Cádiz is a province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe.
It is bordered by the Spanish provinces of Huelva, Seville, and Málaga, as well as the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its area is 7,442 square kilometers.
Its capital is the city of Cádiz, which has a population of more than 128,000. The largest city is Jerez with more than 204,000 inhabitants, and another important city is Algeciras with just over 114,000 inhabitants. The entire province had a population of 1,194,062 (as of 2006), of whom about 600,000 live in the Bay of Cádiz area. Its population density is 160.45 per square kilometer.
Political and traditional subdivisions (comarcas)
The province encompasses 44 municipalities; besides its capital, other important cities are Jerez and Algeciras. (See the list of municipalities in Cádiz.) According to a roster developed by the Council of Tourism and Sport of Andalusia on 27 March 2003 , there are officially six traditional or touristic comarcas (provincial areas or counties) in the Province of Cádiz:
- Bahía de Cádiz (Bay of Cádiz)
- Campiña de Jerez (Countryside of Jerez)
- Campo de Gibraltar (Countryside of Gibraltar)
- Bajo Guadalquivir (Lower Guadalquivir, or Northwest Coast, Costa Noroeste)
- La Janda
- Sierra de Cádiz (Cádiz Mountains)
Bay of Cádiz (Bahía de Cádiz)
This area comprises towns and cities on the shores of the Bay of Cádiz on the west-central coast of the province:
- Cádiz
- Chiclana
- El Puerto de Santa María
- Puerto Réal
- San Fernando
Campiña de Jerez (Countryside of Jerez)
This fertile area only includes two municipalities, both large in area:
- Jerez de la Frontera
- San José del Valle
Campo de Gibraltar (Countryside of Gibraltar)
The towns that extend into the rural hinterlands north of Gibraltar are:
- Algeciras
- Jimena de la Frontera
- Castellar de la Frontera
- San Roque
- La Línea de la Concepción
- Los Barrios
- Tarifa
Bajo Guadalquivir (Northwest Coast; also called Costa Noroeste)
The towns of this area called the "Bajo Guadalquivir" (lower Guadalquivir valley), are:
- Chipiona
- Rota
- Sanlúcar de Barrameda
- Trebujena
La Janda
Towns included in La Janda, an area in the southwestern part of the province, are:
- Alcalá de los Gazules
- Barbate
- Benalup-Casas Viejas
- Conil de la Frontera
- Medina Sidonia
- Paterna de Rivera
- Vejer de la Frontera
Sierra de Cádiz (Cádiz Mountains)
Towns included in the Cádiz Mountains area, in the northeastern part of the province, include:
- Alcalá del Valle
- Algar
- Algodonales
- Arcos de la Frontera
- Benaocaz
- Bornos
- El Bosque
- El Gastor
- Espera
- Grazalema
- Olvera
- Prado del Rey
- Puerto Serrano
- Setenil de las Bodegas
- Torre Alháquime
- Ubrique
- Villaluenga del Rosario
- Villamartín
- Zahara de la Sierra
Economy
Primary sector
- Sherry Vineyards
- John Harvey & Sons in Jerez de la Frontera
- Gonzalez Byass
- olive groves
- Fishing Ports, as in Cádiz and Algeciras.
Major industrial facilities
- Navantia
- Airbus
- CASA
- Delphi
- Ford
- Cepsa
- Lufthansa CityLine
- Endesa
- Acerinox
The main industry is tourism, mainly from other non-coastal Spanish cities, Germany and the UK.
Its once-important shipbuilding industry (Astilleros) is now in crisis due to competition from South Korea and China.
There are factories of Airbus and Delphi.
It also exports sherry as well as alimentary products.
Tourism
Beaches
The province of Cádiz has many kilometers of beaches and (as of 2005) the highest number of Blue Flags of all coastal provinces in Europe.
Some of these beaches are relatively wild and far from big urban areas due to the closeness of natural reserves. One of the attractions of the area is the contrast to the mass tourism of other areas on the Mediterranean coast.
The area near Tarifa is known to be an important windsurf area and similar sports due to the almost permanent wind near the Strait of Gibraltar.
Notable beaches:
- Playa La Barrosa in Chiclana de la Frontera
- Playa La Victoria in Cádiz
- Playa de Levante in El Puerto de Santa María
- Playa de Bolonia in Tarifa
- Playa de Camposoto in San Fernando
Culture
- Carnival of Cádiz
- Feria de Jerez
- Semana Santa in all municipalities of the Province
- Horse racing in Sanlúcar de Barrameda
- Circuito Permanente de Jerez
- White Towns of Andalusia
- Ruta del Toro
Nature
Doñana National Park
Doñana National Park is one of two national parks in the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Natural Parks
Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park
La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
La Doñana Natural Park
Los Alcornocales Natural Park
Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park
Straits of Gibraltar Natural Park
Natural Reserves
Natural Sites
Parques Periurbanos: Pinares y Dunas de San Antón La Suara La Barrosa
Natural Monuments
Transportation
Roads
- Autovía A-4
- Autovía A-7
- Autovía A-381
- N-340
- Autovía A-48
Airports
- Jerez Airport
Railroads
- Cádiz-Seville Line
- Cercanías Cádiz
- Algeciras-Granada Line
Ports
- Port of Algeciras
- Port of Cádiz
The main ways to enter the province are by road from Seville or Malaga and by the Jerez Airport.
Notable sports teams
Football
- Cádiz CF in the Segunda División B.
- Xerez CD in the Primera División.
- Racing Club Portuense in the Segunda División B.
- Algeciras CF in the Tercera División.
- CD San Fernando in the Segunda División B.
Rugby Union
- CR Atlético Portuense in the División de Honor B de Rugby.
External links
- Excma. Diputación Provincial de Cádiz
- Google Maps satellite view
- Official Website of Tourism in the Province of Cádiz
- YasHan Gallery More photos of Cádiz.
- Alcalá del Valle
- Libro de Estilo de Canal Sur (anexo 4, pg. 417, comarcas andaluzas). Listado comarcal definido por y definidas por la Consejería de Turismo y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía.
- bajoguadalquivir.org
- sierradecadiz.com
- Comarca de La Janda
- (Spanish) Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park
- (Spanish) Del Estrecho Natural Park
- (Spanish) Doñana Natural Park
- (Spanish) La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
- (Spanish) Los Alcornocales Natural Park
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