Cádiz 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 ...

of southern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, in the southwestern part of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

. It is the southernmost part of mainland Spain, as well as the southernmost part of continental

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. It is bordered by the Spanish provinces of Huelva,

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, and

Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...

, as well as the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

, 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 ...

, the Strait of Gibraltar and the

British overseas territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. Its area is . Its capital is the city of

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

, which has a population of 114,244. As of 2021, the largest city is Jerez de la Frontera with 212,801 inhabitants. Algeciras, which surpassed

with 122,982 inhabitants, is the second most populated city. The entire province had a population of 1,245,960 (as of 2021), of whom about 600,000 live in the Bay of Cádiz area (including Jerez), making it the third most populous province in Andalusia. Its population density is 167.93 per square kilometre.

Political and traditional subdivisions (comarcas)

The province encompasses 44

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

; besides its capital, other important cities are Jerez and Algeciras. (See the list of municipalities in Cádiz.) According to a roster developed by the Council of Tourism and Sport of Andalusia on 27 March 2003, there are officially six traditional or touristic '' comarcas'' (provincial areas or counties) in the Province of Cádiz: * Bahía de Cádiz (Bay of Cádiz) * Campiña de Jerez (Countryside of Jerez) * Campo de Gibraltar (Countryside of Gibraltar) * Bajo Guadalquivir (Lower Guadalquivir, or Northwest Coast, Costa Noroeste) * La Janda * Sierra de Cádiz (Cádiz Mountains)

Bay of Cádiz (Bahía de Cádiz)

This area comprises towns and cities on the shores of the Bay of Cádiz on the west-central coast of the province: *

* Chiclana *

El Puerto de Santa María El Puerto de Santa María (), locally known as El Puerto and historically in English as Port Saint Mary, is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. , the c ...

* Puerto Real * San Fernando Image:San Fernando - Panteón de Marinos Ilustres.JPG, Panteón de Marinos Ilustres Image:Plaza de Toros de El Puerto de Santa María 1.JPG, The bullring at El Puerto Image:cadizcathedral.jpg, The cathedral at Cádiz Image:Islote de Sancti Petri desde la playa de Chiclana.jpg, Sancti Petri beach

Campiña de Jerez (Countryside of Jerez)

This fertile area only includes two municipalities, both large in area: * Jerez de la Frontera * San José del Valle Image:Alcázar Jerez.JPG, Octagonal tower in the Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera Image:Lustau 003An2019.jpg, A sherry solera Image:Catedral de Jerez de la Frontera.jpg, Cathedral of Jerez de la Frontera Image:ACaballoFeriaJerez2007.jpg, Horse Riding at Fair of Jerez de la Frontera

Campo de Gibraltar (Countryside of Gibraltar)

The towns that extend into the rural hinterlands north of Gibraltar are: * Algeciras * Jimena de la Frontera * Castellar de la Frontera * San Roque *

La Línea de la Concepción La Línea de la Concepción (), often referred to simply as La Línea, is a municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. The city lies on the sandy isthmus which is part of the eastern flank of ...

* Los Barrios * Tarifa Image:View_of_La_Línea_de_la_Concepción,_from_the_Rock_of_Gibraltar.jpg, View of La Línea from the Rock of Gibraltar Image:Plazaaltaalgeciras2.jpg, High plaza at Algeciras Image:Capilla_de_Europa_en_Algeciras_(España).jpg, Chapel of Our Lady of Europe Image:Hozgarganta.jpg, Hozgarganta river

Bajo Guadalquivir (Northwest Coast; also called Costa Noroeste)

The towns of this area called the ''"Bajo Guadalquivir"'' (lower Guadalquivir valley), are: * Chipiona * Rota * Sanlúcar de Barrameda * Trebujena Image:Sanlucar barrameda castillo santiago2.jpg, The castle of Santiago in Sanlúcar de Barrameda Image:Sanlucar barrameda salinas.jpg, Salt mine at Sanlúcar Image:sanlucar_barrameda_las_covachas_vista_gral.jpg, Las Covachas Image:Sanlucar_barrameda_carcel_consevatorio.jpg, La Cárcel (now a conservatory)

La Janda

Towns included in La Janda, an area in the southwestern part of the province, are: * Alcalá de los Gazules * Barbate * Benalup-Casas Viejas * Conil de la Frontera * Medina Sidonia * Paterna de Rivera * Vejer de la Frontera Image:Medina-Sidonia Marktplatz.jpg, Casa Consistorial, Medina Sidonia Image:Pinien La Brena2004.jpg, La Breña Image:Vejer gen view.jpg, Vejer de la Frontera Image:PNBarbate2.jpg, Beaches

Sierra de Cádiz (Cádiz Mountains)

