Catral
Encyclopedia
Catral is a town
in the Valencian Community
, Spain
. Located in the south of the province of Alicante, in the region
of Vega Baja del Segura
. It had 8,105 inhabitants in 2007 according to the National Statistics Institute of Spain.
), which be of Hispanic origin (ofCastrum Altum,Villa fortified "in Latin) and Arab (Al-Qatrullät). In any case, the middle of 13th century ended the Muslim rule of Catral.
Conquered by the infant Alfonso
for the Crown of Castile
, he was awarded the Order of Santiago
Catral sites and Callosa
in 1255. However, the Castilian king reinstated the crown as in 1264. From 1296, Catral, like the southern half of the province, would go to the Crown of Aragon
within the Attorney General Orihuela
.
The town's farmland has increased significantly during the first two decades of 18th century due to draining of wetlands, promoted by the Cardinal Belluga. In 1741, the 152 inhabitants of Catral paid 12,499 pounds for the title of Villa and his independence from Orihuela. In 1829, it was spared the devastating effects of an earthquake that destroyed much of the population of the region. Since then, it has held an annual thanksgiving to Saint Emigdio, patron saint against earthquakes, as a token of thanks for his intercession.
fruits, artichoke
s, cereals and olive trees (cultivated in orchards that are irrigated by canals which carry water from the Segura river) produce much of the wealth together with some livestock. Growth industries include furniture
, textile
s, construction
, food
and hides.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Located in the south of the province of Alicante, in the region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
of Vega Baja del Segura
Vega Baja del Segura
Vega Baja del Segura is a comarca in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain.To the North its neighbouring comarcas are the Baix Vinalopó and Vinalopó Mitjà...
. It had 8,105 inhabitants in 2007 according to the National Statistics Institute of Spain.
History
Catral's origins are uncertain, as is the origin of the name. There are three theories: that the name is of Iberian origin (Kal turlthe, meaning "double peak", which would make reference tocloseCabezos of AlbateraAlbatera
Albatera is a town and municipality located in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura, in the province of Alicante, part of the Valencian Community, Spain. Albatera has an area of 66.5 km² and, according to the 2005 census, a total population of 10,499 inhabitants. The economy of Albatera is...
), which be of Hispanic origin (ofCastrum Altum,Villa fortified "in Latin) and Arab (Al-Qatrullät). In any case, the middle of 13th century ended the Muslim rule of Catral.
Conquered by the infant Alfonso
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
for the Crown of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, he was awarded the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
Catral sites and Callosa
Callosa de Segura
Callosa de Segura is a municipality in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura in the Valencian Community, Spain. It contains the historic monument of the Church of St Martin....
in 1255. However, the Castilian king reinstated the crown as in 1264. From 1296, Catral, like the southern half of the province, would go to the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
within the Attorney General Orihuela
Orihuela
Orihuela is a city and municipality located at the feet of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Spain. The city of Orihuela had a population of 32,472 inhabitants in the beginning of 2006...
.
The town's farmland has increased significantly during the first two decades of 18th century due to draining of wetlands, promoted by the Cardinal Belluga. In 1741, the 152 inhabitants of Catral paid 12,499 pounds for the title of Villa and his independence from Orihuela. In 1829, it was spared the devastating effects of an earthquake that destroyed much of the population of the region. Since then, it has held an annual thanksgiving to Saint Emigdio, patron saint against earthquakes, as a token of thanks for his intercession.
Economy
Agriculture, citrusCitrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
fruits, artichoke
Artichoke
-Plants:* Globe artichoke, a partially edible perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean* Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower with an edible tuber...
s, cereals and olive trees (cultivated in orchards that are irrigated by canals which carry water from the Segura river) produce much of the wealth together with some livestock. Growth industries include furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and hides.
Demographics
Catral has had a significant population growth since the 1990s. According to the census of 2008, the municipality had 8629 inhabitants.| Demographic evolution of Catral | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1857 | 1887 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| population | 3,078 | 2,593 | 2,592 | 3,007 | 3,000 | 3,025 | 3,391 | 3,871 | 4,183 | 3,904 | 4,209 | 4,394 | 5,146 | 6,642 | 7,530 | 8,105 |
Gobernment
| Year | Name of mayor | Political party |
|---|---|---|
| 1979–1983 | Joaquín Ñíguez Gelardo | UCD |
| 1983–1987 | Francisco Gelardo Aguilar | PSPV-PSOE |
| 1987–1991 | Juan Gelardo Culiañez | PSPV-PSOE |
| 1991–1995 | José Manuel Rodríguez Leal | PSPV-PSOE |
| 1995–1999 | José Manuel Rodríguez Leal | PSPV-PSOE |
| 1999–2003 | José Manuel Rodríguez Leal | PSPV-PSOE |
| 2003–2007 | José Manuel Rodríguez Leal | PSPV-PSOE |
| 2007 | Aurelio David Albero García | PP |