Province of Castellón
| Castelló Castelló / Castellón | ||
|---|---|---|
| Province | ||
| ||
 Map of Spain with Castelló highlighted | ||
| Coordinates: 40°10′N 0°10′W / 40.167°N 0.167°WCoordinates: 40°10′N 0°10′W / 40.167°N 0.167°W | ||
| Country | Spain | |
| Autonomous community | Valencian Community | |
| Capital | Castellón de la Plana | |
| Government | ||
| • President | Javier Moliner Gargallo (PPCV) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6,679 km2 (2,579 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | Ranked 38th | |
| Population (2014) | ||
| • Total | 587,508 | |
| • Rank | Ranked 28th | |
| • Density | 88/km2 (230/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Castellonense | |
| Official language(s) | Spanish and Valencian | |
| Parliament | Cortes Generales | |
| Website | Provincial website | |
Castellón (Spanish: [kasteˈʎon]) or Castelló (Valencian: [kasteˈʎo]) is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east.[1] The western side of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area.
Geography
Castellón's capital is Castellón de la Plana (Valencian: Castelló de la Plana). The province had a population of 501,237 in 2002, 30% of whom were residing in the capital, 60% in its metropolitan area, and 85% along the coastline. As of 2012, the population had since grown to 604,564 people.[2] The province, and in particular its idle large airport, has become a symbol of the wasteful spending and corruption prior to the Spanish financial crisis.
It is a bilingual territory whose inhabitants speak both Spanish and the local co-official language of Valencian/Catalan. Although Spanish and Catalan are closely related comprehension is limited: the language is a 'bridge' between Western Iberian and Gallo-Italian. There are marked distinctions in vocabulary and grammar which puts Catalan closer to Occitan in southern France and Italian (in frequently used words) which make it difficult for a monolingual speaker of Spanish to understand. Usage is a source of some controversy and political but not to the degree as in Catalonia.
Other major cities of the province include Villarreal, Borriana, La Vall d'Uixó and Vinaròs. There are 135 municipalities in Castellón; see List of municipalities in Castellón.
Castellón is the home of Penyagolosa, the highest mountain of the province.
Economy
Traditionally, the economy of Castellón has been focused on the production of citrus and vegetables (Nules and Benicarló). Since the 17th century, Castellón has developed an important ceramic and ceramic tile industry (Onda, L'Alcora, Nules, Castellón de la Plana and Villarreal) and nowadays most of the Spanish tile producers are concentrated in the province. Also, furniture (Benicarló and Vinaròs) and chemical industries (Benicarló and Castellón) are present. There is a large oil refinery in Castellón de la Plana.
Traditional industries such as shoe and footwear (La Vall d'Uixó), fishing (Castellón, Vinaròs) and textiles (Vilafranca and Morella), have given way to a service-based economy due to the increasing importance of tourism in the economy of the province.
Tourism
The Province of Castellón has varied landscapes and heritage that supports a growing tourist industry. The largest seaside and beach resorts include Benicàssim, Oropesa del Mar, Vinaròs, Burriana, Peniscola, Benicarló, etc. There are opportunities for rural tourism in the interior, as well as monumental towns like Morella, Sant Mateu, Segorbe, mineral springs at Montanejos, Benassal, Catí, etc.
More that 50% of the hotel beds are concentrated in Peniscola, which is the third most popular tourist destination in the Valencian Community after Benidorm and Valencia.
Comarques
The province is historically subdivided into the following comarques:
Notes and references
External links
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Castellón (province). |
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