Murcia:

Location: Privileged Surroundings

Located at the South-East corner of the Iberian Peninsula, between the regions of, Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Valencia, the region of Murcia occupies an area of 11,317 km2 (2.2% of the total surface area of Spain), bordering the province of Albacete in the North, the province of Alicante in the East, the provinces of Granada, Albacete and Almería in the West, and the Mediterranean in the South-East.

In terms of surface area the region of Murcia is the ninth largest of the Spanish autonomous communities. The Murcia region lies at the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastal arch, between the longitudes 37º 23' - 38º 45'N and the latitudes 0º 39' - 2º 20'W taking as reference the Greenwich Meridian.

Climate: Murcia enjoys a yearly average of 2,800 hours of sunshine

The region of Murcia has the typical Mediterranean semi-arid subtropical climate: namely an average annual temperature of 18ºC, with hot summers (registering absolute maximum temperatures of 40ºC) and mild winters (an average temperature of 11ºC in the winter months of December and January).

The number of days per year with clear skies is 120-150, with approximately 2,800 sun-hours per annum. In general rain is scarce throughout the region (approx. 300-350 mm/year), falling mainly in the spring (April) and autumn (October), leaving the summer an eminently dry season. The region of Murcia is characterised by certain climatic differences which may lead to variation in the above-mentioned figures. These variations depend on the orientation and exposure to the dominant winds, the distance from the sea and the configuration of relief. Due to these factors, the temperature differences between the coast and the interior are much more extreme in the winter. On the coast temperatures tend never to fall below 10ºC, whilst inland at higher altitudes they may not exceed 6ºC. The latter areas show a higher average annual rainfall, which reaches 600 mm/yr.

Landscape: Amazing variety

From the geographical point of view, the region of Murcia stands out because of its multiple contrasts: dry vs. irrigated land, plains vs. mountainous areas, coastline vs. interior, vineyards vs. mesetas, factors which can no doubt be attributed to its location in a transitional area between the Sub-Baetic mountain range and the northern Sub-Meseta. Morphologically, the relief of the territory of Murcia falls within the influence of the Baetic cordilleras and shows an alternation between mountainous tracts, valleys and depressions, leading to extreme contrasts of altitude over short distances. Of the total surface area, the majority (approx. 45%) is situated between the altitudes of 200 - 600 metres; 23% is less than 200 metres above sea level, and the remaining 32% lies at altitudes of over 600 metres.

The highest point in the region is the Revolcadores massif (2,027 m), followed by numerous other smaller mountain ranges located in the Centre and North-West of the province, such as El Carche, Sierra Espuña, La Pila, or Ricote, which boast the most important forested areas, with vast areas of pine trees. Special mention must be made of the Altiplano (Jumilla and Yecla), situated to the North-East of the region. It is a high plateau planted with vineyards from whose fruit the area's renowned wines are produced. As we move southwards we meet alternating low cordilleras and valleys through which the Guadalentín and Segura rivers flow, with rich agricultural land and wide fertile coastal plains, the most extensive of which is the Campo de Cartagena.

Murcia has just over 170 km of coastline: coves and small beaches alternate with rocky shores and sheer, craggy cliffs. As a geographical accident of nature we find La Manga, a coastal strip of land which, bar a few connecting channels, or narrows, completely closes off the Mar Menor lagoon from the Mediterranean. The Murcian littoral offers on the one hand unprotected shores with wild seas and on the other small coves with calm, placid waters. Sand-dunes, beaches, salt-water lagoons, mud-flats... the Murcia coastline includes numerous places of unquestionable interest to the naturalist. Not surprisingly many of these have been declared Protected Natural Areas, spots where even in our times you can find autoctonous species of flora and fauna, such as the Sabina mora, an autoctonous tree variety, or the fartet, a tiny, unique species of fish.

A little Bit of History:  Time line for the Murcia region

The territory which is today known as the Region of Murcia has been inhabited by man for over 1,500,000 years, and this human presence has been a constant factor in the development of the Murcian landscape since the remotest periods of prehistory. The first evidence of the presence of man dates back to the Neanderthal and Cromagnon periods, whilst archaeological finds become abundant from Neolithic times onwards. Iron age remains begin to speak of a certain level of progress leading to the development of agriculture and the domestication of livestock during the Iberian period and, later, intense commercial activity with the presence of Phoenecian, Greek and Carthaginian settlers in permanent conflict with the autoctonous peoples. Scipio's conquest of the city of Carthago Nova in 209 BC led to the definitive expansion of what had already become an important economic and political centre in the Mediterranean.

