Almería

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Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Almería (Template:IPAc-en,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Template:IPAc-en,<ref>Template:Cite American Heritage Dictionary</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:IPA) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. The city lies in southeastern Iberia, extending primarily in between the eastern fringes of the Sierra de Gádor and the Andarax riverbed along the coastline of the Gulf of Almería, a large inlet of the Mediterranean Sea. The municipality has a population of 201,946.<ref name="population" />

Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The city grew wealthy during the Islamic era, becoming a world city throughout the 11th and 12th centuries.Template:Sfn It enjoyed an active port that traded silk, oil, and raisins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This period was brought to an end with the 1147 conquest of the city by a Christian coalition.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Control over Almería switched hands over the rest of the middle ages. In the early modern period, with the onset of Barbary piracy, the ethnic cleansing of moriscos in the Kingdom of Granada, and several natural calamities, urban decay accrued. The 19th-century reactivation of mining activity (lead) in the hinterland fostered commercial activity and demographic growth.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Key road routes include the A-7 connecting Almería to the rest of the Spanish Mediterranean coast and the A-92 connecting the city to Granada and inner Andalusia. Almería is served by a medium-sized airport and a port with a growing specialization in passenger and ro-ro transport with the North of Africa (Algeria and Morocco).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Being adjacent to a small desert,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Almería has an exceptionally dry climate by European standards.

Etymology

The name "Almería" comes from the city's former Arabic name, Madīnat al-Mariyya, meaning "city of the watchtower".<ref name=":0522">Template:Cite book</ref> As the settlement was originally the port or coastal suburb of Pechina, it was initially known as Mariyyat al-Bajjāna (Bajjāna being the Arabic name for Pechina).<ref name=":052">Template:Cite book</ref>

History

Template:See also The origin of Almería is connected to the 9th-century establishment of the so-called Republic of Pechina (Bajjana) some kilometres to the north, which was for a time autonomous from the Cordobese central authority: the settlement of current-day Almería initially developed as a humble trading port of Pechina known as Al-Mariyya Bajjana.Template:Sfn Pechina and its maritime port experienced divergent fortunes, and while the former progressively depopulated, the latter became the base of the Caliphal navy after 933, during the rule of Abd-ar-Rahman III.Template:Sfn The port suffered a devastating Fatimid naval attack in 955 that exposed the Caliphate's defensive shortcomings.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Also in 955, Abd-ar-Rahman III decided to erect the walls.Template:Sfn A silk industry consisting of hundreds of looms and feeding itself from the mulberry trees planted in the region, fostered Almería's economy.Template:Sfn Almería also became an important slave trade hub during the caliphal period.Template:Sfn

In the wake of the collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the early 11th century, Almería detached from Cordobese authority towards 1014 and became ruled as an independent taifa under Slavic kinglets.Template:Sfn It submitted to the Taifa of Valencia in 1038, yet it soon became independent as a new taifa,Template:Sfn ruled by the Arab Banu Sumadih until 1091, when it fell to Almoravid control. This allowed the city's economy to insert itself into the trade networks of the Almoravid empire.Template:Sfn Building upon the previous development during the caliphal period, Almería reached a degree of historical relevance unmatched in the rest of its history throughout the 11th and 12th centuries,Template:Sfn becoming the third-largest city of Al-Andalus.Template:Sfn Almería imported indigo dye and wool from the Maghreb and linen from Egypt, while it exported copper to Fez and Tlemcen as well as its highly sought textiles.Template:Sfn Template:See also Contested by the emirs of Granada and Valencia, Almería experienced many sieges, including one especially fierce siege when Christians, called to the Second Crusade by Pope Eugene III, were also encouraged to counter the Muslim forces on a more familiar coast. On that occasion Alfonso VII, starting on 11 July 1147, at the head of mixed armies of Catalans, Genoese, Pisans and Franks, led a crusade against the rich city, and Almería was captured on 17 October 1147,Template:Sfn marking the breakup of the city's period of splendor in the Middle Ages.Template:Sfn