Towns included in the Cádiz Mountains area, in the northeastern part of the province, include: * Alcalá del Valle * Algar * Algodonales * Arcos de la Frontera * Benaocaz * Bornos * El Bosque * El Gastor * Espera * Grazalema * Olvera * Prado del Rey * Puerto Serrano * Setenil de las Bodegas * Torre Alháquime * Ubrique * Villaluenga del Rosario * Villamartín * Zahara de la Sierra Image:Setenil_vista_%286%29.JPG, Setenil Image:Alcazaba and Town (1).jpg, Zahara de la Sierra Image:Vulture beak sideview A.jpg, Griffon vultures are common in Alcalá del Valle Image:GrazalemaDesdeEndrinal.jpg, Grazalema from Endrinal mountains

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:1400 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: 405 text: 405,388 bar:1887 from:0 till: 410 text: 410,426 bar:1900 from:0 till: 437 text: 436,994 bar:1910 from:0 till: 447 text: 447,056 bar:1920 from:0 till: 514 text: 514,257 bar:1930 from:0 till: 512 text: 511,591 bar:1940 from:0 till: 590 text: 590,211 bar:1950 from:0 till: 693 text: 693,267 bar:1960 from:0 till: 813 text: 812,680 bar:1970 from:0 till: 879 text: 878,602 bar:1980 from:0 till: 988 text: 988,388 bar:1990 from:0 till:1078 text:1,078,404 bar:2000 from:0 till:1116 text:1,116,491 bar:2010 from:0 till:1245 text:1,244,732 bar:2020 from:0 till:1244 text:1,244,049 TextData= pos:(35,20) fontsize:M text:"Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE"

Climate

The entire province of Cádiz has a

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 ...

, mostly

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Csa'' but also ''Csb'' in high altitude areas. Large differences in summer temperatures exist between the three official stations in

, Jerez, and Tarifa depending on position relative to the coastline. Tarifa is exceptionally mild for such a southerly place in Spain, meanwhile winter temperatures are mild throughout the province with less difference between localities than in summer. Average yearly rainfall is in Cádiz, in Jerez, and in Tarifa. This is comparable to much cloudier climates further north in Europe, in spite of the high number of sunshine hours in the province. The Cádiz region is also much wetter than the arid Almería province further east in Andalusia.

Economy

In 2014 the unemployment rate was 42%, the highest in the country. The main industry is

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, mainly from non-coastal Spanish cities,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and the UK. Its once-important shipbuilding industry ( Astilleros) is now in crisis due to competition from

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. There are factories of

Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...

and

Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct and the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient Classical antiquity, classical world. The A ...

. It also exports sherry as well as alimentary products.

Primary sector

* Sherry production * John Harvey & Sons in Jerez de la Frontera * Gonzalez Byass * Olive groves * Fishing Ports, as in Cádiz and Algeciras. * Cork products from the Alcornocales cork-oak forests

Major industrial facilities

* Navantia *

* CASA *

* Ford *

Cepsa Moeve, formerly known as Cepsa, (, "Spanish petroleum company, S.A.") is a Spanish multinational integrated energy and petroleum company headquartered at Torre Cepsa in the Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid. As of 2024, Moeve produced ...

* Lufthansa CityLine * Endesa * Acerinox

Tourism

Beaches

The province of Cádiz has many kilometres of beaches and (as of 2005) the highest number o
Blue Flags
of all coastal provinces in

. Some of these beaches are relatively wild and far from big urban areas. One of the attractions of the area is its contrast to the mass tourism on the

Mediterranean 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 ...

coast. There are extensive nature reserves in the region and the unspoilt feel of the area is heightened by the presence of wild animals including cows and horses on many stretches of beach. The Costa de la Luz has traditionally been a popular destination for Spaniards wanting to enjoy the beach while avoiding the stifling heat of the Mediterranean Coast, although until recently this largely unspoilt Atlantic coastline was little known to foreign visitors. One of the factors that brought the region to the attention of foreign holidaymakers was the growing realisation that its Southern reaches are one of the world's best locations for wind sports. Tarifa, located on the Strait of Gibraltar at the southernmost point of mainland Europe, has become Europe's foremost kitesurfing destination due to the area'
unique wind phenomena
reliably sunny summer weather and the variety of beaches at locations such as Los Canos de Meca, Bolonia, Punta Paloma and, most famously, Playa de Los Lances where in the summer months you will often see over 1,000 kites in the air. The local economy has benefited significantly from the wind sport explosion: there are more than 50 kite schools in Tarifa and hundreds of shops, bars and hotels serving the many thousands of kitesurfers who visit every year. Playa-de-los-Lances-Graykite-Tarifa

Notable beaches: * Playa La Barrosa in Chiclana de la Frontera * Playa La Victoria in

* Playa de Levante in

* Playa de Bolonia in Tarifa * Playa de Camposoto in San Fernando * Los Canos de Meca * Playa de Los Lances in Tarifa

Culture

* Carnival of Cádiz * Feria de Jerez * Semana Santa in all municipalities of the Province *

Horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

in Sanlúcar de Barrameda * Circuito Permanente de Jerez * White Towns of Andalusia * Ruta del Toro

Nature

Doñana National Park

Doñana National Park is one of two national parks in the autonomous community of

. A small area of the park extends into Cádiz Province, just north of Sanlucar de Barrameda and on the south bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. This area is primarily marismas. The public have access to a recreational area and a short walking trail. There is no direct access to the bulk of the park that lies on the north bank of the river in the provinces of Seville and Huelva.