The conquest of the region by Rome initiated a period of uninterrupted growth all along the Murcian coast which was to go on for more than 600 years. During this period communications in the area were developed, mining came to be of great importance and the foundations of its future agricultural prosperity were laid. Already at that time, market-garden produce from the valley irrigated by the Segura River (then known as the River Thader) was highly appreciated, as was fish caught on the rich off-shore fishing-grounds. After a prolonged spell of political instability, a consequence of the disintegration of the Roman Empire, a long period of Arab domination began in 713 AD when Abdelaziz defeated Theudemir's Hispano-Visigoth army in Cartagena. The year 825 AD constituted a further historical landmark, when the city of Murcia was officially founded by Abderraman II. These events marked the onset of Murcia's economic prosperity since the Arabs initiated the large-scale exploitation of the Segura river valley, creating a whole complex irrigation system, composed of canals, dams and water-wheels, the forerunner of today's irrigation network, which made it possible to reap the maximum benefit from the vast expanse of fertile land surrounding the city. However, the economic abundance brought to the South of Spain by the Arabs was placed in jeopardy by internal strife, military pressures from the Northern frontier and internal political disorders. The creation of the Taifa kingdoms at the beginning of the eleventh century was the swansong of a territory which would shortly fall - in 1243 - under the vassalage of Castile, and the remains of Andalusia were finally incorporated into this kingdom with the signing of the Granada Peace Treaty in 1492. From this time onwards peace came to the Murcian territories, and they went through a sustained period of economic and demographic growth.

Important projects were undertaken, new guilds were born and cities flourished during the course of the sixteenth century. The XVII century brought a new period of instability, with a succession of epidemics, plagues and prolonged droughts, after which a slow process of recuperation gradually set in thanks to the expansion of the surface area dedicated to agriculture and the liberalization of commerce.

The arrival of the XVIII century hailed a new period of growth where urban splendour - contemporary with the artistic development of the famed Murcian baroque - was accompanied by the completion of the Cathedral in Murcia and the construcción of the Arsenal in Cartagena, evident signs of the civil and military prosperity. With the coming of the XIX century, History's ups and downs brought a new period of crisis to the Region coinciding with a long succession of floods and droughts, and it was only when the second half of the century was well under way that a new relaunching of the economy in the area took place, thanks to a process of industrialization powered mainly by mining wealth derived from its rich ore deposits. However, the depletion of natural resources, the weakness of an economy based mainly on industry funded by foreign capital, together with instability provoked by revolutionary riots and the short-sightedness of commerce unwilling to direct its attention towards external markets, together wove a precarious panorama with which to initiate the XX century.

And in fact we must wait until the end of the decade of the 20's before the region definitively boards the train of progress - with the inevitable parenthesis of the Civil War - giving birth to an industry dedicated to the transformation of agricultural products in sectors such as food-processing, leading to the modernisation of all its agricultural structures. On these bases, the Region has set about its expansion, confidently undertaking the necessary social and economic changes required to enter a Twenty-first Century full of challenges for the future

Geschichtlicher Überblick:  Wetterverlauf in der Region Murcia

Das Gebiet, heute bekannt als die Region Murcia, ist seit mindestens 1.500.000 Jahren bewohnt. Die Landschaft dieser Region hat seit den Ursprüngen der prähistorischen Vorzeit unter dem ständigen Einfluss des Menschen gestanden. Die ersten menschlichen Überreste bestätigen die Anwesenheit früher Kulturen des Neandertalers, des Cromagnon und vor allem des Steinzeitmenschens. Seit Beginn des Eisernen Zeitalters weisen die Spuren auf einen Fortschritt hin, der während des Iberischen Zeitalters zur Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft und Viehhaltung und später, als die ersten phönizischen, griechischen und karthagischen Siedler auf der Bildfläche erscheinen, zu wichtigen Handelstätigkeiten führen sollte, wodurch es allerdings auch zu Kämpfen mit der einheimischen Bevölkerung kommt. Nachdem Scipius im Jahre 209 v.Chr. die Stadt Carthago Nova erobert, bedeutet das entgültig die Ausbeutung des bis dahin schon wichtigen wirtschaftlichen und politischen Zentrums des Mittelmeeres.