Within a decade, in 1157, Almería had passed to the control of Muslim Almohad rulers.Template:Sfn Almería soon passed by the temporary overarching control of rebel Murcian emir Ibn Mardanish (1165–1169), hindering the early efforts of recovery in the city,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> that under the decade of Christian occupation reportedly had been left depopulated and, by and large, quite destroyed.Template:Sfn During Almohad rule, the city did not return to its previous splendor, although the port remained trading with the Crown of Aragon and the Italian republics.Template:Sfn

Following the rebellion against Almohad rule heralded by the likes of the Banu Hud and the Banu Mardanis, Almería submitted to the authority of Ibn Hud, who had raised the black banner and pledged nominal allegiance to Abbasid authorities by 1228.Template:Sfn After Ibn Hud's assassination in Almería in 1238,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn the bulk of the remaining Muslim-controlled territories in the Iberian Peninsula passed to the control of rival ruler Ibn al-Aḥmar (sultan since 1232), who had set the capital of his emirate in Granada by 1238,Template:Sfn constituting the Emirate of Granada, to which Almería belonged from then on. While relatively languishing throughout the Nasrid period, Almería still remained a key strategic port of the emirate together with Málaga, as well as a haven for pirates and political dissidents.Template:Sfn It sustained intense trading relations with Aragon and the African port of Honaine.Template:Sfn Almería endured a brutal siege by Aragonese forces in 1309 that, while eventually unsuccessful, left the city battered.Template:Sfn

The city submitted to the sovereignty of the Catholic Monarchs on 22 December 1489.<ref>Template:Cite book; Template:Cite book</ref> Relatively isolated and within the range of attacks from Barbary pirates, the hitherto mercantile city entered modernity by undergoing a process of heavy ruralization that imperiled its very same continued existence as a city.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Historically, there was a Jewish community in Almería dating to the 10th century, where members of the community mostly engaged in maritime trade. When the Jews were expelled in 1492, many living in Almería fled to North Africa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The 16th century was for Almería a century of natural and human catastrophes; for there were at least four earthquakes, of which the one in 1522 was especially violent, devastating the city. The people who had remained Muslim were expelled from Almería after the War of Las Alpujarras in 1568 and scattered across the Crown of Castile. Landings and attacks by Barbary pirates were also frequent in the 16th century, and continued until the early 18th century. At that time, huge iron mines were discovered and French and British companies set up business in the area, bringing renewed prosperity and returning Almería to a position of relative importance within Spain.Template:Citation needed

View of Almería during the Second Spanish Republic (1931–39)

During the Spanish Civil War the city was shelled by the German Navy, with news reaching the London and Parisian press about the "criminal bombardment of Almería by German planes".<ref>Abella, Rafael(1975). La vida cotidiana durante la guerra civil: la España republicana, p. 254. Editorial Planeta.</ref> Almería surrendered in 1939, being the last Andalusian main city to fall to Francoist forces.

In the second half of the 20th century, Almería witnessed spectacular economic growth due to tourism and intensive agriculture, with crops grown year-round in massive invernaderos – plastic-covered "greenhouses" – for intensive vegetable production.

After Franco's death and popular approval of the new Spanish Constitution, the people of southern Spain were called on to approve an autonomous status for Andalusia region in a referendum. The referendum were approved with 118,186 votes for and 11,092 votes against in Almería province,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which represented 42% of all registered voters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Satellite view centered on Almería

Due to its arid landscape, numerous Spaghetti Westerns were filmed in Almería and some of the sets still remain as a tourist attraction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These sets are located in the desert of Tabernas. The town and region were also used by David Lean in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), John Milius in The Wind and the Lion (1975) and others.

One of Almería's most famous natural spots is the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. This park is of volcanic origin,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is the largest and most ecologically significant marine-terrestrial space in the European Western Mediterranean Sea.Template:Citation needed The Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park runs through the municipal areas of Níjar, Almerimar and Carboneras. Its villages, previously dedicated to fishing, have become tourism spots. The beaches of Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park are also an attraction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Almería has one islet that it administers as a part of its territory in the Alboran Sea, Alboran Island. The island has a small cemetery, a harbor, and a lighthouse, built in the 19th century.

