![Main towns in the province of Valencia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Main_towns_in_the_province_of_Valencia.png)
Valencia ( ca-valencia, València) is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
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 ...
, in the central part of the autonomous
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wi ...
. Of the province's over 2.5 million people (2018),
one-third live in the capital,
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
, which is also the capital of the autonomous community and the
3rd biggest city in Spain, with a metropolitan area of 2,522,383 people it is also one of the most populated cities of
Southern Europe
Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alba ...
.
[http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en ] There are 265
municipalities in the province.
History
Although the
Spanish Constitution of 1812
The Political Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy ( es, link=no, Constitución Política de la Monarquía Española), also known as the Constitution of Cádiz ( es, link=no, Constitución de Cádiz) and as ''La Pepa'', was the first Constitut ...
loosely created the province of València, a stable administrative entity does not arise until the territorial division of Spain in 1833,
remaining today without major changes. The Provincial Council of Valencia dates from that period. After the Valencian Statute of Autonomy of 1982, the province became part of the
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wi ...
.
Valencian
Valencian () or Valencian language () is the official, historical and traditional name used in the Valencian Community (Spain), and unofficially in the El Carche comarca in Murcia (Spain), to refer to the Romance language also known as Catal ...
and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
are the official languages.
Geography
It is bordered by the provinces of
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
,
Albacete
Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete.
Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, the ...
,
Cuenca,
Teruel
Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with ...
,
Castellón, and the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. The northwestern side of the province is in the
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
ous
Sistema Ibérico
The Iberian System ( es, Sistema Ibérico, ) is one of the major systems of mountain ranges in Spain.
It consists of a vast and complex area of mostly relatively high and rugged mountain chains and massifs located in the central region of th ...
area. Part of its territory, the
Rincón de Ademuz
Rincón de Ademuz is a Spanish comarca constituted as an exclave of both the Valencian Community and the Valencia province located between the provinces of Cuenca ( Castile-La Mancha) and Teruel ( Aragon). It is part of the Spanish-speaking area ...
, is an
exclave sandwiched between the provinces of
Cuenca and
Teruel
Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with ...
.
The province is historically subdivided into the ''
comarques
This is a list of the 42 ''comarques'' (singular ''comarca'', , ) into which Catalonia is divided. A ''comarca'' is a group of municipalities, roughly equivalent to a county in the US or a district or council in the UK. However, in the context ...
'' of
Camp de Túria
Camp de Túria ( es, Campo de Turia) is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Geography
It comprises the lower reaches of the river Turia and its adjacent territories. Borders with the region of Camp de Morved ...
,
Camp de Morvedre
Camp de Morvedre (, es, Campo de Morvedre) is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
* Albalat dels Tarongers
* Alfara de Algimia
* Algar de Palancia
* Algímia d'Alfara
* Benavites
* Benifairó de l ...
,
Canal de Navarrés
Canal de Navarrés is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
*Anna
*Bicorp
Bicorp is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Canal de Navarrés in the Valencian Community
The Valencian Communit ...
,
Costera,
Hoya de Buñol
Hoya de Buñol (Valencian: ''Foia de Bunyol'') is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
* Alborache
* Buñol
*Cheste
* Chiva
* Dos Aguas
*Godelleta
Godelleta is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of ...
,
Horta de València
The Horta of Valencia ( va, L'Horta de València; es, Huerta de Valencia) is a historical comarca and urban area of Valencian Community. The Horta of Valencia consists of Valencia and three comarcas: Horta Nord, Horta Sud, Horta Oest.
Demogr ...
,
Horta Nord
Horta Nord (, es, Huerta Norte) is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
* Albalat dels Sorells
*Alboraya
*Albuixech
* Alfara del Patriarca
*Almàssera
* Bonrepòs i Mirambell
*Burjassot
* Emperador
* ...
,
Horta Oest
Horta Oest (, es, Huerta Oeste) was a Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca in the Provinces of Spain, province of Valencia (province), Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
*Alaquàs
*Aldaia
*Manises
*Mislata
*Patern ...
,
Horta Sud
Horta Sud (, es, Huerta Sur) is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
* Albal
*Alcàsser
*Alfafar
* Benetússer
*Beniparrell
*Catarroja
* Llocnou de la Corona
*Massanassa
*Paiporta
*Picassent
*Sed ...
,
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
,
Requena-Utiel
La Plana de Utiel-Requena is a ''comarca'' currently in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Historically, the ''comarca'' was part of Castile and formed part of the province of Cuenca in the 1833 provincial division of Javier ...
,
Rincón de Ademuz
Rincón de Ademuz is a Spanish comarca constituted as an exclave of both the Valencian Community and the Valencia province located between the provinces of Cuenca ( Castile-La Mancha) and Teruel ( Aragon). It is part of the Spanish-speaking area ...
,
Ribera Alta,
Ribera Baixa
Ribera Baixa () is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
*Albalat de la Ribera
*Almussafes
* Benicull de Xúquer
* Corbera
*Cullera
* Favara
* Fortaleny
* Llaurí
* Polinyà de Xúquer
*Riola
...
,
Safor
Safor () is a ''comarca'' within the province of Valencia, Spain. The capital is the city of Gandia, but also includes the towns of Oliva, Piles and Daimús, among others. The beach area of Gandia, La Platja, is well known for its wild nightlif ...
,
Los Serranos
Los Serranos (Valencian: ''Serrans'') is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto ...
,
Vall d'Albaida
Vall is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (born 1953), Mauritanian military officer
* Raymond Vall (born 1942), French politician
See also
* Örjans Vall, football stadium in Halmstad, Sweden
* Vall, the ...
and
Valle de Cofrentes
Valle de Ayora also called Valle de Ayora-Cofrentes is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain.
