Report on Spain and the Tourist Attractions of Murcia

Detailed in this summary portfolio is brief information of Spain including, government, population, regions and language, spoken in Spain. Then the region of “Murcia” is also briefly informed on including: events and fiestas, gastronomy, culture, tourism and attractions of this a beautifull, idyllic, charming region that is full of history, which is relatively unspoiled. “Murcia remained a relatively unspoilt” (no date, www.top-tour-of-spain.com/Region-of-Murcia.html)

(Asia travel. (2009) [online image] Available from: www.asiatravel.com/spain/map.html [accessed 20th July 2010])

Government

Type: Constitutional monarchy (Monarqua constitucional)

Branches: Executive–president of government nominated by monarch.

Ruler: King Juan Carlos I (1975)

Prime Minister: Jos Luis Rodrguez Zapatero (2004)

Land area: 192,819 sq mi (499,401 sq km)

Total area: 194,896 sq mi (504,782 sq km) 1

Monetary unit: Euro (formerly peseta)

(Iberian. (2005) [online image] available from: www.iberianature.com/…/category/environment/ [accesses 19 July 2010])

Population (poblacin)

Population (2010 est.): 40,548,753

City

Population

Madrid City Area

3,093,000

Barcelona City Area

1,583,256

Valencia

736,000

Sevilla

695,000

Zaragoza

601,000

Mlaga

542,000

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

354,000

Bilbao

351,000

Murcia

350,000

Valladolid

317,000

Crdoba

307,000

Palma de Mallorca

302,000

Vigo

287,000

Alicante

272,000

Gijn

264,000

Hospital et de Llobregat

255,000

Granada

242,000

La Corua

241,000

Vitoria-Gasteiz

215,000

Badalona

210,000

Santa Cruzde (Tenerife)

203,000

Oviedo

199,000

Mstoles

196,000

Elche

191,000

Sabadell

186,000

Santander

183,000

Jrez de la Frontera

182,000

San Sebastin

177,000

Legans

175,000

Almera

170,000

Cartagena

170,000

Tarrasa

164,000

Alcalde Henares

163,000

Fuenlabrada

163,000

Pamplona

163,000

Burgos

162,000

Salamanca

158,000

Albacete

146,000

Len

144,000

Getafe

143,000

Alcorcn

141,000

Cdiz

141,000

Huelva

140,000

Castelln de la Plana

136,000

Badajoz

124,000

Logroo

124,000

Santa Coloma de Gramanet

123,000

La Laguna

122,000

Lleida

111,000

Tarragona

111,000

(commons. (2010) [online image] available from: commons.wikimedia.org [accessed 18 July 29010])

Regions.

Murcia

MURCIA is characterized by its commerce and agriculture. Is one of the major tourist interests on the Mediterranean coast, with The salt-water lagoon Mar Menor and La Manga del Mar Menor. On the inland, you could visit towns, which still preserve their medieval structures.

Spanish regions broken down: (las regions espaolas analiza)

(Just tour Spain. (2009) [online image] available from: justtourspain.com [accessed 23 July 2010]) “Regions of Spain count 17 in number” (no date, www.mapsofworld.com.) The region of Murcia’s location:

(Holland properties. (2008)[online image] available from 🙁 www.hollandandhollandproperties.com/spain_map…[accessed 20th July 2010])

Language

La mayor parte de la poblacin de Espaa habla castellano (Most of the people of Spain speak Castilian). Catalan is spoken in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Valencia region, Gallego is spoken in Galicia and Basque is spoken in the Basque country.

Languages of Spain shown in a pie chart:

(Selil. (2009) [online image] available from: selil.com [accessed 23 July 2010])

Map showing languages spoken in Spain by location:

(Mapney, (2010) [online image] Available from: mapsof.net/…/png/languages-of-Spain [accessed 23 July 2010])

Events and fiesta’s

JANUARY

San Pedro del Pinitar

5th the eve of Los Reyes Magos.

Aledo

6th celebrates the Three Wise men pilgrimage. “Aguilas 6th January they celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise men with a procession lead by a young girl who is representing the Star in the East. She leads the neighbours to the birth of Jesus” (no date, www.murcia-tourist-information.co.uk/…fiestas/index.shtml)

5th Three Kings Cavalcade procession

6th Fiesta in El Garrobillo

Caravacca

Fiesta de las Cuadrillas de Barranda

FEBUARY

Aguillas

Aguilas Carnival

MARCH

Los Alcazares

Las Incursiones Berberiscas starting in 2000 this fiesta is full of music, dance, games a medieval market and more

APRIL

Totana

25th The Fiesta de San

MAY

Caravacca de la Cruz

Fiestas de la Santsima y Vera Cruz in Caravacca. A week of festivities.

JULY

San Javier

The month of July celebrates with a Jazz Festival at San Javier.

Cartagena

16th local sailors honour their patroness La Virgen del Carmen.

AUGUST

Aguilas

the month is a fiesta in Aguilas

Los Alcazares

weeklong Fiesta

Jumilla

Fiestas de la Vendimia.

La Union

Festival del Cante de las Minas.