Natural parks

= Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park

= :100 km², located at the mouth of the Guadalete river, consists of marshland, beaches, reed and sand dunes. :Bird watching. Sailing, windsurfing, hiking. :(Ocean) Pine. Many types of shrubs and bushes. :Gannet solan goose, stork, cormorant, great crested grebe, (sea)gull, flamingo, tern, sea eagle, avocet.

= La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park

= :37.97 km², high cliff rock formations covered by pine trees. :Bird watching, archeological and botanical excursions, diving, windsurfing, sailing, hiking. :Strandpine, black juniper tree, black spruce, juniper, small palm tree, rosemary. :Herring gull, chaffinch, greenfinch, cattle egret, little egret, crested tit, woodpecker, kestrel, peregrine falcon.

= La Doñana Natural Park

= :This natural park is shared by three provinces, Cádiz, Huelva and Seville. It is an area to the east and northeast of the national park. :Home of the Iberian lynx, a protected species.

= Los Alcornocales Natural Park

= :Information center in Alcalá de los Gazules; visitors centers in Algeciras and Cortes de la Frontera (Málaga). :1,700.25 km² in area. :Low mountain range, densely covered by cork oak trees ("Alcornoques"). :Bird watching, archeological and botanical excursions, hiking, mountainbiking, speleology. :Cork oak, olive tree, gall oak, pink rock rose, small palm tree, alder, rhododendron, holly, bracken (fern), cherry tree, laurel. :Sparrow hawk, short-toed snake eagle, booted eagle, goshawk, eagle owl, tawny owl, culture, kestrel, peregrine falcon, wild boar, deer, weasel, (sea)otter, wildcat, mongoose.

= Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park

= :Administration in El Bosque; visitors' center in El Bosque. :516.95 km² in area. :Limestone formation, transformed to ravines, declines and caves. Large colonies of Spanish fir ("pinsapo"). :Bird watching, archeological and botanical excursions. :Hiking, climbing, mountainbiking, speleology, paragliding. :Spanish fir, cork oak, holm oak, gall oak, carob, oleaster. :Imperial eagle, golden eagle, fish hawk, vulture, Egyptian vulture, mountain goat, deer, mongoose, (sea)otter, fox.

= Straits of Gibraltar Natural Park

= :Is the most meridional national park of Europe. :Its location at the southernmost point of mainland Spain, and of mainland Europe, at the point where the

and the

meet in the Strait of Gibraltar, places it on the migratory route for many birds.

Natural reserves

::There are eight natural reserves in the province: Complejo Endorreico de Chiclana, Complejo Endorreico de Espera, Complejo Endorreico de Puerto Real, Complejo Endorreico del Puerto de Santa María, Laguna de Medina, Lagunas de las Canteras y el Tejón, Laguna de la Paja, and Peñón de Zaframagón (which straddles the border with the province of Seville.)

Natural sites

::There are seven natural sites in the province: Cola del Embalse de Arcos, Cola del Embalse de Bornos, Estuario del Río Guadiaro, Isla del Trocadero, Marismas de Sancti Petri, Marismas del Río Palmones, and Playa de Los Lances. Parques Periurbanos: Pinares y Dunas de San Antón La Suara La Barrosa

Natural monuments

::There are five natural monuments in the province: Corrales de Rota, Duna de Bolonia, Punta del Boquerón, Tómbolo de Trafalgar, and Escarpes del Río Trejo en Setenil.

Transportation

Roads

* Autovía A-4 * Autovía A-7 * Autovía A-381 * N-340 * Autovía A-48

Airports

* Jerez Airport

Railroads

* Cádiz-Seville Line * Cercanías Cádiz * Algeciras-Granada Line

Ports

* Port of Algeciras * Port of Cádiz The main ways to enter the province are by road from Seville or Malaga and by the Jerez Airport.

Notable sports teams

Football

* Cádiz CF in

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...

. ( LFP) * Real Balompédica Linense in the

Segunda División B Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...

. * CD San Fernando in the

. * Algeciras CF in the Tercera División. * Racing Club Portuense in the Tercera División. * Xerez CD in the Tercera División.

Rugby Union

* CR Atlético Portuense in the División de Honor B de Rugby.

Notes and references

External links

Grazalema Natural Park tourist information in Spanish, English, French and German

Excma. Diputación Provincial de Cádiz

Official Website of Tourism in the Province of CádizLibro de Estilo de Canal Sur (anexo 4, pg. 417, comarcas andaluzas)
Listado comarcal definido por la Consejería de Turismo y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía. *
Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park
*
Del Estrecho Natural Park
*
Doñana Natural Park
*
La Breña y Marismas del Barbate Natural Park
*
Los Alcornocales Natural Park
*
Grazalema Natural Park

bajoguadalquivir.org

Google Maps satellite view

YasHan Gallery
More photos of Cádiz. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cadiz, Province of Provinces of Andalusia