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Andalusia has a surface area of 87,597 square kilometres (33,821 sq mi), 17.3% of the territory of Spain. Andalusia alone is comparable in extent and in the variety of its terrain to any of several of the smaller European countries.
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Andalusia, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historical region of Spain, encompassing the provincias (provinces) of Huelva, Cádiz, Sevilla, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada, and Almería. The southernmost region of Spain, Andalusia is bounded by the autonomous communities of Extremadura and Castile–La Mancha to the north and Murcia to the ...
Andalusia possesses the most-varied terrain and vegetation in all of Spain. Striking contrasts exist between alpine mountains and pine forests at high elevations, arid and barren deserts, and fertile irrigated plains that support plantations of subtropical fruits. The topography of Andalusia is divided by mountain ranges into several distinct zones, each running southwest to northeast. The Sierra Morena is the northernmost range, crossing the northern parts of the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla, Córdoba, and Jaén. These mountains present a relief of desolate ridges punctuated by narrow valleys. In southeastern Andalusia the land rises abruptly to the Baetic Cordillera, one range of which, the Sierra Nevada, contains the highest elevations in the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees. The Baetic Cordillera extends southward from the province of Jaén into Granada and Almería.
Lying between the Sierra Morena and the Baetic Cordillera is the heart of Andalusia, the Guadalquivir River basin and its associated plains. The Guadalquivir River flows southwest across almost the whole of Andalusia, passing the cities of Córdoba and Sevilla before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean west of Cádiz. The river’s lower basin, a region known as La Campiña, is the most densely settled and agriculturally productive part of Andalusia.
The Andalusian steppes, an arid region of badlands in the southeastern corner of Andalusia, cover much of Granada and Almería provinces. Extending east and west from the city of Málaga along the Mediterranean coast is the Costa del Sol, which has become one of Spain’s most popular tourist rivieras.
A Mediterranean climate prevails in most of lowland Andalusia, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Annual precipitation ranges from 80 inches (2,000 mm) in the Sierra Nevada and the Grazalema Mountains to as little as 8 inches (200 mm) in the desertic Andalusian steppes. Coastal and lowland Andalusia receive an average of about 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, which has helped draw tourists to the region. The lower portion of the Guadalquivir River basin has some of the most fertile soils in Spain, but the sparse rainfall makes irrigation necessary in some areas.
The population of western Andalusia has traditionally been concentrated in the large rural towns from which agricultural labourers commute daily to work on the surrounding estates, or cortijos, but in modern times the population has been concentrated more in the provincial capitals. From the Baetic Cordillera eastward, small villages predominate wherever water is available.
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Andalusia is one of the 17 Spanish autonomous communities and is in the southwestern region of the European Union. [3] It has a surface area of 87,597 square kilometres (33,821 sq mi), 17.3 percent of the territory of Spain.
Covering 87,268 km ², Andalusia is Spain’s second largest Autonomous Region. The Guadalquivir River has created a fertile valley which shares its name. Along with one of its tributaries, the Genil, it is Andalusia’s fundamental physical axis.
Andalusia is the southern part of Spain. It has a heritage back to the Roman Empire, and a diverse scenery of deserts, beaches along the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz and the Sierra Nevada range, with Iberia's tallest mountains, and Europe's southernmost ski resorts. Overview. Map. Directions.
Jan 15, 2024 · Andalusia is the second largest autonomous community in Spain. Covering an area of over 87,000 square kilometers, Andalusia is surpassed in size only by Castile and León. The region is home to the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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May 14, 2018 · Andalusia (Andalucía) Largest, most populous and southernmost region of Spain, crossed by the River Guadalquivir, and comprising eight provinces. The capital is Seville, other major cities include Málaga, Granada, and Córdoba. In the n are the Sierra Morena mountains, which are rich in minerals.
