which was a component Kingdom of the Crown of Aragon.

Alicante contributes with 12 deputies in the Spanish Parliament and with 36 deputies in the Corts Valencianes, the regional Parliament of the Valencian Community.

Economy

 
Alicante products treemap, 2020

The main industries in Alicante province are, in the primary sector, intensive agriculture, especially in the fertile Vega Baja del Segura, Camp d'Elx (Elche's countryside) and vineyards in the inner part of the province (Monforte, Novelda, Pinós), also near the coast in the Marina Alta area. Fishing is important all along the coast, with important fishing harbours such as Santa Pola, Calp or Dénia.

Industry has been historically important in the textile sector around Alcoy. Footwear still remains as the flagship industrial sector of the province, which occurs in Elche, Elda, Petrer and Villena, both labour-intensive footwear and, specially, textile are at a low ebb due to harsh competition from fast pace growing economies in Asia. The traditionally important toys industry around the Ibi and Onil area is another one competing internationally with those same areas.

A sector which has gained preeminence during the last 20 years is marble quarrying and processing, it happens mostly in the Novelda and Pinós area.

Still, what the province is known for is its massive tourism sector. The Costa Blanca's generally mild and sunny weather attracts millions of tourists from other European countries such as the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Norway or France and also from other parts in Spain like Madrid. Thousands of families from other places own a second home in the Alicante province which they use for their vacation time.

Gallery

Traditional subdivisions

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

Traditionally, Alicante province is divided into nine comarcas or comarques (in Valencian):

Museums

Alcoy:

Alicante:

Celebrations

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Spanish pronunciation: [aliˈkante]
  2. ^ Valencian pronunciation: [alaˈkant]

References

  1. ^ Population Figures referring to Municipal Register 1 January 2015 - Instituto Nacional de Estadística
  2. ^ a b c Uno de cada cuatro vecinos es extranjero en el 40% de los municipios alicantinos May 16, 2009. Diario Información, provincial newspaper (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Relación de unidades poblacionales Instituto Nacional de Estadística
  4. ^ El boom demográfico lleva a la provincia a ser la única con tres áreas metropolitanas March 10, 2007. Diario Información, provincial newspaper (in Spanish)

External links

 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Alicante.
  • Excma. Diputación Provincial de Alicante

