Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: / ) is a

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

located in eastern Spain, in the southern part of the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

. It is the second most populated Valencian province, containing the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Community—

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

and

Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,

, respectively. Alicante is bordered by the provinces of

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

on the southwest,

Albacete Albacete ( , , ) 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 area around the city is known as Los Llan ...

on the west,

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

on the north, 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

on the east. The province is named after its capital, the city of

(also known in Valencian as ''Alacant'').

Territory, population and resources

According to the 2018 population data, Alicante ranks as the fourth most populous province in Spain (after

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...

and

), with 1,838,819 inhabitants. Cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the province are

(334,757 inhabitants),

(230,112),

Torrevieja Torrevieja (; is a Mediterranean-seaside city and municipality on the Costa Blanca, in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, in southeastern Spain. The city is in one of the only Spanish-speaking areas of the Valencian Community. Tor ...

(101,792),

Orihuela Orihuela (; ''Corpus Toponímic Valencià''. Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. 2009, València.) is a city and municipality located at the foot of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. The c ...

(86,164),

Benidorm Benidorm ( , , ) is a municipality in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Known as the “New York City, New York of the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean”, Benidorm has been a tourist destinatio ...

(71,034),

Alcoy Alcoy (; ; officially: / ) is an industrial and university city, region and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 r ...

(61,552),

Elda Elda (; , ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. , it has a total population of 55,618 inhabitants, ranking as the 7th most populous city in the province. Elda joins together with the town of Petrer to form a ...

(55,168), and

San Vicente del Raspeig San Vicente del Raspeig (Spanish) or Sant Vicent del Raspeig (Valencian), or simply San Vicente / Sant Vicent, is a municipality located in the ''comarca'' of Alacantí, in the province of Alicante, Spain, inside the conurbation of Alicante city ...

(53,126).Relación de unidades poblacionales
Instituto Nacional de Estadística Alicante contains the largest ratio of foreigner population out of all Spanish provinces. A total of 446,368 foreigners are registered, representing a 23.6 percent of the total population.Uno de cada cuatro vecinos es extranjero en el 40% de los municipios alicantinos
May 16, 2009. Diario Información, provincial newspaper Out of 141 municipalities that make up the province, foreign population is above 25% in 54 municipalities, and above 50% in 19 of them. The latter include

San Fulgencio San Fulgencio is a village in the Provinces of Spain, province of Province of Alicante, Alicante and autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia, Spain. The municipality covers an area of and at the 2011 Census had a population of 9, ...

(80%),

Rojales Rojales is a village in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Pu ...

(74%), Benitatxell (69.8%),

Algorfa Algorfa () is a village in the Costa Blanca area of Spain, near the coast and surrounded by Mediterranean pine forest and citrus groves. Algorfa lies on the banks of the Segura river and is approximately ten minutes' drive to the nearest blue ...

(69.7%),

Llíber Llíber is a village in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain. The municipality covers an area of . Geography Llíber is a municipality of Comunidad Valenciana, Spain. It is located in the north-east of the Provin ...

(67%), Teulada (65.5%), Daya Vieja (64.4%); San Miguel de Salinas (64.3%),

Calp Calpe (; ) is a coastal municipality located in the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of and a population density of . The city lies at the foot of the ...

(62.8%),

Els Poblets Els Poblets (), also known as , is a municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is situated in the north of the province of Alicante. The population is 2,763 (INE 2023). Geography Els Poblets is located in a plain formed by alluvial so ...

(61.6%), Alcalalí (60.8%), Benijófar (58.5%),

L'Alfàs del Pi L'Alfàs del Pi (; ) is a Valencian town and municipality located in the ''comarca'' of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Spain, lying at the foot of Serra Gelada. L'Alfàs del Pi has an area of 19.3 km2 and, according to the 201 ...

(56.6%), Orba (55%),

Xàbia () or () is a coastal town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Valencia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. Situated on the side of the Montgó Massif, behind a wide bay and sheltered between two rocky ...

