Almería
Encyclopedia
Almería is a city in Andalusia
, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea
. It is the capital of the province of the same name.
المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea". Nowadays, most accepted interpretation is that it derives from the arabic term مرأى Al-Mara'ā, which means "The Watchtower".
of Cordova
in 955 AD. It was to be a principal harbour in his extensive domain to strengthen his Mediterranean defences.
Its Moorish castle, Alcazaba
, is the second largest among the Muslim fortresses of Andalusia
, after the Alhambra
.
In this period, the port city of Almería reached its historical peak. After the fragmentation of the Caliphate of Córdoba
, Almeria continued under powerful local Muslim Taifa
emirs like Jairan, the first independent Emir of Almería
, Cartagena
, and Almotacin, the poet emir. Both Cartagena and Almotacin were fearless warriors, but also patrons of the arts. A silk
industry, based upon plantings of mulberry
trees in the hot, dry landscape of the province, supported Almería in the 11th century and made its strategic harbour an even more valuable asset.
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 attack the Muslim 'infidels' on a more familiar coast. On that occasion Alfonso VII, at the head of mixed forces of Catalans, Genoese, Pisans and Franks, led a crusade against the rich city, and Almería was occupied in October 1147.
Within a decade, however, Almería had passed to the control of the puritanical Muslim Almoravid emirs,and not until the late 15th century did it fall permanently into Christian hands. The city surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs
, Ferdinand
and Isabella
, on December 26, 1489.
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 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.
During the Spanish Civil War
the city was shelled by the German navy, and the front page headlines of the Diario de Almería, dated June 3, 1937, referred to the press in London and Paris carrying the news of the "criminal bombardment of Almería by German planes". Almeria and Málaga
were the last Andalusian cities to surrender to Francisco Franco
's nationalist forces.
In the second half of the 20th century, Almería witnessed spectacular economic growth due to tourism and intensive agriculture, with plants grown year-round in massive 'invernaderos' - plastic-covered "greenhouses" - for intensive vegetable production.
After Franco's death and the approval of the new Spanish Constitution, the people of southern Spain were called on to approve an autonomous status for the region in a referendum. The province of Almería voted in favour of it and joined the newly created autonomous region of Andalusia
, with 118,186 votes for and 11,092 votes against.
Famous natives of Almería include Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso, who in 1873 was the third president of the First Spanish Republic
, and several musicians, like the popular folk singer Manolo Escobar
, renowned Flamenco guitar player José Tomás "Tomatito"
and Grammy Award winner David Bisbal
, record-breaking album seller in America and Spain. The motorcyclist Antonio Maeso
came from here.
Although administratively annexed to the Autonomous Community of Andalucia, in Southern Spain, some people of the province have shown a clear desire for regional autonomy in different referendums. The island effect produced by the geographical situation has made several customs, accents and history different from the rest of the Autonomous Region of Andalucia.
Almería hosted the Mediterranean Games
in 2005. Almeria has 2 football teams: UD Almería
plays in the Segunda División
following relegation from La Liga
in 2011 and CP Almería
plays in a regional fivision.
The Irish folk-rock group The Pogues paid tribute to Almeria in "Fiesta," a rollicking Spike Jones-flavored song on the band's third album, If I Should Fall From Grace with God.
The province of Almería is home to the largest naturist
beach in Europe
(also surrounded by naturist accommodations), El Playazo in Vera
, despite current attempts to reduce the naturist
extent of it.
By sea, the port of Almería has connections to Melilla, Algeria and Morocco, and also 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 which is the fourth largest in Andalusia and has domestic and international flights, mainly to Amsterdam
, Madrid
, Barcelona
, Melilla
, London
, Manchester
, Birmingham
, Brussels
, Dublin and Swiss, German and other EU cities.
s were filmed in Almería. According to Christopher Frayling, the author of Once Upon A Time in Italy: The Films of Sergio Leone
, some of the sets are still there.
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 http://www.unique-almeria.com/cabo-de-gata.html 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 attractions of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park is its beaches.
BWh) as annual precipitation
is below 250mm; it is the only major European city with this type of climate. The average annual temperature is above 18 °C (64.4 °F).
Almería has hot summers and warm winters; it has is one of the sunniest, warmest and driest climates in Europe. It experiences the warmest winters of any European city with a population over 100,000. Almeria experiences hot and dry summers with no precipitation between June and September.
Almería enjoys about 3000 hours of sunshine annually with over 320 sunny days a year on average (6 hours of sunshine in January and 12 in July). Almería has an average annual temperature of about 19 °C (66.2 °F) and on average only 26 days with precipitation annually.
