INFO TOURIST – MURCIA REGION Location Privileged Surroundings Located at the South-East corner of the Iberian Peninsula, between the regions of, Andalusia, Castile- La Mancha and Valencia, the region of Murcia occupies an area of 11,317 km2 (2.2% of the total surface area of Spain), bordering the province of Albacete in the North, the province of Alicante in the East, the provinces of Granada, Albacete and Almería in the West, and the Mediterranean in the South-East. In terms of surface area the region of Murcia is the ninth largest of the Spanish autonomous communities. The Murcia region lies at the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastal arch, between the longitudes 37º 23' - 38º 45'N and the latitudes 0º 39' - 2º 20'W taking as reference the Greenwich Meridian. Climate Murcia enjoys a yearly average of 2,800 hours of sunshine The region of Murcia has the typical Mediterranean semi-arid subtropical climate: namely an average annual temperature of 18ºC, with hot summers (registering absolute maximum temperatures of 40ºC) and mild winters (an average temperature of 11ºC in the winter months of December and January). The number of days per year with clear skies is 120- 150, with approximately 2,800 sun-hours per annum. In general rain is scarce throughout the region (approx. 300-350 mm/year), falling mainly in the spring (April) and autumn (October), leaving the summer an eminently dry season. The region of Murcia is characterised by certain climatic differences which may lead to variation in the above-mentioned figures. These variations depend on the orientation and exposure to the dominant winds, the distance from the sea and the configuration of relief. Due to these factors, the temperature differences between the coast and the interior are much more extreme in the winter. On the coast temperatures tend never to fall below 10ºC, whilst inland at higher altitudes they may not exceed 6ºC. The latter areas show a higher average annual rainfall, which reaches 600 mm/yr. 1 Population According to the most recent census figures, corresponding to 1st January 2001, the region of Murcia has an official population of 1,190,378 inhabitants. Analysis of the demographic evolution of the region shows a constant increase in population throughout the twentieth century, though it is only after 1976 that the Region begins to register increases above the national average, due mainly to the inversion of earlier migratory tendencies which had converted Murcia into a region from which the population was emigrating in search of opportunities in other parts of Spain or even abroad. Between the years 1991 and 2001, the population rose by 13.8% in comparison with an average figure of 5.8% for the whole of Spain, according to data supplied by the Ministerio de Administraciones Públicas. The Region of Murcia has thus today become an area with a net demographic influx, due to the fact that since the 70's the number of immigrants received has been greater than the number of people who have emigrated. Special mention must be made of the important increase in the number of foreigners who have chosen to settle in the Region of Murcia as an ideal place to spend their retirement, in privileged surroundings and enjoying an exceptional climate. Gastronomy At lunch time The excellent produce of the huerta, a varied offer of meats and the prized treasures of the sea... a cuisine assimilating the products bequeathed by the peoples who settled here for centuries. The Romans showed us the art of making preserves and salted fish; the Arabs, among a thousand other products, introduced rice and how to grow and cook it, together with spices, condiments and aromatic plants. Outside the fertile valleys were grown wheat, olives and vines, which is tantamount to saying bread, oil and wine: the three mainstays of the Mediterranean Diet. To say, for example, caldero is to conjure up an image of rice, fish (grey mullet, monkfish, grouper), cooked in an iron pot, with ball peppers and garlic mayonnaise. Not to forget the fish a la sal, oven-baked in salt. Or grey mullet roe, mojama (salted tuna) and Mar Menor prawns. We cannot fail to mention pastel de Cierva, a pie filled with egg and meat. If the produce from Murcia's Huerta is your preference, then rice and beans, olla gitana (a vegetable hotpot), cocido of turkey with meatballs, michirones (a broad bean stew), and braised chicken or rabbit. Hearty stews, where imagination has salvaged the modesty of the raw materials. Rice and vegetables, Cocido with meatballs. The Huerta once again impresses us with salads and the thousandfold combinations afforded by its vegetables. The Murcia Region has also cultivated grapevines and produced wines ever since Roman times. As well as those from the Campo de Cartagena, there are the wines from Ricote and, of course, the three Denominaciones de Origen: Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas. Whites, reds and rosés with rich bouquets. For all tastes, and for all palates. 