(54%),

(53.5%), Murla (52%), Fondó (51.7%), and

Benidoleig Benidoleig () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain. Benidoleig is located in the Girona Valley of the Marina Alta area in Spain's Costa Blanca The Costa Blanca (, ; , literally meaning "Whi ...

(50%). Out of the 50 provinces of Spain, Alicante is the only one with three

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

s: Alicante–Elche, Elda–Petrer and Benidorm, even though only one of them (Alicante–Elche) is ranked within the Spanish top ten metropolitan areas.El boom demográfico lleva a la provincia a ser la única con tres áreas metropolitanas
March 10, 2007. Diario Información, provincial newspaper It has an area of and a population density of 313.8 inhabitants/km².

Geography and climate

The province is mountainous, especially in the north and midwest, whereas it is mostly flat to the south, in the

Vega Baja del Segura Vega Baja del Segura (; Mapa temàtic comarcal de la Comunitat Valenciana, serie CV350. Institut Cartogràfic Valencià. 2022, Col·leccions AutonòmiquesPDF/ref> ), simply known locally and regionally as Vega Baja (in Spanish), is a ''comarca'' ...

area. The most elevated points in the province are Aitana (1,558 m),

Puig Campana Puig Campana (; ; literally translated in English language, English as "Bell Peak") is a mountain forming part of the Prebaetic System in the southeast of Spain. With an altitude of , it is the second-highest peak in the province of Alicante. ...

(1,410 m), Montcabrer (1,389 m), Carrascar de la Font Roja (1,354 m), Maigmó (1,296 m),

Serra de Crevillent The Serra de Crevillent () is a mountain range in the Baetic System, southern Spain. It spans the region of Murcia and the province of Alicante. The highest peak is Sant Gaietà at 835 metres, near the town of Crevillent. The Serra de Crevillen ...

(835 m) and El Montgó (753 m). All of these peaks are a part of the Subbaetic Range. The coast extends from the Cap de la Nau in the north and almost reaches the

Mar Menor Mar Menor (, "minor/smaller sea") is a coastal saltwater lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula located south-east of the Autonomous Community of Murcia, Spain, near Cartagena. Its name is the opposite of the Mediterranean, which is the (greater/lar ...

(Minor Sea) to the south. With regard to water sources, due to the dry rain regime there are no major rivers, but mostly ''ramblas'' (dry rivers), which fill in with water when torrential rains occur. The only remarkable streams are that of the

Vinalopó The Vinalopó is a small river flowing through the Province of Alicante, Alicante province, of Spain. It flows from north to south and, with a length of 81 km., it is the longest of the rivers which flows for its entire length within the l ...

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 p ...

and the

river Segura Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura. Course The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones ( province of Jaén), passes Calaspa ...

. Other minor seasonal creeks (some completely dried out in summer) are

Girona Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...

, Algar, Amadorio and Ebo. There are saline wetlands and marshlands along the coast such as '' El Fondo'' and former wetlands that are now

salt evaporation pond A salt evaporation pond is a shallow artificial salt pan designed to extract salts from sea water or other brines. The salt pans are shallow and expansive, allowing sunlight to penetrate and reach the seawater. Natural salt pans are formed thr ...

s in Santa Pola and Torrevieja. All of them are key

Ramsar Site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

coastal dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

are present in the

Guardamar Guardamar del Segura (), or briefly Guardamar, is a municipality of the province of Alicante located at the mouth of the river Segura in southern Valencia (autonomous community), Spain. It is a Mediterranean resort, with a large pine forest abut ...

area which were planted with thousands of pine trees during the 19th century in order to protect the ville from the dunes advancing, which has created now an area of remarkable ecologic value. The climate is strikingly diverse for its small area. There are three major climates: * The

semi-arid climate 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 se ...

predominates in most of the province, roughly going along the coastal plain from

La Vila Joiosa Villajoyosa (), in Valencian language, Valencian: (), meaning "The Joyful Town", and officially / , is a coastal town and municipality in the south of the Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the historic and administra ...