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Crystal cave

In 2000, a team of geologists found a cave filled with giant gypsum crystals in an abandoned silver mine near Almería. The cavity, which measures Template:Convert, may be the largest geode ever found.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The entrance of the cave was blocked by five tons of rocks, and was under police protection (to prevent looters from entering). According to geological models, the cave was formed during the Messinian salinity crisis 6 million years ago, when the Mediterranean sea evaporated and left thick layers of salt sediments (evaporites).Template:Cn The site is currently open for tourists under guided tours.Template:Cn

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Almería has a transitional climate between hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh; Trewartha: BSal) and a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh; Trewartha: BWal).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Almería is the driest city in Europe and it is the only one with a hot desert climate, starting in the south-eastern outskirts of the city (still inside the municipality of Almería) until the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park located east of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The BWh climate is present in the city of Almería, in nearby areas of Almería province (such as the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, the Andarax/Almanzora river valleys), the only region in Europe to have this climate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This arid climatic region spreads along the coastline around Almería to Torrevieja, in the northeast.<ref name=":0" /> The nearby Faro del Cabo in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, has the lowest annual precipitation on the European continent (Template:Convert) in the period 1961-1990 and around Template:Convert since 2010.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Almería enjoys about 3,000 hours of sunshine with over 320 sunny days per year on average (6 hours of sunshine in January and 12 in July) so it is one of the sunniest cities in Europe.Template:Cn

Almería is the only city in Continental Europe that has never registered any temperature below freezing in its recorded weather history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The coldest temperature recorded was Template:Convert at the airport in January 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before that, the previous record was Template:Convert on 9 February 1935.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Settled snow is unknown since 1935, although during the 20th century, light flurries (without settling) occurred on few occasions.Template:Efn The most important settled snowfall event occurred in 1926 and the snow arrived even at the coastline of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The last event with settled snowfall happened on 9 February 1935.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During the winter, daily maximum temperatures tend to stay around Template:Convert. At night, the minimum temperature is usually around Template:Convert. This makes the city of Almería one of the warmest in winter in Spain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city only receives yearly precipitation of just Template:Cvt and 26 days of precipitation annually; so while no month could be described as truly wet, there are strong seasonal differences in terms of precipitation and temperature, with coastal parts of the city (such as the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park) receiving a precipitation amount of Template:Cvt, and an annual temperature of Template:Convert, while mountainous areas (such as the Tabernas Desert) receive a precipitation amount of Template:Cvt per year, and an average temperature of Template:Convert, so it would be classified as a cold desert climate (BWk) bordering a cold semi-arid climate (BSk).<ref name=":0" />

Inland areas of the Almería province are believed to have reached temperatures above Template:Convert in summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Though temperatures above Template:Convert are very rare in the city of Almería.

During the summer, the skies are usually sunny and almost no rainfall occurs. The typical daily temperatures are around Template:Convert during the day while the minimum temperatures stay around Template:Cvt during July and August. As is the case for most of coastal Iberia, heatwaves in Almería are much less common than in the interior because of its coastal location; The hottest temperature recorded was Template:Cvt in August 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The highest minimum temperature ever recorded was Template:Convert on 31 July 2001, which is also the highest ever recorded in peninsular Spain and Iberian Peninsula.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Demographics

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Culture

House of the Butterflies

Famous natives of Almería include Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso, who in 1873 was the third president of the First Spanish Republic, as well as several musicians, including the composer José Padilla Sánchez, whose music was declared of "universal interest" by Unesco in 1989, the popular folk singer Manolo Escobar, renowned Flamenco guitar player José Tomás "Tomatito" and Grammy Award winner David Bisbal; the champion motorcyclist Antonio Maeso moved to Almería as a child.

The Irish folk-rock group The Pogues paid tribute to Almería in "Fiesta", a song on the band's third album, If I Should Fall from Grace with God.

In 1989, English electronic band Depeche Mode filmed the video for their song "Personal Jesus" in Almería.

