Alhama de Murcia is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia. It is located in the north of the southern half of the region. The municipality shares borders with Librilla in its north, Murcia in its northeast, Fuente Álamo de Murcia in its east, Mazarrón in its south, Totana in its west and Mula in its northwest.[2]
Geography
Physical geography
The west of Sierra de Carrascoy mountain range occupies part of the east of Alhama de Murcia. Guadalentín River traverses the municipality from its south-west to its north-east. The territory is especially raised in the north-west, where some raised landforms occur and the south-eastern foot of Sierra Espuña mountain range occurs, and even the north-west end of Alhama de Murcia occupies the mountain range itself.[3]
Human geography
The inhabitants of the municipality are distributed in the following localities: Alhama de Murcia, which is located in the south-east of the north-west and is inhabited by 19,265 people; Las Cañadas, which is placed in the north-east and is populated by 903 people; La Costera, which occurs in the north-west and is home to 310 people; El Cañarico, which is located in the north-east end and is inhabited by 154 people; El Berro, which is placed in the north-west and its population consists of 140 and El Gebas, that is home to 24 people and occurs in the north-west.[4][5][6]
History
A defensive construction of the late Bronze Age has been found in the north of the municipality.[7][8] During the Roman Iberian Peninsula era, there was also presence of people in the current municipality and in the current town. The most remarkable remain of that era is the Roman thermal baths.[9]
There is also evidence of the presence of people in the Muslim Iberian Peninsula era. The most remarkable construction is the Castle of Alhama,[10] but there are other remains.[11]
19.22% inhabitants are foreigners – 4.7% come from other countries of Europe, 18.38 are African and 3.8% are American.[13] The table below shows the population trend during the 20th and the 21st centuries by the beginning of their decades.[14]
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1981
1991
2001
2011
Population
8,410
9,207
9,743
10,042
11,083
11,344
11,786
11,600
13,132
14,175
16,316
20,560
Economy
Agriculture is highly performed in the municipality. 34.2% of the territory is utilised for crop purposes.[15] The most widely grown products are the grapes, oranges, lettuces, and cauliflowers and broccoli.[16] 37.43% of the contracts corresponded to jobs in the agriculture sector and 50.86% were written for labourers.[17][18] 43.01% of the agreements were about service sector in 2018 and 17.56% about industry jobs.[17]
Facilities
Healthcare
There is a consultorio (a primary care centre with the fewest functions) in La Costera, another one in El Cañarico, and another one in El Berro. The main town hosts a centro de salud (a primary care centre).[19]
Education
Five early childhood and primary education centres (CEIP) and two secondary education centres (IES) can be found in the main town. There is also an early childhood and primary education centre in El Berro, another one in Venta de los Carrascos and another one in Los Ventorillos.[20]
Plaza Vieja Cultural Centre: it was built in the 18th century and was the town council from 1923 to 1986. Currently, the building serve as the municipal library and hosts the exhibition hall.[22]
Provisions market: it was built in 1928 and was designed by the architect Pedro Celdrán, an architect who designed several notable buildings in the Region of Murcia.[23]
Notable people
Braulia Cánovas (1920–1993) Spanish Republican who fought in French Resistance as "Monique" and survived Nazi concentration camps.
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