March 06, 2023
province, alicante, other, uses, alicante, disambiguation, alicante, valencian, alacant, province, eastern, spain, southern, part, valencian, community, second, most, populated, valencian, province, likewise, second, third, biggest, cities, valencian, communit. For other uses see Alicante disambiguation Alicante a Valencian Alacant b is a province of eastern Spain in the southern part of the Valencian Community It is the second most populated Valencian province Likewise the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Community Alicante and Elche respectively are located in this province Alicante Provincia de Alicante Spanish Provincia d Alacant Valencian ProvinceProvince of AlicanteCoat of armsMap of Spain with Alicante highlightedCoordinates 38 30 N 0 30 W 38 500 N 0 500 W 38 500 0 500 Coordinates 38 30 N 0 30 W 38 500 N 0 500 W 38 500 0 500CountrySpainAutonomous communityValencian CommunityCapitalAlicanteGovernment PresidentCesar Sanchez Perez PP Area Total5 816 5 km2 2 245 8 sq mi RankRanked 41st 1 16 of SpainPopulation 2018 Total1 838 819 1 RankRanked 5th 3 98 of SpainDemonymsalacanti ina va alicantino na es Official language s Spanish and ValencianParliamentCortes GeneralesAlicante 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 province is named after its capital the city of Alicante Contents 1 Territory population and resources 1 1 Geography and climate 2 History and politics 3 Economy 4 Gallery 5 Traditional subdivisions 6 Museums 7 Celebrations 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksTerritory population and resources Edit Main towns in Alicante province According to the 2018 population data Alicante ranks as the fourth most populous province in Spain after Madrid Barcelona and Valencia with 1 838 819 inhabitants 2 Cities with more than 50 000 inhabitants in the province are Alicante 334 757 inhabitants Elche 230 112 Torrevieja 101 792 Orihuela 86 164 Benidorm 71 034 Alcoy 61 552 Elda 55 168 and San Vicente del Raspeig 53 126 3 The province has the largest ratio of foreigner population among all Spanish provinces The total of 446 368 foreigners are registered in the province which represents 23 6 percent of the total population 2 Out of 141 municipalities that make up the province foreign population is above 25 in 54 municipalities and above 50 in 19 municipalities The latter include San Fulgencio 80 Rojales 74 Benitatxell 69 8 Algorfa 69 7 Lliber 67 Teulada 65 5 Daya Vieja 64 4 San Miguel de Salinas 64 3 Calp 62 8 Els Poblets 61 6 Alcalali 60 8 Benijofar 58 5 L Alfas del Pi 56 6 Orba 55 Xabia 54 Torrevieja 53 5 Murla 52 Fondo 51 7 and Benidoleig 50 2 From the 50 provinces of Spain Alicante is the only one with three metropolitan areas Alicante Elche Elda Petrer and Benidorm even though only one of them Alicante Elche is ranked within the Spanish top ten metropolitan areas 4 It has an area of 5 816 5 km2 2 245 8 sq mi and so it has a population density of 313 8 inhabitants km2 Geography and climate Edit Physical map of Alicante province The province is mountainous especially in the north and midwest whereas it is mostly flat to the south in the Vega Baja del Segura area the most elevated points in the province are Aitana 1 558 m Puig Campana 1 410 m Montcabrer 1 389 m Carrascar de la Font Roja 1 354 m Maigmo 1 296 m Serra de Crevillent 835 m and El Montgo 753 m All of these peaks are a part of the Subbaetic Range The coast extends from the cape Cap de la Nau in the north to almost reaching the Mar Menor Minor Sea in the south With regard to water sources due to the dry rain regime there are no major rivers but mostly ramblas dry rivers which fill in with water when torrential rains occur The only remarkable streams are the Vinalopo Serpis and the river Segura Other minor seasonal creeks some completely dried out in summer are Girona Algar Amadorio and Ebo There are saline wetlands and marshlands along the coast such El Fondo and the former wetlands and now salt evaporation ponds in Santa Pola and Torrevieja All of them are key Ramsar Sites which make the Alicante province of high relevance for both migratory and resident seabirds and waterbirds Important coastal dunes are present in the Guardamar area which were planted with thousands of pine trees during the 19th century in order to protect the ville from the dunes advancing which has created now an area of remarkable ecologic value The climate is strikingly diverse for such a reduced area Three major areas can be cited Most of the province belongs to a semi arid climate It roughly goes along the coastal plain from La Vila Joiosa through the southernmost border cities included here are amongst others Alicante Elche Orihuela and Torrevieja Summers are very long hot to very hot and very dry winters are cool to mild and its most prominent feature is very scarce precipitation typically below 300mm per year and most likely to happen during spring and autumn The reasons for this lack of precipitation is mostly the marked rain shadow effect caused by hills to the west of the Alicante province and to a lesser degree those in the northern part of the province which in turn enhance the inverse Orographic lift effect around Cap de la Nau Most of its few rainy days happen during Autumn and Spring The predominant vegetation in this part of the province is Matorral Scrublands including thyme esparto juniper and the like Proper Mediterranean climate is present in the northeastern areas around Cap de la Nau mostly to its North but also to its South in diminishing grades until disappearing slightly north of Benidorm It roughly goes along the coastal plain from the northern border of the province through the Benidorm area The north slopes of the mountains in the Marina Alta have a remarkably wetter microclimate with an average of up to 900mm of precipitation due to orographic lift with most of the precipitation occurring in Autumn and Spring The precipitation in this area is an average four times the one of the semiarid South with this big precipitation gap occurring in a matter of just 100 km 62 mi The vegetation of this part is an enriched version of the Matorral shrubland and also Mediterranean pine woods The Alicante province also has a mostly dry Mediterranean to Continental Mediterranean climate These are the innermost part of the province for example Villena and some closer to the sea but at a higher elevation for example Alcoy Here winters are cool to cold and a few days of snow are not unusual summers are mild to hot and rains at about 500 mm average and slightly more evenly distributed through the year than in the previous mentioned areas The innermost part of this domain is more quite dry while the mountainous part reach slightly higher precipitation figures which