Jimena de la Frontera
Encyclopedia
Jimena de la Frontera is a historic town and municipality located in the province of Cádiz
, Spain
. According to estimates made by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE)
, the municipality has a population of 9,893 inhabitants in 2006. It is surrounded by the Los Alcornocales Natural Park
.
, Carthaginians, and the Romans
. The Moors
used the town's position on the hill to their advantage, using it as a strategic military position.
The village of Jimena de la Frontera became a town in 1879, during the reign of Alfonso XII.
ex-pats
.
The town is served by road and rail. The main road stretches north to Ronda
, and south to San Roque. The railway station is situated just outside the town in nearby Estación de Jimena. Several trains a day stop at Jimena on the line between Algeciras
and Granada
.
to the south. It is believed that the castle was built on Roman ruins, constructed using locally sourced limestone
.
Cádiz (province)
Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe....
, 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...
. According to estimates made by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE)
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
, the municipality has a population of 9,893 inhabitants in 2006. It is surrounded by the Los Alcornocales Natural Park
Los Alcornocales Natural Park
Los Alcornocales Natural Park is a natural park located in the south of Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia; it is shared between the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga. The natural park occupies a territory spanning seventeen municipalities with a total population of about 380,000...
.
History
The town has been inhabited by the Phoenicians, IberiansIberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
, Carthaginians, and the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. The Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
used the town's position on the hill to their advantage, using it as a strategic military position.
The village of Jimena de la Frontera became a town in 1879, during the reign of Alfonso XII.
Today
Today, Jimena's population of around 10,000 has been made up of an increasing number of BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ex-pats
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
.
The town is served by road and rail. The main road stretches north to Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, and south to San Roque. The railway station is situated just outside the town in nearby Estación de Jimena. Several trains a day stop at Jimena on the line between Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
and 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...
.
Castle
The castle was built on the hill by the Moors around 750 A.D. as part of making Jimena a strategic military position. Views stretch as far GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to the south. It is believed that the castle was built on Roman ruins, constructed using locally sourced limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
.
Demographics
Town Festivals
- Town Carnival - February
- Agricultural Fair - Second week of May
- Annual Village Fair - Second week of August
- Devotion to the Reina de los Angeles - First week of September
- Annual Music Festival - Second week of July
External links
- Jimena de la Frontera - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía