Information about Almeria City, Costa Almeria
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Almería is the capital of the province of Almería, Spain. It is located in southeastern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea and all its area is an important Mediterranean resort.
History
The city was founded by Abd ar-Rahman III of Cordoba, in 955, as a principal harbor in his extensive domain to strengthen his Mediterranean defenses.
Its Moorish castle, Alcazaba, is the second largest among the Muslim fortresses of Andalusia after the Alhambra.
A silk industry, based upon plantings of mulberry trees in the hot dry landscape supported Almería in the 11th century and made its strategic harbour an even more valuable prize. Contested by the emirs of Granada and Valencia, Almería suffered many sieges, and one especially fierce when Christians, called to the Second Crusade by Pope Eugene III, were also encouraged to fall upon the Muslim infidel on a more familiar coast.
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 Spain. Landings and attacks by Berber pirates were also frequent in that century, and continued until the early 18th century. In that time, huge iron mines were discovered and French and British companies came to settle in the area, bringing renewed prosperity and bringing Almería back to a relative importance within Spain.
During the Spanish Civil War the city was shelled by the German navy. It and Málaga were the last cities to surrender to Francisco Franco's "National Spain" forces. In the second half of the 20th century, Almería witnessed spectacular economic growth due to tourism and its intensive agriculture, with plants grown year-round in massive 'invernaderos' - plastic-covered intensive farms.
Economy
Almería has an international airport, named Almería International Airport.
Almería has the largest naturist beach in Europe (also surrounded by naturist accommodations) called El Playazo despite current attempts to reduce the naturist extent of it. A great part of Almería's economy is based on agriculture, which is located mainly in the west part of the region. There we can find a sea of plastics, which are in fact green houses which produce tons of fruit and vegetables, more than 70% of the product is exported to the rest of Europe.
Geography
Almería is the driest region in Europe as well as one of the warmest with an average annual temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. Due to its arid landscape, numerous spaghetti westerns were filmed in Almería.
One of Almería's most famous natural spots is the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. This park is of volcanic origin, and is the largest and most ecologically significant marine-terrestrial space in the European Western Mediterranean Sea. With one of the most beautiful and ecologically rich coasts of the western Mediterranean and an area of 380 square kilometres it is one of Spain’s natural jewels. The Cabo de Gata Natural Park runs through the municipal areas of Níjar, Almería and Carboneras. Its villages, previously dedicated to fishing, have become tourism spots for those interested in nature. One of the greatest drawcards of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park is its beaches.
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 1.8x1.7 meters, would be the largest geode ever found. The entrance of the cave has been blocked by five tons of rocks, and is 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). The cave is currently not accessible to tourists.
History
The city was founded by Abd ar-Rahman III of Cordoba, in 955, as a principal harbor in his extensive domain to strengthen his Mediterranean defenses.
Its Moorish castle, Alcazaba, is the second largest among the Muslim fortresses of Andalusia after the Alhambra.
A silk industry, based upon plantings of mulberry trees in the hot dry landscape supported Almería in the 11th century and made its strategic harbour an even more valuable prize. Contested by the emirs of Granada and Valencia, Almería suffered many sieges, and one especially fierce when Christians, called to the Second Crusade by Pope Eugene III, were also encouraged to fall upon the Muslim infidel on a more familiar coast.
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 Spain. Landings and attacks by Berber pirates were also frequent in that century, and continued until the early 18th century. In that time, huge iron mines were discovered and French and British companies came to settle in the area, bringing renewed prosperity and bringing Almería back to a relative importance within Spain.
During the Spanish Civil War the city was shelled by the German navy. It and Málaga were the last cities to surrender to Francisco Franco's "National Spain" forces. In the second half of the 20th century, Almería witnessed spectacular economic growth due to tourism and its intensive agriculture, with plants grown year-round in massive 'invernaderos' - plastic-covered intensive farms.
Economy
Almería has an international airport, named Almería International Airport.
Almería has the largest naturist beach in Europe (also surrounded by naturist accommodations) called El Playazo despite current attempts to reduce the naturist extent of it. A great part of Almería's economy is based on agriculture, which is located mainly in the west part of the region. There we can find a sea of plastics, which are in fact green houses which produce tons of fruit and vegetables, more than 70% of the product is exported to the rest of Europe.
Geography
Almería is the driest region in Europe as well as one of the warmest with an average annual temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. Due to its arid landscape, numerous spaghetti westerns were filmed in Almería.
One of Almería's most famous natural spots is the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. This park is of volcanic origin, and is the largest and most ecologically significant marine-terrestrial space in the European Western Mediterranean Sea. With one of the most beautiful and ecologically rich coasts of the western Mediterranean and an area of 380 square kilometres it is one of Spain’s natural jewels. The Cabo de Gata Natural Park runs through the municipal areas of Níjar, Almería and Carboneras. Its villages, previously dedicated to fishing, have become tourism spots for those interested in nature. One of the greatest drawcards of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park is its beaches.
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 1.8x1.7 meters, would be the largest geode ever found. The entrance of the cave has been blocked by five tons of rocks, and is 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). The cave is currently not accessible to tourists.
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