Los Monegros 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, ...

in Aragon,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is located within the provinces of

Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...

and

Huesca Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...

. The area is prone to chronic droughts, and much of the area is a

natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and ...

made up of badlands. Los Monegros borders seven comarcas:

Hoya de Huesca Hoya de Huesca/Plana de Uesca is a comarca (county) in the province of Huesca (Spain). * Capital city: Huesca, also the biggest of the 40 municipalities of the comarca. * Surface: 2,525.60 km². * Population: 60,525 (2002). It occupies the ...

to the North;

Somontano de Barbastro Somontano de Barbastro ( Aragonese: ''Semontano de Balbastro)'' is a comarca in Province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. Somontano borders the counties of Sobrarbe and Alto Gállego to the north, Ribagorza and La Litera to the east, Cinca Medio ...

, Cinca Medio, and

Bajo Cinca Bajo Cinca () or Baix Cinca (; an, Cinca Baxa, ) is a comarca in eastern Aragon, Spain. It is named after river Cinca. This comarca is located in the southeastern corner of the Huesca province. The administrative capital is Fraga, with 13,59 ...

to the East;

to the West; and

Ribera Baja del Ebro Ribera Baja del Ebro is a comarca in eastern Aragon, Spain. It is part of the historical region of Lower Aragon. The most important town is Quinto. It is located by the River Ebro about 40 km south-east of Zaragoza. The traditional economy ...

and Bajo Aragón-Caspe to the South.

General information

The

Sierra de Alcubierre Sierra de Alcubierre is a long mountain range in the Monegros comarca, Aragon, Spain. It is located between the provinces of Zaragoza and Huesca. Geography This mountain chain crosses the arid eastern end of the Monegros comarca from northwest ...

mountain chain crosses the comarca from Northwest to Southeast. Its maximum elevation is 822 meters, at the mountain called ''Oscuro''. The climate is

semiarid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

, with scarce rainfall and high temperatures in the autumn. The area has numerous

saltwater Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...

and freshwater

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

s, including the Lake of Sariñena and the Lake of la Playa. The area's cultural heritage includes several historical monasteries, including the Monasterio de Santa María de Sigena and the Charterhouse of Las Fuentes. In December 2007, the local government announced that the comarca had been chosen for the site of the Gran Scala, a huge European project to build a "destination city of leisure for all ages." Designed to include numerous theme parks and casinos, the area would become one of the primary entertainment centers of Europe.

Territory and population

References

External links

Official webpage of the Comarca of Los Monegros

Official Map

Comarcas of Aragón, Los Monegros

Tourism guide for Los Monegros

Los Monegros seen by Javier Blasco

Salt lakes of Los Monegros

Tourist information

Todo acerca del proyecto Gran Scala Monegros
*
Los Monegros y Gran Scala
' - Latest news, photos, video, blog about the "Gran Scala" project in Los Monegros * https://web.archive.org/web/20080514201501/http://www.monegrosfestival.com/ {{Comarcas of Aragon Comarcas of Aragon Geography of the Province of Huesca Geography of the Province of Zaragoza Natural regions

General information

Territory and population

See also

References

External links