During the winter, daily maximum temperatures tend to stay around 18 °C (64.4 °F). At night, the temperature rarely drops below 8 °C (46.4 °F). Precipitation even during the wettest months is rare, this falls in short showers or thunderstorms.
During the warmest months - July and August, the sky is clear and sunny and no rainfall occurs. The typical daily temperatures are around 33 °C (91.4 °F) during the heat of the day. However, this is often influenced by the Levante
wind, a hot dry easterly wind that blows from the interior desert that makes temperatures soar to 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher. These can also carry dust or sand. The minimum temperatures stay around 24 °C (75.2 °F) during July and August. Heatwaves in Almería are quite common; Almería reached up to 43 °C (109.4 °F) in August 2011 .
crystals in an abandoned silver mine near Almería. The cavity, which measures 1.8x1.7 metres, would be the largest http://www.unique-almeria.com/what-is-a-geode.html 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 (evaporite
s). The cave is currently not accessible to tourists.
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. It is the capital of the province of the same name.
Toponym
Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea". Nowadays, most accepted interpretation is that it derives from the arabic term مرأى Al-Mara'ā, which means "The Watchtower".
History
The city was founded by Calipha Abd-ar-Rahman IIIAbd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III was the Emir and Caliph of Córdoba of the Ummayad dynasty in al-Andalus. Called al-Nasir li-Din Allah , he ascended the throne in his early 20s, and reigned for half a century as the most powerful prince of Iberia...
of Cordova
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
in 955 AD. It was to be a principal harbour in his extensive domain to strengthen his Mediterranean defences.
Its Moorish castle, Alcazaba
Alcazaba
An alcazaba , alcáçova or alcassaba is a Moorish fortification in Spain and Portugal. The word derives from the Arabic word القصبة , a walled-fortification in a city....
, is the second largest among the Muslim fortresses of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, after the Alhambra
Alhambra
The Alhambra , the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra , is a palace and fortress complex located in the Granada, Andalusia, Spain...
.
In this period, the port city of Almería reached its historical peak. After the fragmentation of the Caliphate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
, Almeria continued under powerful local Muslim Taifa
Taifa
In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
emirs like Jairan, the first independent Emir of Almería
Taifa of Almeria
The Taifa of Almería was a Muslim medieval kingdom in what is now the province of Almería in Spain...
, Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
, and Almotacin, the poet emir. Both Cartagena and Almotacin were fearless warriors, but also patrons of the arts. A silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
industry, based upon plantings of mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
trees in the hot, dry landscape of the province, supported Almería in the 11th century and made its strategic harbour an even more valuable asset.
Contested by the emirs of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
and Valencia
Kingdom of Valencia
The Kingdom of Valencia , located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. When the Crown of Aragon merged by dynastic union with the Crown of Castile to form the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Valencia became a component realm of the...
, Almería experienced many sieges, including one especially fierce siege when Christians, called to the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
by Pope Eugene III
Pope Eugene III
Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...
, were also encouraged to attack the Muslim 'infidels' on a more familiar coast. On that occasion Alfonso VII, at the head of mixed forces of Catalans, Genoese, Pisans and Franks, led a crusade against the rich city, and Almería was occupied in October 1147.
Within a decade, however, Almería had passed to the control of the puritanical Muslim Almoravid emirs,and not until the late 15th century did it fall permanently into Christian hands. The city surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
, Ferdinand
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...
and Isabella
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
, on December 26, 1489.
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
Alpujarras
thumb|250px|A typical Alpujarran village, [[Busquístar]].La Alpujarra is a landlocked historical region in Southern Spain, which stretches south from the Sierra Nevada mountains near Granada in the autonomous community of Andalusia. The western part of the region lies in the province of Granada...
in 1568 and scattered across Spain. Landings and attacks by Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
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.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
the city was shelled by the German navy, and the front page headlines of the Diario de Almería, dated June 3, 1937, referred to the press in London and Paris carrying the news of the "criminal bombardment of Almería by German planes". Almeria and Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
were the last Andalusian cities to surrender to Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's nationalist forces.
In the second half of the 20th century, Almería witnessed spectacular economic growth due to tourism and intensive agriculture, with plants grown year-round in massive 'invernaderos' - plastic-covered "greenhouses" - for intensive vegetable production.
After Franco's death and the approval of the new Spanish Constitution, the people of southern Spain were called on to approve an autonomous status for the region in a referendum. The province of Almería voted in favour of it and joined the newly created autonomous region of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, with 118,186 votes for and 11,092 votes against.
