Province of Almería

Almería (, <small>also</small> ; ) is a province of the autonomous community of Andalusia in Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is the homonymous city of Almería.

The province has an area of , and a population of 760,964 across its 103 municipalities. The arid landscape and climate of the province have made it an ideal setting for Western films, especially during the 1960s. Because of the demand for these locations, quite a number of Western towns were built near the Tabernas Desert. Films such as A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly were shot here. Years later, the film of 800 Bullets was filmed in the same place. Large sections of Conan the Barbarian (1982), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lawrence of Arabia and Patton were shot there as well.

The main rivers are the Andarax River and Almanzora River, which are located near Granada in the Alpujarras. The Benínar Reservoir, located near Darrical, provides part of the water needed in the production in greenhouses.

Fauna

Almería has very diverse and rich fauna. Animals found in Cabo de Gata and Níjar include the red fox, the Algerian hedgehog and reptiles such as the ocellated lizard, Timon nevadensis, and the ladder snake. Birds characteristic of the Sierra de María-los Vélez include the crested lark, the calandria, and the common pipit, as well as birds of prey like Bonelli's eagle. Snakes and butterflies are common. The Parnassius butterfly stands out due to its endemic status. In the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra de los Filabres there are also many birds of prey and protected mammals such as the mountain goat, the European wildcat and the wild boar.

Demographics

As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 185,454, equal to 24.4% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities are Moroccans (60,766), Romanians (18,783), Brits (15,509), Colombians (9,151) and Senegalese (7,894). The most important economic activity is now greenhouse farming. Millions of tons of vegetables are exported to other European countries and other parts of the world each year.

Tourism is also a key sector of the economy, due to the sunny weather and attractive areas such as Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce, El Ejido, Mojacar, Vera or Cabo de Gata.

Industry

The principal industrial activity is in the Macael (Comarca del Marmol) canteras marble quarrying area in the Sierra de los Filabres region from Macael Viejo to Chercos, Lijar and Cobdar which produce in excess of 1.3 million tons. The Cantoria, Fines, Olula del Rio and Purchena area of the Alto Almanzora valley is fast becoming the regional megalopolis through high imports and exports and employment in local, national and international marble processing. Tourism and construction along the Spanish coast have driven sustained demand and contributed to significant modernisation in the province. Small pueblos of agriculturalists have given rise to computerised machining factories.

Transport

Air travel for the province is served by Almería Airport which is the fourth largest airport in the Andalusia region. The airport provides air services to other parts of Spain and other European destinations.

Research facilities

thumb|[[Calar Alto Observatory]]

The German-Spanish Calar Alto Observatory is one of the most important observatories in Spain.

thumb|[[Plataforma Solar de Almería]]

In Tabernas there is a solar energy research centre, the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA).

France's Michelin operates an industrial research centre in Cabo de Gata.

Issues

An estimated 7,000-10,000 immigrant fruit pickers live in toxic conditions in shanty towns next to fruit farms in the region, and are exploited by employers who pay them less than minimum wage and offer no PPE as mandated by law.

Notes and references

External links

Diputación Provincial de Almería (Provincial government)