allow Kermes Oak woods to thrive such as the one in La Carrasqueta or in the Mariola range both near Alcoy History and politics EditMain article Kingdom of Valencia The Iberians were the oldest documented people living in what today is the Alicante province Belonging to these there are several archaeologic sites from which is especially known the one in La Serreta near Alcoy because the longest inscriptions remaining in the undeciphered Iberian language were found there Along the coast and contemporarily to the Iberians the seafaring Phoenicians in Guardamar and Greeks along the coastal section to the north of the Alicante city settled stable trading colonies and interacted with the former see Lady of Elche for the most renowned archeological piece of this period After a brief Carthaginian period the Romans took over Romanization in this part of Iberia was intense the Via Augusta communicated this part of the Empire to the metropoli and so several cities thrived from which the one known as Ilici Augusta now Elche even reached the status of colonia After a brief period of Visigothic ruling the area was taken by Islamic armies and became a part of Al Andalus From the 13th century kings like Ferdinand III of Castile James I of Aragon Alfonso X of Castile James II of Aragon reconquered the cities that Moors occupied What today is the Alicante province was initially split between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon by means of the Treaty of Almizra however later on the whole territory became under the control of the Kingdom of Valencia which was a component Kingdom of the Crown of Aragon Alicante contributes with 12 deputies in the Spanish Parliament and with 36 deputies in the Corts Valencianes the regional Parliament of the Valencian Community Economy Edit Alicante products treemap 2020 The main industries in Alicante province are in the primary sector intensive agriculture especially in the fertile Vega Baja del Segura Camp d Elx Elche s countryside and vineyards in the inner part of the province Monforte Novelda Pinos also near the coast in the Marina Alta area Fishing is important all along the coast with important fishing harbours such as Santa Pola Calp or Denia Industry has been historically important in the textile sector around Alcoy Footwear still remains as the flagship industrial sector of the province which occurs in Elche Elda Petrer and Villena both labour intensive footwear and specially textile are at a low ebb due to harsh competition from fast pace growing economies in Asia The traditionally important toys industry around the Ibi and Onil area is another one competing internationally with those same areas A sector which has gained preeminence during the last 20 years is marble quarrying and processing it happens mostly in the Novelda and Pinos area Still what the province is known for is its massive tourism sector The Costa Blanca s generally mild and sunny weather attracts millions of tourists from other European countries such as the Netherlands the UK and Ireland Germany Belgium Norway or France and also from other parts in Spain like Madrid Thousands of families from other places own a second home in the Alicante province which they use for their vacation time Gallery Edit La Mare de Deu del Consol in Altea Montgo massif from Cap de Sant Antoni Xabia The Castle in Denia The Castle in Moraira Beachfront in Villajoyosa View of the Ifach atoll in Calp The Palmeral of Elche The Esplanade of Spain promenade in Alicante The Cathedral in Orihuela The Guadalest Reservoir The Aitana the highest peak of Alicante s Prebaetic System The Maigmo Peak Penaguila in the comarca of Alcoia The touristic town of Guadalest Barranc del Sinc in the Serra Mariola Font Roja shrine Paradise Beach in Villajoyosa Traditional subdivisions Edit Alicante province in the Community of Valencia Map subdivided according to the historical divisions Traditionally Alicante province is divided into nine comarcas or comarques in Valencian Comtat 28 391 inhabitants 2009 its capital is Cocentaina textile industry and agriculture Alcoia It is subdivided into two clearly differentiated subcomarcas Valls d Alcoi or Valle de Alcoy 69 224 inhabitants its capital is Alcoy olive trees and textile industry Moros y Cristianos festivals La Foia de Castalla or Hoya de Castalla 43 930 inhabitants its capital is Castalla its most populous city is Ibi industry of toys Marina Alta 199 273 inhabitants its capital is Denia it is the most rainy comarca tourism Marina Baixa or Marina Baja 191 388 inhabitants its capital is Benidorm eminently tourist beaches and mountains Alto Vinalopo or Alt Vinalopo 54 061 inhabitants its capital is Villena agriculture and footwear Moros y Cristianos festivals Vinalopo Mitja or Vinalopo Medio 173 324 inhabitants its capital is Elda footwear industry marble wines and grapes Baix Vinalopo or Bajo Vinalopo 290 481 inhabitants its capital is Elche agriculture footwear and carpet industry tourism Misteri d Elx Elche s Mystery festival and services with Alicante Airport in municipality of Elche L Alacanti 476 123 inhabitants its capital is Alicante services and tourism highly urbanised comarca Bonfires of Saint John festival Vega Baja del Segura or Baix Segura 390 817 inhabitants its capital is Orihuela its most populous city is Torrevieja agriculture and tourism Museums EditAlcoy Archaeological Museum Camil Visedo Museu Alcoia de la Festa Firefighters Museum of Alcoy Shelter of CervantesAlicante Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art Archaeological Museum of Alicante Gravina Museum of Fine ArtsCelebrations EditMoors and Christians of Alcoy Bonfires of Saint John Mystery Play of Elche Moros y cristianosSee also EditList of municipalities in Alicante Alicante Spanish Congress Electoral District Suma Gestion Tributaria Alicante Administration Body Route of the Castles of VinalopoNotes Edit Spanish pronunciation aliˈkante Valencian pronunciation alaˈkant References Edit Population Figures referring to Municipal Register 1 January 2015 Instituto Nacional de Estadistica a b c Uno de cada cuatro vecinos es extranjero en el 40 de los municipios alicantinos May 16 2009 Diario Informacion provincial newspaper in Spanish Relacion de unidades poblacionales Instituto Nacional de Estadistica El boom demografico lleva a la provincia a ser la unica con tres areas metropolitanas March 10 2007 Diario Informacion provincial newspaper in Spanish External links Edit Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Alicante Excma Diputacion Provincial de Alicante Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Province of Alicante amp oldid 1138685687, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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