Andalucia Spain |
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Andalucia is an autonomous community of Spain, and its coasts are bathed by both the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans. It borders Extremadura and Castile-La Mancha in the north, Murcia and the Mediterranean Sea in the east, and it is also the most populous and the second largest, in terms of land area, of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. The region is divided into eight provinces: Seville, Jaen, Cordoba, Huelva, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria, and its capital and largest city is Seville. Andalucia is traditionally an agricultural area, but the service sector now predominates. Since the Industrial Revolution, Andalucia has been an economically poor region in comparison with the rest of Spain. The region has, however, a rich culture and a strong cultural identity.  
As of 2008 Andalucia has six public airports, all of which can legally handle international flights and the Malaga Airport is dominant. The main ports are Algeciras for freight and container traffic and Malaga for cruise ships. The traditional architecture of Andalucia retains its Roman and Arab roots, with a marked Mediterranean character strongly conditioned by the climate. Andalucia also preserves an important industrial patrimony related to various economic activities. Besides the architecture of the cities, there is also much outstanding rural architecture: houses, as well as ranch and farm buildings.  
The oldest bullring still in use in Andalucia Spain is the neoclassical Plaza de toros in Ronda, built in 1784. The Andalucian Autonomous Government sponsors the Rutas de Andalucia taurina, a touristic route through the region centered on bullfighting. The Andalucian festivals provide a showcase for popular arts and traditional costume. Among the most famous of these are the Seville Fair or Feria de Abril in Seville. Festivals of a religious nature are a deep Andalucian tradition and are met with great popular fervor. An annual pilgrimage brings a million visitors to the Hermitage of El Rocio in Almonte, similarly large crowds visit the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Cabeza in Andujar every April. The summers in Andalucia are very hot while the winters are short. The rainfall except in autumn is low, (less than 700mm), not counting specific areas such as Grazalema sierra, Aracena sierra, the Sierra Nevada and La Sagra massif. The climate in these areas changes depending on the altitude and proximity to the coast, where temperatures are milder than inland. The average temperatures vary between 16ºC and 18ºC and decrease at altitude.
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