through the southernmost border (which includes the cities of Alicante, Elche, Orihuela and Torrevieja). Summers are very long, remarkably hot and dry, while winters are cool and mild. Its most prominent feature is a very scarce precipitation that typically amounts to below 300mm per year and take place mainly during the spring and autumn. The main reason for this lack of rain is the marked

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

effect caused by hills to the west of the Alicante province (and, to a lesser degree, those in the northern part, which in turn enhance the inverse

Orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...

effect around Cap de la Nau). :The predominant vegetation native to this part of the province is

Matorral 300px, Springtime in Santiago.html" ;"title="Chilean matorral a few kilometers north of Santiago">Chilean matorral a few kilometers north of Santiago along the Pan-American Highway Matorral is a Spanish language, Spanish word, along with ''tomil ...

Scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

s such as

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

esparto Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa, Spain and Portugal. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. '' Stipa tenacissima'' and '' Lygeum spar ...

rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers. It is a member of the sage family, Lamiaceae. The species is native to the Mediterranean r ...

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

and the like. *Proper

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

is present in the northeastern areas around Cap de la Nau, mostly to its North, in diminishing grades until disappearing slightly north of Benidorm. It roughly follows the coastal plain from the northern border of the province through the Benidorm area. The northern slopes of the mountains in the

Marina Alta Marina Alta (; ; lit. "Upper Marina") is a central comarques of the Valencian Community, central and coastal ''Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca'' of the autonomous community of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valen ...

comarca have a remarkably wetter

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...

with an average up to 900mm of rain due to the orographic lift. The precipitation in this area is an average of four times larger than in the

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 sem ...

South, with this big precipitation gap occurring in a matter of just . :The vegetation on this part of the province is an enriched version of the Matorral shrubland that contains Mediterranean pine woods. *The Alicante province has a mostly dry Mediterranean to

Continental Mediterranean climate Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

. These are the innermost parts of the province (e.g. Villena) and some closer to the sea at a higher elevation (e.g. Alcoy). Winters are cool to cold and a few days of snow are not unusual; summers are mild to hot and rains average a 500mm, slightly more evenly distributed through the year compared to the other areas. The innermost part of this domain is drier, while its mountainous part gets slightly higher precipitation figures which allows

Kermes Oak ''Quercus coccifera'', the kermes oak or commonly known as Palestine oak, is an oak shrub or tree in section '' Ilex'' of the genus. It has many synonyms, including ''Quercus calliprinos''. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern ...

woods to thrive, such as the ones in ''La Carrasqueta'' or in the Mariola range, both near Alcoy.

History and politics

The

Iberians The Iberians (, from , ''Iberes'') were an ancient people settled in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, at least from the 6th century BC. They are described in Greek and Roman sources (among others, by Hecataeus of Mil ...

were the oldest documented people living in what today is the Alicante province. Belonging to these there are several archaeologic sites from which is especially known the one in ''La Serreta'' (near Alcoy) because the longest inscriptions remaining in the undeciphered

Iberian language The Iberian language is the language of an indigenous western European people identified by Ancient Greece, Greek and ancient Rome, Roman sources who lived in the eastern and southeastern regions of the Iberian Peninsula in the pre-Migration Era ...

were found there. Along the coast and contemporarily to the Iberians, the seafaring

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

ns (in Guardamar) and

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

(along the coastal section to the north of the Alicante city) settled stable trading colonies and interacted with the former (see

Lady of Elche The ''Lady of Elche'' (, Valencian: ) is a limestone bust that was discovered in 1897, at ''La Alcudia'', an archaeological site on a private estate two kilometers south of Elche, Spain. It is now exhibited in the National Archaeological Mu ...

for the most renowned archeological piece of this period). After a brief

Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( ) usually refers to the civilisation of ancient Carthage. It may also refer to: * Punic people, the Semitic-speaking people of Carthage * Punic language The Punic language, also called Phoenicio-Punic or Carthaginian, i ...