Municipalities
*Ayora
* Cofrentes
*Cortes de Pallás
* Jalance
* Jarafuel
*Teresa de Cofrentes
Teresa de Cofrent ...
.
The province of Valencia, like the rest of the region, is mountainous in the interior, particularly in the north and west,
with the
Sistema Central
The Central System, Spanish and pt, Sistema Central, is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in the Iberian Peninsula. The 2,592 m high Pico Almanzor is its highest summit.
The Central System is located just north of the 40th parallel a ...
running from north to south and the foothills of Andalusia from west to east. This mountainous interior features deep and steep valleys formed by the major rivers running through it. The plain of Valencia, is the second largest coastal plain of the country, located in the low region between the
Júcar
left
The Júcar () or Xúquer () is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico. Its most i ...
and
Turia river valleys. It is about thirty miles long and twenty wide; on three sides it is bounded by the mountains of Segura, and on the fourth by the sea. In 1843 it was cited as "one of the most fertile and best cultivated spots in Europe".
The other main rivers include the
Palancia and the
Serpis
The Serpis () is a short coastal river in the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, in Spain.
The river starts at the feet of the Carrasqueta, a mountain area southwest to Alcoi, by the confluence of the Polop and Troncal streams. In its initial pa ...
. The Altiplano de Requena-Utiel range, in the interior of the Valencia region,
has an average height of about 750 m. The principal mountains in the province are
Cerro Calderón (1837 m),
Sierra del Caroche (1126 m),
Sierra del Benicadell
Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following:
Places Mountains and mountain ranges
* Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico
* Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...
(1104 m),
Serra Calderona
Serra Calderona (; es, Sierra Calderona), often referred to as La Calderona is a long mountain range in the Camp de Túria, Horta Nord and Alt Palància comarcas of the Valencian Community, between the provinces of Castellón Province, Castelló ...
(1015 m),
Sierra Martés
Sierra Martés or Sierra de Martés (Valencian Language: ''Serra de Martés'') is a mountain range settled alongside the Valencian comarques of Requena-Utiel and Hoya de Buñol, province of Valencia (east Spain). Is one of the last Iberica format ...
(1085 m),
Sierra de Utiel
Sierra de Utiel ( ca-valencia, Serra d'Utiel) is a long mountain range in the Alt Palància, Alt Millars and Plana Baixa comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is the 1,306 m high El Remedio ( ca-valencia, El Remei). There is oft ...
(1306 m),
Sierra de Enguera
Sierra de Enguera ( ca-valencia, Serra d'Énguera) is a long mountain range in the Canal de Navarrés and Valle de Cofrentes comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Altos de Salomón (1,056 m.) in the Caroig Massif. Other import ...
(1056 m), and the
Sierra de Mondúver (841 m).
Municipalities
Economy
The València plains are known for their olive, mulberry, ilex, algaroba, orange, and palm trees, with the appearance of an "immense garden".
Such is the fertility of the soil, that two and three crops in the year are generally obtained, and the greater part of the land returns eight per cent. The rice crops are the most valuable, and are chiefly produced in the tract which is irrigated by the
Albufera, a large lake in the neighbourhood of València.
Rice being the principal food of the lower classes, the crop is generally consumed in the province, with the exception of a small quantity which finds its way into
Castile and
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...
. The other chief product is the white mulberry, once the source of great wealth: it was worked in the silk-factories of València. In 1828, the produce of silk from the vega of València amounted to one million of pounds yearly, the greater part of which was exported in its raw state, but the produce has greatly increased since, owing to demands from the manufacturers of Lyon and other towns in the south of France.
The province of València is a notable producer of satins, silk ribbons, and velvets.
The export of fruit from Valencia is also considerable, particularly of raisins. The raisins are of two kinds, the muscatel, and an inferior and smaller raisin, called ''pasa de legia''.
The export of figs, oil, and wine from the province and ports of València is also considerable, with a wine known as
Beni Carlo, which as of 1843 was shipped to
Cette.
Mercury, copper, sulphur, arsenic, argentiferous lead, iron, coal, etc. are among the mineral products, but they are procured only in small quantities.
Today, tourism is a major source of income, with the city of
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
and the resort towns along the coast being the primary earners during the summer months.
Population
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Colors=
id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7)
id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1)
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:30
PlotArea = left:40 bottom:40 top:20 right:20
DateFormat = x.y
Period = from:0 till:2600
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
AlignBars = late
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:200 start:0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:50 start:0
BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo
PlotData=
color:skyblue width:20 shift:(-60,-5) fontsize:M anchor:till
bar:1877 from:0 till: 677 text: 677,286
bar:1887 from:0 till: 731 text: 730,916
bar:1900 from:0 till: 807 text: 806,547
bar:1910 from:0 till: 886 text: 886,467
bar:1920 from:0 till: 934 text: 933,681
bar:1930 from:0 till:1043 text:1,042,978
bar:1940 from:0 till:1270 text:1,269,373
bar:1950 from:0 till:1344 text:1,344,365
bar:1960 from:0 till:1438 text:1,438,043
bar:1970 from:0 till:1770 text:1,769,552
bar:1980 from:0 till:2066 text:2,065,704
bar:1990 from:0 till:2118 text:2,117,927
bar:2000 from:0 till:2216 text:2,216,285
bar:2010 from:0 till:2563 text:2,563,342
bar:2020 from:0 till:2592 text:2,591,875
TextData=
pos:(35,20) fontsize:M
text:"Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE"
Notes
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valencia, Province of