Die römische Eroberung leutet eine wirtschaftliche Blütezeit an der Küste ein, die mehr als 600 Jahre dauern sollte. Zu dieser Zeit beginnt man, die Verkehrsverbindungen in dieser Gegend zu erweitern, Bodenschätze abzubauen und die Agrarwirtschaft einzuführen. Schon damals wusste man die Erzeugnisse der Küstenfischerei und des vom Fluss Táder (gegenwärtig der Segura) bewässerten Agrarlandes sehr zu schätzen. Der Zerfall des Römischen Reiches führt zu einer langen Phase politischer Unbeständigkeit; Im Jahre 713 beginnt die arabische Herrschaft, als Abdelaziz in Cartagena Tudmirs spanisch-westgotisches Heer besiegt. Auch das Jahr 825 ist von historischer Bedeutung: Abderraman II gründet die Stadt Murcia. Da die Araber das Flusstal des Segura zu nutzen wissen, erreicht die Gegend zu dieser Zeit einen wirtschaftlichen Höhepunkt. Sie bauen ein komplexes Bewässerungsystem aus Kanälen, Dämmen und Wassermühlen - der Vorläufer der heutigen Bewässerungsstruktur - und beginnen, das fruchtbare Flusstal in der Umgebung der Stadt ertragreich zu kultivieren. Allerdings wird der wirtschaftliche Wohlstand der Araber durch innere Spannungen, Druck an den Grenzen und interne politische Verwirrungen untergraben. Die Entstehung der Königreiche der Taifa ist der Anfang vom Ende dieses Hoheitsgebietes - 1243 fällt es unter die Herrschaft Kastilliens und schließt sich damit entgültig an das spanische Königreich an. 1492 wird der Frieden von Granada unterzeichnet. Ab diesem Augenblick erreicht der Frieden auch das murcianische Land, das nun einen stetigen Wachstum von Bevölkerung und Wirtschaft erlebt.

Im Laufe des 16. Jahrhunderts werden wichtige Baupläne eingeleitet, entstehen neue Zünfte und kommt es zu einem großen Aufschwung in den Städten. Im 17. Jahrhundert führen Seuchen, Plagen und heftige Dürren erneut zu Schwierigkeiten; danach erholt sich die Lage langsam wieder dank einer Zunahme der landwirschaftlichen Nutzungsfläche und des Aufblühens des Handels.

Das 18. Jahrhundert ist erneut eine Epoche des Wachstums: bedeutende Bauwerke wie die Kathedrale in Murcia und die Werft in Cartagena - deutliche Zeichen der bürgerlichen und militärischen Entwicklung - werden abgeschlossen, und so zeigt sich, zusammen mit der Entfaltung der Kunst des murcianischen Barocks, endlich die ganze Pracht dieser Städte. Durch die regelmäßig wiederkehrenden Launen der Geschichte gerät die Region im 19. Jahrhundert erneut in eine Krise, diesmal verursacht durch eine Reihe von Dürren und Überschwemmungen. Erst spät in demselben Jahrhundert kommt es durch die Industrialisierung zu einer Wiederbelebung der Wirtschaft, diesmal fortgetrieben durch den Abbau reicher Bodenschätze. Jedoch die Ausbeutung der natürlichen Ressourcen und eine schwache Wirtschaftsposition, die zum größten Teil von Industrien fremden Kapitals abhängt, zusammen mit der durch revolutionäre Krawalle und fehlendem Außenhandel verursachten Unsicherheit, bilden den Hintergrund für ein heikles Panorama zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts.

Wir müssen bis zum Ende der zwanziger Jahre warten, bis die Region sich entgültig zum Fortschritt aufrafft - unvermeidlich unterbrochen durch den Bürgerkrieg. Einflussreiche Erneuerungen verändern grundlegend die landwirtschaftliche Industrie, verbessern entsprechend die Situation für diesen Sektor, z.B. den der Konserve, und führen zur Entwicklung von der gesamten landwirtschaftlichen Struktur. Sich auf diese Grundlage stützend kann die Region nun endlich ihr wirtschafliches Wachstum in Angriff nehmen. Sie ist bereit, sich der notwendigen sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Veränderungen annehmen, um einem 21. Jahrhundert mit seinen vielen Herausforderungen unerschüttlich die Stirn zu bieten.

Population:

According to the most recent census figures, corresponding to 1st January 2007, the region of Murcia has an official population of 1.370.206 inhabitants. Analysis of the demographic evolution of the region shows a constant increase in population throughout the twentieth century, though it is only after 1976 that the Region begins to register increases above the national average, due mainly to the inversion of earlier migratory tendencies which had converted Murcia into a region from which the population was emigrating in search of opportunities in other parts of Spain or even abroad.

Between the years 1991 and 2001, the population rose by 13.8% in comparison with an average figure of 5.8% for the whole of Spain, according to data supplied by the Ministerio de Administraciones Públicas.