Main sights
- The AlcazabaAlcazaba of AlmeríaThe Alcazaba of Almería is a fortified complex in Almería, southern Spain. The word alcazaba, from the Arabic word al-qasbah, signifies a walled-fortification in a city.-History:...
, a medieval fortress that was begun in the 13th century but destroyed by an earthquake in 1522. It includes a triple line of walls, a majestic keepKeepA keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and large gardens. It commands a quarter in white colours, of Muslim-age aspect. - 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.
Demographics
People and culture
First Spanish Republic
The First Spanish Republic was the political regime that existed in Spain between the parliamentary proclamation on 11 February 1873 and 29 December 1874 when General Arsenio Martínez-Campos's pronunciamento marked the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain...
, and several musicians, like the popular folk singer Manolo Escobar
Manolo Escobar
Manuel "Manolo" García Escobar is a Spanish singer and actor. He may be best-known for his songs Y viva España, El porompompero and Mi carro....
, renowned Flamenco guitar player José Tomás "Tomatito"
Tomatito
José Fernández Torres, known as Tomatito , is a Spanish Romani flamenco guitarist. He grew up in a musical family, including two uncles: Niño Miguel, a flamenco guitarist, and Antonio, a professional guitarist....
and Grammy Award winner David Bisbal
David Bisbal
David Bisbal Ferré is a Grammy-winning Spanish pop singer. He gained his initial fame as a runner up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo produced by TJ Hall....
, record-breaking album seller in America and Spain. The motorcyclist Antonio Maeso
Antonio Maeso
Antonio Maeso is a Spanish motorcycling racer who was born in Madrid but moved to live in Almería, Andalusia as a child.-Early life:...
came from here.
Although administratively annexed to the Autonomous Community of Andalucia, in Southern Spain, some people of the province have shown a clear desire for regional autonomy in different referendums. The island effect produced by the geographical situation has made several customs, accents and history different from the rest of the Autonomous Region of Andalucia.
Almería hosted the Mediterranean Games
Mediterranean Games
The Mediterranean Games are a multi-sport games held every four years, mainly for nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, where Europe, Africa and Asia meet. The idea was proposed at the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Taher Pasha, chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, and they were first...
in 2005. Almeria has 2 football teams: UD Almería
UD Almería
Unión Deportiva Almería, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1989 as Almería Club de Fútbol, it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos, with a 22,000-seat...
plays in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
following relegation from La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in 2011 and CP Almería
CP Almería
Club Polideportivo Almería is a football team based in the city of Almería, Andalusia, in Spain. Currently, not registered in any level.From 2008–09 season, the club is alive but not competing in any category of Spanish football.-Season to season:----...
plays in a regional fivision.
The Irish folk-rock group The Pogues paid tribute to Almeria in "Fiesta," a rollicking Spike Jones-flavored song on the band's third album, If I Should Fall From Grace with God.
Economy
The economy of Almería is mostly based on agriculture, which is located mainly in the western part of the region. Numerous greenhouses produce tons of fruit and vegetables, more than 70% of their product being exported to the rest of Europe.The province of Almería is home to the largest naturist
Naturism
Naturism or nudism is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and in public. It may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism....
beach in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(also surrounded by naturist accommodations), El Playazo in Vera
Vera, Spain
-External links: - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía - Diputación Provincial de Almería - Vera town information....
, despite current attempts to reduce the naturist
Naturism
Naturism or nudism is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and in public. It may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism....
extent of it.
Transportation
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.- See also main-article Port of AlmeriaPort of AlmeriaDe Port of Almeria is a busy ferry-port in Almeria, Spain.-Location:De port is located in the centre of the city. The main activity in the port is the ferry-terminal. To reach the port over the road, driving down from Madrid:...
By sea, the port of Almería has connections to Melilla, Algeria and Morocco, and also 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:
- Trasmediterranea: Ghazaouet (Algeria), OranOranOran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
(Algeria), Nador (MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
). and MelillaMelillaMelilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
. - Comarit: Nador.
- Comanav: Nador.
By air, Almería is served by Almería Airport which is the fourth largest in Andalusia and has domestic and international flights, mainly to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Dublin and Swiss, German and other EU cities.
Geography
Due to its arid landscape, numerous spaghetti westernSpaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
s were filmed in Almería. According to Christopher Frayling, the author of Once Upon A Time in Italy: The Films of Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
, some of the sets are still there.