Tourism increased and hotels were all occupied from January to February during the filming of the sixth season of the TV series Game of Thrones.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Festivities

The festive events that occur in the municipality are listed below:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Carnival
  • Holy Week
  • Cruces de mayo
  • Saint Joan's Eve

Sports

Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos

Almería hosted the Mediterranean Games in 2005. The city has two football teams: UD Almería, which was promoted to La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football, in 2022, and CP Almería, which plays in the División de Honor, the sixth tier.

The Plaza de toros de Almería is the main bullring in Almería. It has a capacity of 10,000 and it opened in 1882.Template:Cn

Films

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Main sights

  • The Alcazaba, a medieval fortress that was begun in the 10th century but destroyed by an earthquake in 1522. It includes a triple line of walls, a majestic keep and large gardens. It commands a city quarter with buildings dressed in pastel colors, of Muslim-age aspect. It is the second largest among the Muslim fortresses of Andalusia, after the Alhambra.Template:Citation needed
  • Almería air raid shelters, underground galleries for civilian protection during the Spanish Civil War, currently the longest in Europe open for tourists.
  • The Cathedral has a fortress-like appearance due to its towers, merlons and protected paths, created to defend it from Mediterranean pirates. Originally designated as a mosque, it was later converted into a Christian church, before being destroyed in the 1522 earthquake. In the 16th century it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, whilst keeping some of its defensive features.
  • Renaissance church of Santiago, built in 1533, with tower and portal decorated with reliefs.
  • Chanca, a group of houses carved into rocks.
  • Castle of San Cristobal, now in ruins. It is connected to the Alcazaba by a line of walls.
  • Museum of Almería. Includes findings from Prehistoric, Iberic, Roman, Greek ages and Muslim objects, mostly from the Alcazaba.
  • Paseo de Coches, a modern seaside promenade with gardens and palms.
  • Cable Inglés (English Pier), 1904 iron railway pier built to transfer iron ore, copper, and silver produced by British- and French-run mines in Granada from trains to waiting cargo ships.
  • Cable Inglés, at night
    Cable Inglés, at night
  • Alcazaba of Almería
    Alcazaba of Almería
  • The ancient walls of Jayrán
    The ancient walls of Jayrán
  • The statue of San Cristóbal
    The statue of San Cristóbal
  • The former train station
    The former train station

Economy

Greenhouses near Almería

Intensive agriculture has been the most important economic sector of Almería for the last 50 years.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Nowadays, greenhouse production, handling and commercialisation of vegetables, and the supply industry of the sector, represent almost 40% of Almería's GDP. Directly, agricultural production accounts for 18.2% of the provincial GDP. In Andalusia, the average contribution is 6.6% and in Spain it is only 2.9%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

This situation is the result of a great dynamic model, which can continually incorporate new technologies: using soil sanding, plastic covers, drip irrigation systems, hybrid seeds, soil-less cultivation, irrigation programs, new greenhouse structures, and so on. They all allowed to improve production and increase commercialisation calendars, assuring the profitability and quality of the crops and the competitiveness of the markets.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Moreover, Almería's economy has an important exporting function:<ref>Aznar Sánchez, J. A.; Galdeano Gómez, E.; Godoy Durán, A.; Tapia León, J. J. (2013): "Caracterización y desafíos del sector de la comercialización"; en J. A. Aznar Sánchez (coord.) El sector de la comercialización hortícola en Almería (pp. 17-46). Ed. Caja Rural Intermediterránea, Cajamar. Almería.</ref> 75% of production was sold abroad in 2018, with a value of 2,400 million euros.<ref>Cajamar (2018): "Análisis de la campaña hortofrutícola de Almería. Campaña 2016-2017". Almería: Fundación Cajamar.</ref>

This development is explained by familiar investment, as subsidies have been limited or non-existent. In this sense, the horticultural sector receives the least European aid from the Common Agricultural Policy: 1.9% of total income. This figure is much lower than that received by other sectors such as olive groves (33%) or cereals (53%).<ref>European Union (2017): "Operating subsidies (both direct payments and rural development except investment support)". En red: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sites/agriculture/files/statistics/facts-figures/cap-operating-subsidies.pdf[Consultado Template:Webarchive: abril 2018]</ref>