SEPTEMBER

Cartagena

Late September. The Carthaginians & Romans Fiesta

Calasparra

Second week in September the Romera de la Santsima Virgen de la Esperanza

DECEMBER

Totana

December 8, 9 and 10

Aguilas

8th Fiesta in El Garrobillo

25th Traditional Christmas Fiesta in La Cuesta de Gos

28th Fiesta in El Garrobillo

Festival del Cante de las Minas:

((2008) [online image] Available from: www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event. [Accessed 12 July 2010])

GASTRONOMY

Murcia’s gastronomy is based on the excellent fruit, vegetables and garden produce provided by its fertile fields. “Gastronomy in Murcia is as rich in shades as in the raw materials” (no date, www.elitecarmurcia.com/murcia_guide/murcia_gastronomy.htm). raw materials are used to make stews and typical dishes such as ratatouille, chickpea and Swiss chard stew. As an accompaniment, you can choose from any of Murcia’s Designation of Origin standard wines Bullas, Yecla and Jumilla.

Murcia Events and Fiestas:

(Spanish fiestas. (2009) [online image] available from: www.spanish-fiestas.com/murcia/tourism.htm Accessed 11 July 2010))

CULTURE

Murcia is renowned for its history and rich cultural heritage. “The Murcia Region with a rich historical and cultural heritage” (no date, www.coastalvalleyhideaways.co.uk/Riquelme/HRArea.htm) One of the local ports is Cartagena, which has a Roman amphitheatre. Murcia enhances the visibility of intangible cultural heritage, promoting dialogue among cultures and testifying to human creativity. It is recognized by the residents of Murcia that their intangible cultural heritage, sustaining their being and ensuring them continuity, hence they pass it on from generation to generation.

(Trip advisor. (2007) [online image] Available from: tripadvisor.com [accessed 14 July 2010])

TOURISM

The Murcia region is little known even within Spain, maybe that is the reason why it continues to be relatively unspoilt. Its more than 300 sunny days a year with an average temperature of 21 degrees, and the 250 km (156 miles) of beaches of the so-called Costa Clida (Warm Coast) have attracted tourists for decades. Although little known, Murcia is being promoted as a cultural destination, in which are included several tourist dynamic projects. Murcia is one of the Spanish autonomous communities that have grown the most in the last years, and it has conferred it the character of an ideal destination of services, shopping and for the organization of cultural events and conventions.

Tourism climate of Europe, showing that Spain’s tourism is mostly adequate:

(Peseta. (2010) [online image] Available from: peseta.jrc.ec.europa.eu/docs/Tourism.html [Accessed 22 July 2010])

ATTRACTIONS

* Murcia: the capital city offers the facilities, equipment and services of a large city. Murcia’s sights include a very tall belfry and its famous Cathedral. It has more than 2 million km2 of parks and gardens. Murcia has a rich history tied to the Jewish community.

* Cartagena: is the region’s second largest city and one of the main Spanish naval bases. Sights include its recently restored Roman Theatre, a number of modernist buildings made or its military fortifications

* Lorca: is a large medieval town at the foothills of where its famous castle stands,” castle of Lorca which still stands proud” (no date, condadodealhamaservices.com/blog/tag/lorca/).

* Caravaca de la Cruz: or simply Caravaca, is one of the five official Holy cities for Catholicism since it is claimed to house of part of the Lignum Crucis, the Holy Cross.

Price index per region showing that Murcia has a low price index encouraging spends in the region as well as their attractions:

(Spanish insight. (2010) [online image] Available from: www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/ [Accessed 23 July 2010])

CONCLUSION

A brief conclusion follows on the region of “Murcia” in the first instance. “Murcia” can be clearly seen from this summary portfolio, to be an up and coming unspoilt region of Spain that has much culture and is being promoted this way. There tourism, attractions base them self’s around the regions deep, rich history. It can be seen that as well as their history, their agriculture, gastronomy is also rich with history. The history and culture “Murcia” has, one word seems to describe this region as a whole, the word being rich because everything about this idyllic region. ‘Region rica del beautifull’, rich in history agriculture, tourism, appeal, ‘ricos en el ojo, rico en la piel’ (rich on the eye, rich on the skin), heritage, attractions and above a; culture, all of which flourishes with ambiance, like the very country Spain. Were the: ‘la culture functional a travs de las venas Del pas’ (culture runs through the veins of the country)

REFENCES

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commons. (2010) [online image] available from: commons.wikimedia.org [accessed 18 July 29010]

Holland properties. (2008)[online image] available from : www.hollandandhollandproperties.com/spain_map…[accessed 20th July 2010]

Iberian. (2005) [online image] available from: www.iberianature.com/…/category/environment/ [accesses 19 July 2010]

Just tour Spain. (2009) [online image] available from: justtourspain.com [accessed 23 July 2010] “

Mapney, (2010) [online image] Available from: mapsof.net/…/png/languages-of-Spain [accessed 23 July 2010]

Selil. (2009) [online image] available from: selil.com [accessed 23 July 2010])

Peseta. (2010) [online image] Available from: peseta.jrc.ec.europa.eu/docs/Tourism.html [Accessed 22 July 2010]

Spanish insight. (2010) [online image] Available from: www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/ [Accessed 23 July 2010]

Spanish fiestas. (2009) [online image] available from: www.spanish-fiestas.com/murcia/tourism.htm [Accessed 11 July 2010]

Trip advisor. (2007) [online image] Available from: tripadvisor.com [accessed 14 July 2010]

no date, condadodealhamaservices.com/blog/tag/lorca/

no date, www.coastalvalleyhideaways.co.uk/Riquelme/HRArea.htm)

no date, www.elitecarmurcia.com/murcia_guide/murcia_gastronomy.htm

no date, www.murcia-tourist-information.co.uk/…fiestas/index.shtml)

date, www.top-tour-of-spain.com/Region-of-Murcia.html

(2008) [online image] Available from: www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event. [Accessed 12 July 2010]