These sets are located in the desert of Tabernas
Tabernas
- Cinema :The Desert Tabernas, because of its similarities with the North American deserts like the Far West of the American West, northern Africa, the Arabian deserts, and its lunar landscape, served from 1950s and onwards for the shooting of many films and westerns making the area famous around...
. The town and region were also used by David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
in Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia (film)
Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
(1962), John Milius
John Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures.-Early life:Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elizabeth and William Styx Milius, who was a shoe manufacturer. Milius attempted to join the Marine Corps in the late 1960s, but was rejected...
in The Wind and the Lion
The Wind and the Lion
The Wind and the Lion is a 1975 adventure film. It was written and directed by John Milius and starred Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith and John Huston...
(1975), and others.
One of Almería's most famous natural spots is the http://www.unique-almeria.com/cabo-de-gata.html Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park
Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park
Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a natural park in Andalusia, Spain, near the city of Almería. It is the largest terrestrial-maritime reserve in the European Western Mediterranean Sea, covering 460 km² including the town of Carboneras, the mountain range of Sierra de Cabo de Gata, and...
. This park is of volcanic origin, and is the largest and most ecologically significant marine-terrestrial space in the European Western Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
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
Níjar
-External links: - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía - Diputación Provincial de Almería...
, Almería and Carboneras
Carboneras
-External links: - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía - Diputación Provincial de Almería* - Satellite relief maps and aerial photography*...
. Its villages, previously dedicated to fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, have become tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
spots for those interested in nature. One of the greatest attractions of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park is its beaches.
Climate
Almería has a Mediterranean Arid climate (Köppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BWh) as annual precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is below 250mm; it is the only major European city with this type of climate. The average annual temperature is above 18 °C (64.4 °F).
Almería has hot summers and warm winters; it has is one of the sunniest, warmest and driest climates in Europe. It experiences the warmest winters of any European city with a population over 100,000. Almeria experiences hot and dry summers with no precipitation between June and September.
Almería enjoys about 3000 hours of sunshine annually with over 320 sunny days a year on average (6 hours of sunshine in January and 12 in July). Almería has an average annual temperature of about 19 °C (66.2 °F) and on average only 26 days with precipitation annually.
During the winter, daily maximum temperatures tend to stay around 18 °C (64.4 °F). At night, the temperature rarely drops below 8 °C (46.4 °F). Precipitation even during the wettest months is rare, this falls in short showers or thunderstorms.
During the warmest months - July and August, the sky is clear and sunny and no rainfall occurs. The typical daily temperatures are around 33 °C (91.4 °F) during the heat of the day. However, this is often influenced by the Levante
Levante
This is a disambiguation page. Levante may refer to*Levant, the lands in the eastern Mediterranean, covering Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq.*Levante, Spain, the eastern Iberian coastal region of Spain...
wind, a hot dry easterly wind that blows from the interior desert that makes temperatures soar to 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher. These can also carry dust or sand. The minimum temperatures stay around 24 °C (75.2 °F) during July and August. Heatwaves in Almería are quite common; Almería reached up to 43 °C (109.4 °F) in August 2011 .
Crystal Cave
In 2000, a team of geologists found a cave filled with giant gypsumGypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
crystals in an abandoned silver mine near Almería. The cavity, which measures 1.8x1.7 metres, would be the largest http://www.unique-almeria.com/what-is-a-geode.html geode
Geode
Geodes are geological secondary sedimentary structures which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. Geodes are essentially spherical masses of mineral matter that were deposited sygenetically within the rock formations they are found in. Geodes have a Chalcedony shell containing...
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
Messinian salinity crisis
The Messinian Salinity Crisis, also referred to as the Messinian Event, and in its latest stage as the Lago Mare event, was a geological event during which the Mediterranean Sea went into a cycle of partly or nearly complete desiccation throughout the latter part of the Messinian age of the Miocene...
6 million years ago, when the Mediterranean sea evaporated and left thick layers of salt sediments (evaporite
Evaporite
Evaporite is a name for a water-soluble mineral sediment that result from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution. There are two types of evaporate deposits, marine which can also be described as ocean deposits, and non-marine which are found in standing bodies of...
s). The cave is currently not accessible to tourists.
External links
- TourSpain Almeria Smart Insider Travel Guide to Almeria Ayuntamiento de Almería Almería, Historia y Turismo
- images and information about the Almería area
- Cabo de Gata Natural Park. Almería. Spain
- Maps of Almería UD Almería (Football Team)
- "Almería's History"
- Almeriaclips - Videos musicales rodados en Almería - Music videos shot in Almería Almería - Diputación Provincial de Almería Cabo de Gata - Níjar Natural Park
- Businesses of Almeria