The production of this area is based on fair competition with officially a just remuneration of employees, with similar salaries than the ones in the same sector in Europe: 8% higher than Italy and 11% than Belgium.<ref>Livre Blanc (2017): "Les Producteurs de Légumes de France" En red: http://www.legumesdefrance.fr/sites/fnplegweb/livre_blanc_2017.pdfTemplate:Dead link</ref> This avoids the social dumping exerted by non-EU countries, like Morocco, with salaries up to 90% lower than those of Almería. However, there is well-documented widespread exploitation of workers from North Africa who work and live in terrible conditions, earning much lower than the minimum wage.<ref>Pablo, Ofelia de; and Javier Zurita in Almería, Annie Kelly and Clare Carlile (2020). "We pick your food: migrant workers speak out from Spain's 'Plastic Sea'". Template:Webarchive The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2023.</ref>

From a social point of view, Almería and Granada are an example of family-owned and smallholder agriculture, with small farms and little concentration of land.<ref name=ifapa>El sistema de producción hortícola protegido de la provincia de Almería, 2016. Template:Webarchive Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera de Andalucía (IFAPA).</ref> This social nature generates high equity in the level of income and welfare: social cohesion is produced, and inequality is reduced.<ref>Galdeano-Gómez, E.; Aznar-Sánchez, J. A.; Pérez-Mesa, J. C. (2016). Contribuciones económicas, sociales y medioambientales de la agricultura intensiva de Almería. Almería: Cajamar Caja Rural.</ref> Concretely, Almería is made up of 12,500 farms with an average of 2.5 hectares and 30% of familiar labour. The high education levels of the farmers are also significant, which demonstrates an innovative and receptive character towards continuing education: 81.2% of farmers have some type of formal academic training.<ref name=ifapa/>

At the same time, a commercial system based on social economy enterprises has been developed, e.g. as cooperative societies. These companies represent 62% of production and sales.<ref>COEXPHAL, Asociación de Organizaciones de Productores de Frutas y Hortalizas de Almería (2016): "Memoria 2015/16". Online http://www.coexphal.es/descargas/ Template:Webarchive</ref> They assure the access to the market in optimal conditions, because they increase its position inside the agri-food supply chain, facilitate financing, technical advice, and incorporation of technology. Moreover, local ties increase environmental sustainability.<ref>Galdeano-Gómez, E.; Aznar-Sánchez, J. A.; Pérez-Mesa, J. C. (2016): Contribuciones económicas, sociales y medioambientales de la agricultura intensiva de Almería. Almería: Cajamar Caja Rural.</ref>

Transport

Template:See also By land, Almería can be reached by the A-7 Mediterranean Highway, which connects the Mediterranean area with the Spanish A-92 that unites it with the rest of Andalusia. Almería railway station is served by Renfe Operadora with direct rail services to Granada, and Madrid Atocha using a branch off the Alcázar de San Juan–Cádiz railway; the Linares Baeza–Almería railway. In the future, high-speed rail AVE services will link Almería to Madrid via Murcia. The central railway station has been closed for several months and it is not known exactly when it will re-open. Passengers currently start their journey by being bussed a few kilometres to Huercal de Almería station.

By sea, the port of Almería has connections to Melilla, Algeria, Morocco, and tourist cruises in the Mediterranean. It also has a marina with moorings for pleasure boats. Currently the port of Almería is being expanded with new docks and transformed into a container port to take large-scale international shipping and thereby increase its freight traffic. It normally connects with the following destinations:

By air, Almería is served by Almería Airport, the fourth largest in Andalusia.Template:Citation needed The winter timetable includes flights to Madrid, Barcelona, Melilla, London, and Seville, with international connections to Manchester, Birmingham, Brussels, Dublin and Swiss, German and other EU airports being added during the summer.

  • Almería rail station
    Almería rail station
  • Harbour of Almería
    Harbour of Almería

Notable people

See also

References

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Notes

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Bibliography

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