period, the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

took over. Romanization in this part of Iberia was intense, the

Via Augusta The ''Via Augusta'' (also known as the ''Via Herculea'' or ''Via Exterior'') was the longest and busiest of the major roads built by the Romans in ancient Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). According to historian Pierre Sillières, who has supe ...

communicated this part of the Empire to the metropoli and so several cities thrived, from which the one known as ''Ilici Augusta'' (now Elche) even reached the status of colonia. After a brief period of

Visigothic The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the comman ...

ruling, the area was taken by Islamic armies and became a part of

Al Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

. From the 13th century, kings like

Ferdinand III of Castile Ferdinand III (; 1199/120130 May 1252), called the Saint (''el Santo''), was King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 as well as King of Galicia from 1231. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile. Through his ...

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( Catalan/Valencian: ''Jaume I or Jaume el Conqueridor''; Aragonese: ''Chaime I'' ''o Conqueridor''; ; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1 ...

Alfonso X of Castile Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...

James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Aragonese: ''Chaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just, was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He was also the King of Sicily (as James I) f ...

reconquered the cities that

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

occupied. What today is the Alicante province was initially split between the Crown of Castile and the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

by means of the

Treaty of Almizra The Treaty of Almizra (or Treaty of Almiçra) was the third of a series of three treaties between the Crown of Aragon and Crown of Castile meant to determine the limits of their expansion into Al-Andalus, Andalusia so as to prevent squabbling betw ...

, however later on the whole territory became under the control of the

Kingdom of Valencia The Kingdom of Valencia (; ; ), located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. The Kingdom of Valencia was formally created in 1238 when the Moorish taifa of Valencia was taken in ...

, which was a component Kingdom of the Crown of Aragon. Alicante contributes with 12 deputies in the

Spanish Parliament The (; ) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes. The Senate meets in the Palac ...

and with 36 deputies in the

Corts Valencianes The Corts Valencianes (), commonly known as ''Les Corts'' (), are the main legislative body of the Generalitat Valenciana and therefore of the Valencian Community. The main location of the Corts is in the Palace of the Borgias in Valencia, Spain ...

, the regional Parliament of the

Economy

The main industries in Alicante province are, in the primary sector,

intensive agriculture Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming (as opposed to extensive farming), conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of ...

, especially in the fertile Vega Baja del Segura, Camp d'Elx (Elche's countryside) and

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

s in the inner part of the province (Monforte, Novelda, Pinós), also near the coast in the Marina Alta area.

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

is important all along the coast, with important fishing harbours such as Santa Pola, Calp or Dénia. Industry has been historically important in the textile sector around Alcoy. Footwear still remains as the flagship industrial sector of the province, which occurs in Elche, Elda, Petrer and Villena, both

labour-intensive Labor intensity is the relative proportion of labor (compared to capital) used in any given process. Its inverse is capital intensity. Labor intensity is sometimes associated with agrarianism, while capital intensity is sometimes associated with in ...

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

and, specially, textile are at a low ebb due to harsh competition from fast pace growing economies in Asia. The traditionally important toys industry around the Ibi and Onil area is another one competing internationally with those same areas. A sector which has gained preeminence during the last 20 years is

marble quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their safety ...

ing and processing, it happens mostly in the Novelda and Pinós area. Still, what the province is known for is its massive tourism sector. The

Costa Blanca The Costa Blanca (, ; , literally meaning "White Coast") is over of Mediterranean coastline in the Alicante province of the Valencian Community, on the southeastern coast of Spain. It extends from the town of Dénia in the north, beyond which ...

's generally mild and sunny weather attracts millions of tourists from other European countries such as the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Norway or France and also from other parts in Spain like Madrid. Thousands of families from other places own a second home in the Alicante province which they use for their vacation time.