2 Towns The region of Murcia falls historically and geographically into a number of districts which agglutinate the 45 townships making up this uniprovincial autonomous community, all of which in turn depend on Murcia, the regional capital. As a result of its intense historical tradition, the reiterative superposition of cultures, its strategic location as a Mediterranean enclave and its transitional character as a border territory mid-way between the Meseta and Andalusia, the Murcia Region retains innumerable vestiges of the past, making it an ideal meeting-point where History and tradition have been instilled with new life and placed at the visitor´s disposal. The abundant remains and archaeological sites include rock-paintings in cave-shelters dating back to the Iberian period, the splendour of Roman antiquity with its urbanistic refinement and penchant for the theatrical, Visigothic cities, Arab medinas, Christian castles, watch- towers, churches and temples, civil and military constructions... This ample historical, artistic, architectural and cultural heritage can be contemplated and admired in a diversity of natural settings, in the actual locations where the monuments themselves were erected, or within the thematic spaces provided by the Region´s complete network of museums. The Region of Murcia is thus likened to a rich printed fabric upon which History has been depicted for our contemplation. Murcia, capital city of the Autonomous Region, on the banks of the Segura, Cartagena, a port fronting on the Mediterranean, Lorca, the town of a Hundred Coats of Arms, and Caravaca, the Holy Town, will furnish all the reasons a visitor needs to choose them any time of the year for a holiday or just a short stay. Capital city, Murcia Capital of Murcia Province and autonomous region, on the Segura River. The surrounding plain, the huerta, is a fertile, irrigated area that produces oranges and other citrus fruits, cereals, olives, peppers, and truck-farm produce. The city is a centre for transportation, trade, and tin mining. Its industries include food processing, distilling, and the manufacture of textiles, chemicals, apparel, furniture, and building materials the silk industry dates from the Middle Ages. Narrow, twisting streets are found in the old city north of the river, the banks of which are lined with promenades. The baroque 17th-century Ermita de Jesъs houses a museum of the art of the city's native sculptor Francisco Salzillo. The Cathedral of Santa Marнa dates from the 14th century and was restored in the 18th century. There is an annual Holy Week procession. The city also has a university (1915) and a provincial museum. By tradition founded 3 by the Moors in the 9th century, Murcia was the capital of an intermittently independent or vassal Moorish kingdom until it was taken over by Castile in 1243. Acording to census figures from the first of January 2005, Murcia and its nearby towns had a total of 409.810 inhabitants, placing it in the group of the seven most populated cities in Spain. Of this population, 45% live in the city. The importance of the city over the years can be seen in its churches, palaces and other public buildings. To see Murcian Baroque at its best, visit the churches of La Merced, San Juan de Dios, San Nicolas or San Miguel and buildings such as the Bishop 5 Palace or the Palacio Fontes In Murcia capital, the main shopping areas are the streets of Trapería, González Adalid, Alejandro Sequeiro and San Cristóbal, the area around the cathedral, the La Fama neighborhood and Sánchez Tornel street. Murcia's markets are also well worth visiting: Jumilla (Tuesdays), Cartagena and Lorca (Wednesdays), Murcia capital (Thursdays) and Caravaca de la Cruz (Sundays).You'll also find several shopping malls open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Festivities Spectacle and feeling The Region of Murcia is outgoing by nature, with strong Mediterranean roots. The people have always prided themselves on their use of social gatherings as the ideal way of giving thanks for the marvellous climate and the generous fertility of the land, which gives shelter and hospitality to both inhabitants and strangers. Throughout the year it is possible to attend a plethora of events in the Region in which passion alternates with colour, joy with restraint, vitality with History and fervour with popular exaltation. From January to December festivals move between pageantry and participation: from Carnival to Easter Week, from the Spring Festival -culminating in the spectacular Burial of the Sardine- to the Romans and Carthaginians pageants, from the Moors and Christians and the smell of gunpowder and blunderbusses to the Wine Horses, from the festival of the Grape Harvest to the Immaculate Conception and Christmas Eve, from the masterly Epiphany mystery play to the May Crosses, from the marine processions in honour of Our Lady of Carmen to the Romerías (local pilgrimages) inland, from the ever colourful Huerta (Farming) Festival to the profound, heart-rending flamenco-style Mine Song Festival.