Murcia
Murcia (37°59'N, 1°8'W) is a
city and municipality on the river Segura in southeastern Spain and
the capital of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia.
Population: 409, 810 (2005); 563, 272 including the metropolitan area
(urban area plus satellite towns), ranking as the 12th-largest
metropolitan area of Spain. Since 2003 the mayor has been Miguel
Ángel Cámara Botía.
Murcia is built nearly in the centre of a low-lying fertile plain,
known as the huerta or market garden of Murcia, which includes the
valleys of the Segura and its right-hand tributary the Guadalentín
or river Sangonera, and is surrounded by mountains. Despite the
proximity of the sea, the climate is subject to great variations:
the summer heat is severe, while frosts are occasionally experienced
in the capital during the winter.
Precipitation in Murcia is scarce, with less than 200 mm (7.9
inches) registered in the hydrological year October 2004 to
September 2005.
Murcia-San Javier Airport (MJV) is located on the edge of the Mar
Menor close to the towns of San Javier and Santiago de la Ribera, 45
km southeast of Murcia, about 30 minutes by car. The airport at
Alicante is frequently used by travellers to Murcia also.
Geography
The municipal term has an approximate extension of 882 km² and is
divided from east to west in two parts separated by a series of
mountain ranges (Carrascoy, El Puerto, Villares, Columbares, Altaona
and Escalona). These two zones are denominated Field of Murcia and
Orchard of Murcia.
The city is located at 43 m.a.s.l., in the medium alluvial plain of
the Segura river (Vega Media del Segura). The river crosses the city
from west to east. It is a river with Mediterranean pluvial regime,
little volume but with strong swellings, like those of 1946, 1948,
1973 or 1989 that flooded the Murcian capital.
The most well-known and significant landscape of the municipal term
is its orchard, which dominates in great part of the municipality.
It is a plain territory but with hills that surround the ample
valley of the Segura, where the mountain ranges of the south
(Cordillera Sur) and the steep hill of Monteagudo in the middle of
the plain can be emphasized.
In addition to the orchard and urban zones, the municipal term is
accounted by its great extension with different landscapes:
badlands, pine groves of Carrasco pine in the precoastal mountain
ranges and, passed these towards the south, semi-steppe
surroundings.
Also a part of the natural space of Carrascoy and the Valley (Carrascoy
y el Valle), which has the denomination of Regional Park, comprises
the municipality of Murcia.
Districts
The 881.86-square-kilometre (340.49 sq mi) territory of the
municipality of Murcia is made up of 54 pedanías (suburban
districts) and 28 barrios (city neighborhood districts). The barrios
make up the 12.86-square-kilometre (4.97 sq mi) urban section, the
main city. The "center" of the city, the old quarter, is
approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) across with approximately 3
square kilometres (1 sq mi) of area.
Climate
Given its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, Murcia enjoys a
Mediterranean climate, of semi-arid type, with smooth winters and
warm summers.
It has more than 300 days of sun in the year, with few
precipitations, being the water a very considered good in the
region, given in addition the great orchard diversity that
characterizes the zone. Sometimes it undergoes a gota fría (cold
drop), where the entire year's precipitation is concentrated into a
few days.
The temperatures oscillate between 16°C/4°C of January and 34°C/20°C
of August, although 40°C is surpassed during many summers. The 20th
century record high temperature for Spain was the 47, 2°C in Murcia
on July 4, 1994.
History
Murcia was founded with the name of Medinat Mursiya in A.D. 825 by
Abd ar-Rahman II, emir of Al-Andalus. The Arabs, taking advantage of
the course of the river Segura, created a complex network of
irrigation channels that made the town prosperous and is the
predecessor of the modern irrigation system. The Arab traveller
Muhammad al-Idrisi described it in the 12th century as populous and
strongly fortified. After the fall of the Caliphate of Cordoba,
Murcia passed successively under the rule of Almería, Toledo and
Seville. In 1172 it was taken by the Almohades, and from 1223 to
1243 it became the capital of an independent kingdom.
The Castilians, led by King Alfonso X, took it at the end of this
period, when large numbers of immigrants from north Catalonia and
Provence settled in the town; Catalan names are still not uncommon.
In 1296, Murcia and its region were transferred to the Kingdom of
Aragon, but in 1304, in virtue of the Treaty of Torrellas, it was
finally incorporated into Castile.
Murcia flourished in the 18th century, mainly due to the boom of the
silk industry. Many of its churches and monuments are from this
period.
The town and surrounding area suffered badly from floods in 1651,
1879 and 1907, though the construction of a levee did much to keep
the Segura within its own channel. A popular walkway, the Malecon,
runs along the top of the levee.
Murcia was struck by an earthquake in 1829. According to
contemporary accounts, some 6, 000 people died in the province.
Murcia has been the capital of the province of Murcia since 1838,
and capital of the autonomous community (which includes only the
province) since its creation in 1982.
Demographics
Murcia has 416, 996 inhabitants (INE 2006), making it the seventh
Spanish municipality by population. Nevertheless, due to Murcia's
large municipal territory, its population density (472 hab./km², 760
hab./sq.mi.) is not among the highest in Spain.
When adding in the municipalities of Alcantarilla, Alguazas, Beniel,
Molina de Segura, Santomera and Las Torres de Cotillas, the
metropolitan area has 564, 036 inhabitants, making it the 12th most
populous metropolitan area of Spain.
