Baix Camp () is a

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

. It is one of the three comarques into which

Camp de Tarragona Camp de Tarragona () is a natural and historical region of Catalonia, Spain. It includes a central plain, surrounded by the Serralada Prelitoral mountain chain on the west and in the north, with the Mediterranean sand beaches of the Costa Daur ...

was divided in the comarcal division of 1936. Baix Camp is located on the

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

, between

Tarragonès Tarragonès () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the three comarques formed in the 1936 comarcal division of Camp de Tarragona. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, between the comarques of Baix Penedès to the northeast and ...

to the northeast and

Baix Ebre Baix Ebre (, "Lower Ebre") is a comarca (county), on the coast in southern Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by it ...

to the south. It also borders the comarques of

Priorat Priorat () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. The central part of the comarca, "Priorat històric," produces the highly regarded wines that are certified under the DOQ Priorat. Wines from elsewhere in the comarca are certified as DO M ...

Ribera d'Ebre Ribera d'Ebre () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. in the Terres de l'Ebre, and that extends to both sides of the river Ebro between the reservoir of Riba-roja and Miravet Miravet is a municipality in the comarca of Ribera d'Ebre in the ...

Conca de Barberà Conca de Barberà () is a comarca (county) in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. Its total area is . At its creation in 1936, it contained 23 municipalities, but in 1990, several of these were amalgamated; Rojals was combined with Mon ...

Alt Camp Alt Camp () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936. Geography Alt Camp is a county in the province of Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain. T ...

, and

Population

Almost 150,000 people inhabit Baix Camp. The population has increased gently since the middle of the twentieth century, with population growth averaging 1.5% annually during the last three decades. Growth is not evenly distributed, however, but is strongly focused on

Reus Reus () is the capital of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague. Nowadays it is k ...

, the industrial and commercial centre of the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. Around two-thirds of the inhabitants of Baix Camp live in Reus, which from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries was the second most populous city in

, after

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. Taking Catalonia as a whole, the place of Reus in the population rankings has now slipped to tenth. Within Baix Camp, the only other municipality with more than 10,000 inhabitants is

Cambrils Cambrils () is a coastal town in the comarca of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is near the tourist town Salou and is frequently visited by those travelling by air using Reus Airport. History Roman empire to Midd ...

Economy

In the agricultural sector

almonds The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of th ...

and

hazelnuts The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according ...

are a major crops, together representing 30% of

primary sector The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy in de ...

production.

Viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

has never regained the level of dominance that it enjoyed before the European

Phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...

epidemic that peaked in the 1870s. High dependency on

and

nevertheless leaves the entire regional economy vulnerable to declining world market prices that have accompanied increased globalization of the agricultural sector. Some price protection is afforded to growers by protected designation for "Hazelnuts from Reus" which actually covers not just production from Reus but also that from neighboring Alt Camp, Tarragonès, Priorat, Conca de Barberà and Terra Alta.

Municipalities

After the capital

, the major cities are

and Mont-roig del Camp; other significant towns are

Riudoms Riudoms is a town in the ''comarca'' of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, located about five kilometres from the regional capital Reus. The main product is the hazelnut, today in recession, and extra virgin olive oil. History Ri ...

and Selva del Camp. Smaller municipalities: * North of Reus, at the foot of Puig d'en Cama:

Castellvell del Camp Castellvell del Camp is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nati ...

and

Almoster Almoster is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. According to the 2008 census, its population was of 1,339 inhabitants. Location Almoster is located to the south of Catalonia and north of Tarragona. ...

. * In the Mountains of Prades: Prades,

Capafonts Capafonts is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' ...

Arbolí Arbolí is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Camp in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the west of the ''comarca'' in the Prades mountains. A local road links the village with the C-242 road. The Prades Mountains are located in the ...

, and

l'Albiol L'Albiol is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The Prades Mountains are located within the municipal term of the town. The 1791 church is dedicated to Saint Michael. See also *Prades ...

. * In the valley of the river Maspujols:

Vilaplana Vilaplana is a municipality in the '' comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The Serra de la Mussara, a subrange of the Prades Mountains rises north of the town. This mountain range is named after the abandoned vi ...

l'Aleixar L'Aleixar is a municipality in the '' comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The Serra de la Mussara, a subrange of the Prades Mountains rises north of the town. The church is dedicated to Saint Martin. See als ...

, and Maspujols. * In the valley of the river Alforja:

Alforja Alforja is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The main monuments are Sant Miquel church in the town, as well as the shrines of Sant Antoni de Pàdua and Mare de Déu de Puigcerver outs ...

les Borges del Camp Les Borges del Camp is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nation ...

, and Vinyols i els Arcs. * Between the ranges of Puig Marí and Puig-server:

Riudecols Riudecols is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' b ...

. * In the valley of the ravine of Ànima Blanca: Montbrió del Camp, and Botarell. * Near Mont-roig del Camp: Vilanova d'Escornalbou,

Colldejou Colldejou is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is located at the feet of the Mola de Colldejou, north of the Serra de Llaberia. The church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence. ...

, and

la Torre de Fontaubella La Torre de Fontaubella is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Priorat in Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' ...

* At the western edge of the comarca:

Pratdip Pratdip () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. Most of the people of Pratdip work in agriculture in the pastures, fields, and forests around the village. Prominent local agricultural ...

and the municipality of

Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Camp in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the south-west of the ''comarca'', between the Serra de Llaberia range and the coast. The town of Vandellòs ...

List of municipalities

References

External links

Official comarcal web site (in Catalan)
{{Comarques of Catalonia Comarques of the Province of Tarragona