Gallery

File:Altea3.jpg, La Mare de Déu del Consol in

Altea Altea (, ) is a city and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain, on the section of Mediterranean coast called the Costa Blanca. At present, the economy of Altea is based on tourism, which started to grow in the 1950s because of ...

File:Montgó.jpg, Montgó massif from Cap de Sant Antoni,

File:Castillo de Denia.jpg, The Castle in

Dénia Dénia (; ) is a historical coastal city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia (city in Spain), Valencia, and the capital and judicial seat of the Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''c ...

File:CastMoraira01.jpg, The Castle in

Moraira Moraira () is a small upmarket Spanish coastal town, part of Teulada (also known as Teulada-Moraira) municipality, in the Marina Alta ''comarca'', 80 km north of Alicante and 100 km south of Valencia. The town is located adjacent to the ...

File:La vila joiosa.jpg, Beachfront in

Villajoyosa Villajoyosa (), in Valencian: (), meaning "The Joyful Town", and officially / , is a coastal town and municipality in the south of the Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the historic and administrative capital of Mar ...

File:Sonnenaufgang penon de ifach.jpg, View of the Ifach atoll in

File:Elche el palmeral.JPG, The

Palmeral of Elche The Palmeral or Palm Grove of Elche (; Valencian: ''Palmerar d'Elx'') is the generic name for a system of date palm orchards in the city of Elche, Spain. The Palmeral was planted in Roman times and underwent modifications in the medieval peri ...

File:Explanada de España Alicante 1.jpg, The Esplanade of Spain promenade in

File:Claustro catedral Orihuela.JPG, The Cathedral in

File:Pantano_de_Guadalest.jpg, The Guadalest Reservoir File:Aitana02.jpg, The Aitana, the highest peak of Alicante's

Prebaetic System The Prebaetic System ( or ''Sistema Prebético'', also often referred to simply as ''Prebético'') is a system of mountain ranges that forms the northeasternmost prolongation of the Baetic System in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Geography Alt ...

File:Maigmó vista Norte.jpg, The Maigmó Peak File:Vista de Penáguila.jpg,

Penàguila Penàguila (; ) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alcoià, Alicante, Valencia, Spain. Geography Located at the foot of the Sierra de Penàguila in Pre-Baetic Valencian domain, the municipality extends from Morro Ull (1050 m), west to th ...

in the ''comarca'' of

Alcoià Alcoià (; ) is a Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' in the Provinces of Spain, province of Alicante (province), Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities The ''comarca'' contains eight municipalities, listed below wi ...

File:Guadalest (Alicante).jpg, The tourist town of Guadalest File:BarrancSinc Alcoi.jpg, Barranc del Sinc in the Serra Mariola. File:Santuari fontroja.jpg, Font Roja shrine. File:Playa Paraíso, Villajoyosa, España, 2014-07-03, DD 01-02 PAN.JPG, Paradise Beach in

Traditional subdivisions

Traditionally, Alicante province is divided into nine ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) 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, mark ...

s'' or ''comarques'' (in

Valencian Valencian can refer to: * Something related to the Valencian Community ( Valencian Country) in Spain * Something related to the city of Valencia * Something related to the province of Valencia in Spain * Something related to the old Kingdom of ...

): *

Alacantí Alacantí (, ), also known in Spanish as and , is a ''Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca'' in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the ''comarques'' of Marina Baixa and Alcoià to the north, Baix Vinalopó to the south and ...

: 487,113 inhabitants (2019); its capital is Alicante/Alacant; services and tourism; highly urbanised ''comarca'';

Bonfires of Saint John The Bonfires of Saint John (, ) are a traditional and popular festival celebrated in the city of Alicante, Spain, from 19 to 24 June. The celebration ultimately stems from a tradition of bonfires for Saint John's Eve that can be found in many p ...

festival. *

: It is subdivided into two clearly differentiated ''subcomarcas'': ** Valls d'Alcoi or Valle de Alcoy: 66,459 inhabitants (2019); its capital is Alcoy/Alcoi; olive trees and textile industry; ''

Moros i Cristians ''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According ...

