Almería

Almería (/ˌælməˈriːə/; Spanish: [almeˈɾi.a], locally: [aɾmeˈɾi.a, al-]) is a city in Andalusia, Spain, situated in the southeast of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.

Toponym

Almería was founded due to the need for a better defense system for the regional Arab towns. It was Abd-al-Rahman III who founded the Alcazaba (the Citadel), which gave this city its name: Al-Mari'yah (المريّة, the Watchtower).

History

In the first century, Christian documents report that there was a town named Urci, possibly near the current site of Almería, in the Hispania of the Roman Empire. However, this is disputed, as there are several possible sites of the town. However, one Saint Indaletius, a missionary is said to have evangelized Urci and become its first bishop, is officially the patron saint of Almería.

Later, the city was refounded by Calipha Abd-ar-Rahman III of Córdoba in 955 AD. It was to be a principal harbour in his extensive domain to strengthen his Mediterranean defences.

Almería (Spanish Congress Electoral District)

Coordinates: 37°10′N 2°20′W / 37.167°N 2.333°W / 37.167; -2.333 Almería is one of the 52 electoral districts (Spanish: circunscripciones) used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies – the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. The method of election is the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation, with a minimum threshold of 3%.

It is one of eight districts which correspond to the provinces of Andalusia. Almería is the only town with a population of over 100,000, accounting for nearly a third of the electorate in the province. The next largest municipalities, with a population of over 50,000 are Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido.

Results

General elections

2015

2011

Vote share

2008

Vote share

1977

Province of Almería

Almería (/ˌælməˈriːə/; Spanish: [almeˈɾi.a]) is a province of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is the homonymous city of Almería.

Almería has an area of 8,774 km². With 699,329 (2013) inhabitants, its population density is 79.7/km², slightly lower than the Spanish average. It is divided in 102 municipalities.

Geography

The highest mountain range in the Province of Almería is the 50 km long Sierra de Los Filabres.

Europe's driest area is found in Almería and is part of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. The arid landscape and climate that characterizes part of the province have made it an ideal setting for Western films, especially during the 1960s. Because of the demand for these locations, quite a number of Western towns were built near the Desert of Tabernas. Films such as A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly were shot here. Years later the film of 800 Bullets was filmed in the same place. Large sections of Conan the Barbarian (1982 film), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lawrence of Arabia and Patton were shot there as well.