At the present time, the density of population for the year 2001 is 105.2 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is superior to the national average of 81.3. The Region of Murcia has thus today become an area with a net demographic influx, due to the fact that since the 70's the number of immigrants received has been greater than the number of people who have emigrated. Interprovincial exchange occurs betwen Murcia and Alicante, Madrid, Albacete, Barcelona, Valencia and Almería. Special mention must be made of the important increase in the number of foreigners who have chosen to settle in the Region of Murcia as an ideal place to spend their retirement, in privileged surroundings and enjoying an exceptional climate.

45 Townships:

The region of Murcia falls historically and geographically into a number of districts which agglutinate the 45 townships making up this uniprovincial autonomous community, all of which in turn depend on Murcia, the regional capital.

The district of Cartagena contains the townships of: Cartagena, La Unión, Los Alcázares, San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Torre Pacheco, Fuente Álamo and Mazarrón. The district of Lorca is made up of: Lorca -the largest township in Spain in terms of surface area-, Águilas and Puerto Lumbreras. The Lower Guadalentín district includes: Totana, Alhama de Murcia and Librilla. The district of the Middle Segura Valley is made up of: Murcia, Alcantarilla, Beniel, Fortuna, Abanilla and Santomera. The Upper Segura Valley district contains: Abarán, Blanca, Calasparra, Cieza, Archena, Ojós, Ricote, Ulea, Villanueva del Segura, Alguazas, Ceutí, Lorquí, Molina de Segura and Las Torres de Cotillas. The Mula River Valley is made up of the townships of: Albudeite, Campos del Río, Mula and Pliego, whilst the Northwest District contains: Moratalla, Caravaca, Cehegín, Calasparra and Bullas.
 

Gastronomy: At lunch time

The excellent produce of the huerta, a varied offer of meats and the prized treasures of the sea... a cuisine assimilating the products bequeathed by the peoples who settled here for centuries. The Romans showed us the art of making preserves and salted fish; the Arabs, among a thousand other products, introduced rice and how to grow and cook it, together with spices, condiments and aromatic plants.

Outside the fertile valleys were grown wheat, olives and vines, which is tantamount to saying bread, oil and wine: the three mainstays of the Mediterranean Diet.

To say, for example, caldero is to conjure up an image of rice, fish (grey mullet, monkfish, grouper), cooked in an iron pot, with ball peppers and garlic mayonnaise. Not to forget the fish a la sal, oven-baked in salt. Or grey mullet roe, mojama (salted tuna) and Mar Menor prawns. We cannot fail to mention pastel de Cierva, a pie filled with egg and meat. If you like fish and happen to be in Águilas, ask for moraga de sardinas (grilled pilchards), or the rice they make here a la piedra. If the produce from Murcia's Huerta is your preference, then rice and beans, olla gitana (a vegetable hotpot), cocido of turkey with meatballs, michirones (a broad bean stew), and braised chicken or rabbit. Hearty stews, where imagination has salvaged the modesty of the raw materials. Rice and vegetables, Cocido with meatballs. The Huerta once again impresses us with salads and the thousandfold combinations afforded by its vegetables. Pork has always been a staple for the people of the huerta and it is used in every way possible. Braised or grilled, not to mention a whole appetizing range of sausages (morcón, spicy longanizas, morcilla black puddings, etc.).

Another great option is inland Murcia. For those overcast and rainy days, try some migas ruleras, made from flour with oil, water, salt and a lot of patience. Or gazpacho jumillano, gazpacho de Yecla, pickled partridge, or rabbit and rice. When in season, rice with snails, in Calasparra. In the Ricote valley: tender oven-roast lamb. The cheeseboard includes excellent goat cheeses, cottage and cured cheeses, cheese with wine, with pepper... Fruit preserves, which constitute a thriving industry... Excellent marmalades and jams. And honeys, with a hint of the delicate aromas of the fields. And spices and condiments which, like the sweets and pastries (tocinos de cielo, marzipans, Caravaca sugared egg yolks, macaroons, etc.), deserve a separate mention. Lastly, the fruit, which can be summed up in the words of the famous operetta by Serrano: Murcia, tu huerta no tiene igual (there is no match for your huerta). The Murcia Region has also cultivated grapevines and produced wines ever since Roman times. As well as those from the Campo de Cartagena, there are the wines from Ricote and, of course, the three Denominaciones de Origen: Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas. Whites, reds and rosés with rich bouquets. For all tastes, and for all palates