'' festivals. ** Foia de Castalla or Hoya de Castalla: 42,734 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

Castalla Castalla (; ) is a town located in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca of Alcoià, in the province of Alicante, Spain. Castalla is located in a mountainous area, 35 km from Alicante. Location Castalla Castle sits on a hill ove ...

; its most populous city is Ibi; industry of toys. *

Comtat Comtat (; ) is a ''comarca'' in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities The ''comarca'' is composed of 24 municipalities, listed below with their areas and populations: See also *Geography of Spain Spa ...

: 28,096 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

Cocentaina Cocentaina (; ) is a locality and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, comarca of Comtat, in the province of Alicante (province), Alicante, Spain. The village is located between the mountainous Serra d ...

; textile industry and agriculture. *

: 175,156 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

; it is the most rainy ''comarca''; tourism. *

Marina Baixa Marina Baixa (; ; lit. "Lower Marina") is a ''comarca'' in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the ''comarques'' of Comtat on the northwest, Marina Alta on the northeast, Alacantí and Alcoià on the west and the Mediterranean Sea ...

or Marina Baja: 188,623 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

; eminently tourist; beaches and mountains. *

or Baix Segura: 355,257 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

; its most populous city is

; agriculture and tourism. *

Alt Vinalopó Alt or ALT may refer to: Abbreviations for words * Alt account, an alternative online identity also known as a sock puppet account * Alternate character, in online gaming * Alternate route, type of highway designation * Alternating group, mathema ...

or Alto Vinalopó: 52,401 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

Villena Villena (; ) is a city in Spain, in the Valencian Community. It is located at the northwest part of Alicante (province), Alicante, and borders to the west with Castilla-La Mancha and Region of Murcia, Murcia, to the north with the province of Vale ...

; agriculture and footwear; ''

'' festivals. *

Vinalopó Mitjà Vinalopó Mitjà (; ; lit. "Middle Vinalopó") is a Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' in the Provinces of Spain, province of Alicante (province), Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities The ''comarca'' comprises elev ...

or Vinalopó Medio: 169,069 inhabitants (2019); its capital is

; footwear industry,

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

, wines and

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

s. *

Baix Vinalopó The Baix Vinalopó (, ; ; lit. "Lower Vinalopó") is a ''comarca'' in the province of Alicante (Valencian Community, Spain). It is bordered by the ''comarques'' of Vinalopó Mitjà and Alacantí on the north and Vega Baja del Segura on the south. ...

or Bajo Vinalopó: 293,775 inhabitants (2019); its capital is Elche/Elx; agriculture, footwear and carpet industry, tourism; '' Misteri d'Elx'' (Elche's Mystery) festival and services with Alicante–Elche Airport in the municipality of Elche/Elx.

Museums

Alcoy: * Archaeological Museum Camil Visedo * Museu Alcoià de la Festa * Firefighters Museum of Alcoy * Shelter of Cervantes Alicante: *

Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (Spanish: ''Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Alicante'', ''MACA'') is a municipal museum in Alicante, Spain. It exhibits 20th-century and contemporary art. Created in 1976 thanks to Eusebio Sempere, and reopene ...

* Archaeological Museum of Alicante *

Gravina Museum of Fine Arts Gravina Museum of Fine Arts (Spanish: ''Museo de Bellas Artes Gravina'', ''MUBAG'') is a museum in the city of Alicante, Spain, located in the Palacio del Conde de Lumiares, a four floor building constructed between 1748 and 1808 and declared a ...

Celebrations

Moors and Christians of Alcoy The Moors and Christians of Alcoy (in Valencian ''Moros i Cristians d'Alcoi'', in Spanish ''Moros y Cristianos de Alcoy'') is a popular festival which takes place in the city of Alcoy in the Spanish Province of Alicante, including the representa ...

* Mystery Play of Elche *

Moros y cristianos ''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According ...

Notes

References

External links

Excma. Diputación Provincial de Alicante
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alicante, Province of