According to the official population data of the INE, 10.16% of the
population of the municipality had a foreign nationality as of 2005.
Sights and monuments
The Cathedral of the Diocese of Cartagena (based in Murcia) was
built between 1394 and 1465 in Castilian Gothic style. Its tower was
completed in 1792 and it shows a mixture of styles. The first two
stories were built in Renaissance style (1521-1546) and the third
one is Baroque. The bell pavilion has Rococo and Neoclassical
influences. The main façade (1736-1754) is considered a masterpiece
of the Spanish Baroque style.
Other noteworthy buildings in the square in front of the Cathedral
(Plaza Cardenal Belluga) are the colourful Bishop's Palace (18th
century) and a controversial extension to the town hall by Rafael
Moneo.
The Glorieta, next to the Segura River, has traditionally been the
center of the town. This a pleasant landscaped square, built in the
18th century. The Ayuntamiento (City Hall) is located here.
Pedestrian areas cover most of the old town, centered around
Platería and Trapería Streets. Trapería goes from the Cathedral to
the Plaza de Santo Domingo, the former market square. Located in
Trapería is the Casino, a social club erected in 1847, with a
sumptuous interior that includes a Moorish-style patio inspired by
the Alhambra royal rooms.
Some other places worth seeing are the Malecón boulevard, La
Fuensanta sanctuary and El Valle regional park, Los Jerónimos
monastery, the Romea theatre, Almudí Palace, Monteagudo Castle, the
Salzillo Museum, and the San Juan de Dios church-museum. In the
metropolitan area, you can also see the Azud de la Contraparada
reservoir and the Noria de La Ñora water wheel.
Festivals
The Holy Week processions in the city of Murcia are famous
throughout Spain. Life-sized sculptures by Francisco Salzillo
(1707–1783) are taken out of museums and carried around the city in
elegant processions full of flowers and, at night, candles. These
finely detailed sculptures portray events leading up to and
including the Crucifixion.
Possibly the most colourful celebrations are the week after Holy
Week, when Murcians dress in traditional huertano clothing to
celebrate the Bando de la Huerta (Huerta parade) on Tuesday and fill
the streets for the Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine)
parade on Saturday.
Economy
Murcia serves as a major producer of agricultural products; it is
common to find Murcia's tomatoes and lettuce, and especially lemons
and oranges, in European supermarkets.
These days, the economy of the region is turning towards
"residential tourism" in which many people from northern European
countries have a second home in sunny Murcia.
The economy of Murcia is also supported by fairs and congresses,
museums, theatres, cinemas, music, aquariums, bullfighting,
restaurants, hotels, campings, sports, foreign students, and
tourism.
Transportation
* Bus: The transport is provided by Latbus which operates the urban
bus and other interurban services.
* Tramway: Provided by Tranvimur which operates the urban tram, a
little line 2 kilometres long, finished in April 2007. There are, in
total, 4 lines in project.
* Train: Provided by RENFE. Murcia have two lines of Cercanías
trains, to Alicante and Águilas
Healthcare
There are three public hospitals in Murcia:
* Ciudad Sanitaria Virgen de La Arrixaca in El Palmar, that includes
a obstetrics and pediatrics Hospital.
* Hospital Reina Sofía
* Hospital Morales Meseguer
They and the public primary healthcare centers, belong to the
Murcian Healthcare Service.
Education
Murcia has three universities:
* two public universities: the University of Murcia, founded in
1912; and the UPCT, Polytechnic University of Cartagena;
* and one private: the UCAM, Saint Anthony Catholic University.
There are also several high schools, elementary schools, and
professional schools. Murcia has 3 types of schools for
children;There are private schools such as El Limonar(wellknown
english language school) and semi-private schools(concertado)such as
Las Maristas(wellknown for its graduates).As well there are many
public schools such as Colegio Publico (CP)San Pablo(known for maths
and science).The private and concertados can be
religious(catholic)or nonreligious.The public schools are strictly
nonreligious.More information is needed here to define -concertado-
a school receiving government money but private in nature even
relgious.Such schools fill the gap by providing schools where the
government isnt able to or come from a time in the past before the
government developed a national school system and these private
schools were working and were thus left in place and given the
responsibility to act as public schools in educating all without
having to become nonreligious like all other public schools.
Notable people from Murcia
* Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-‘Arabi (1165-1240), a Sufi thinker.
* Diego de Saavedra Fajardo (1584-1648), a writer and diplomat.
* Francisco Salzillo (1707-1783), a Baroque sculptor.
* José Moñino, conde de Floridablanca (1728-1808), a statesman,
minister of King Charles III of Spain.
* Juan de la Cierva (1895-1936), the inventor of the autogyro, a
forerunner of the helicopter.
* Francisco Sánchez Bautista (1925-), a poet.
* Julián Romea (1818-1863), a theater actor.
* Alejandro Valverde (1980-), a cyclist.
* Luis León Sánchez Gil (1983-), a cyclist.
* Nicolás Almagro (1985-), a tennis player.
* Charo (1951-), a musician, actress and entertainer.
* Maria Teresa Chicote (1935-), a notable scientist.
Laura Dominguez
Sport teams
* Ciudad de Murcia, Spanish Second Division football (soccer) club.
* Real Murcia, Spanish First Division football (soccer) club.
Polaris World Murcia - Basketball El Pozo Murcia Turistica - Indoor
Soccer
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