Cádiz (province)

Spanish Province
name = Cádiz
full-name = Provincia de Cádiz


coat-of-arms = sin escudo.svg
motto =
anthem =


capital = Cádiz
language = Spanish
area = 7.436
area-rank = 34°
area-magnitude =
area-percent = 1,47
pop = 1.180.817
pop-rank = 8°
pop-percent = 2,68
pop-date =
density = 158,80
english-name = Cádiz
spanish-name = Cádiz
local-lang =
local-name =
autonomous-community = Andalusia
government = Diputación Provincial de Cádiz
president = Francisco González Cabaña
website= http://www.dipucadiz.es/

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 entie 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 is comprised of 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

ierra 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
*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 [http://www.blueflag.org/ 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

:100 km², located at the mouth of the Guadalete river, consists of marshland, beaches, reed and sand dunes.:Bird watching. Sailing, Windsurfing, Hiking.:(Ocean) Pine. Many types of shrubs and bushes.:Gannet Solan Goose, Storch, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, (Sea)Gull, Flamingo, Tern, Sea Eagle, Avocet.

La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park

:37.97 km², high cliff rock formations covered by pine trees.:Bird watching, archaeological and botanical excursions, Diving, Windsurfing, Sailing, Hiking.:Strandpinie, Black Juniper tree, Black Spruce, Juniper, Small Palm tree, Rosemary.:Herring Gull, Chatfinch, Greenfinch, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Crested Tit, Woodpecker, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon.

La Doñana Natural Park

:This natural park is shared by three provinces, Cádiz, Huelva, and Seville. It is an area to the east and northeast of the national park.: Home of the Iberian Lynx, protected animal.

Los Alcornocales Natural Park

:Information center in Alcalá de los Gazules; Visitors centers in Algeciras and Cortes de la Frontera (Málaga):1,700.25 km² in area:Low mountain range, densely covered by cork oak trees ("Alcornoques"):Bird watching, archaeological and botanical excursions, Hiking, Mountainbiking, Speleology.:Cork Oak, Olive tree, Gall Oak, Pink Rock Rose, Small Palm tree, Alder, Rhododendron, Holly, Bracken (Fern), Cherry tree, Laurel.:Sparrow Hawk, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Booted Eagle, Goshawk, Eagle Owl, Tawny Owl, Vulture, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Wild Boar, Deer, Weasel, (Sea)Otter, Wildcat, Mongoose.

Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park

:Administration in El Bosque; Visitors center in Benamahoma:516.95 km² in area:Limestone formation, transformed to ravines, declines and caves. Large colonies of Spanish Fir ("pinsapo").:Bird watching, archaeological and botanical excursions.:Hiking, Climbing, Mountainbiking, Speleology, Paragliding.:Spanish Fir, Cork Oak, Holm Oak, Gall Oak, Carob, Oleaster.:Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, Fish Hawk, Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Mountain Goat, Deer, Mongoose, (Sea)Otter, Fox.

Straits of Gibraltar Natural Park

:Is the most meridional national park of Europe. :Its location at the southernmost point of mainland Spain, and of mainland Europe, at the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet in the Strait of Gibraltar, places it on the migratory route for many birds.

Natural Reserves

::There are eight natural reserves in the province: Complejo Endorreico de Chiclana, Complejo Endorreico de Espera, Complejo Endorreico de Puerto Real, Complejo Endorreico del Puerto de Santa María, Laguna de Medina, Lagunas de las Canteras y el Tejón, Laguna de la Paja, and Peñón de Zaframagón (which straddles the border with the province of Seville.)

Natural Sites

::There are seven natural sites in the province: Cola del Embalse de Arcos, Cola del Embalse de Bornos, Estuario del Río Guadiaro, Isla del Trocadero, Marismas de Sancti Petri, Marismas del Río Palmones, and Playa de Los Lances.

Parques Periurbanos: Pinares y Dunas de San Antón La Suara La Barrosa

Natural Monuments

::There are five natural monuments in the province: Corrales de Rota, Duna de Bolonia, Punta del Boquerón, Tómbolo de Trafalgar, and Escarpes del Río Trejo en Setenil.

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 CádizThe 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.
*Xerez CD in the Segunda División.
*Racing Club Portuense in the Segunda División B.
*Algeciras CF in the Tercera División.
*CD San Fernando in the Tercera División.

Rugby Union
*CR Atlético Portuense in the División de Honor B de Rugby.

External links

* [http://www.dipucadiz.es/ Excma. Diputación Provincial de Cádiz]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.500805,-5.787048&spn=1.052909,1.756027&t=k&hl=en Google Maps satellite view]
* [http://www.cadizturismo.com/ Official Website of Tourism in the Province of Cádiz]
* [http://www.yashan.net/gallery/andalucia/cadiz/ YasHan Gallery] More photos of Cádiz.
* [http://www.alcaladelvalle.com Alcalá del Valle]
* [http://www.canalsur.es/PROGRAMAS/rtva/direccion_imagen_comunicacion/libro_estilo/libro_estilo_cstv_c2and.pdf 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.
* [http://www.bajoguadalquivir.org bajoguadalquivir.org]
* [http://www.sierradecadiz.com sierradecadiz.com]
* [http://www.turismolajanda.org Comarca de La Janda]