Almeria is a port city in the
Andalusia region of Southern
Spain, located on the Mediterranean Gulf of Almería. This region is considered to be the driest region in the entire Europe. To the Romans Almeria is known as Portus Magnus and to the Moors it is known as Al-Mariyah. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II and Isabella I captured Almeria in 1489. Some of the historical landmarks located in Almeria include the Gothic Cathedral that was built in the form of a fortress, the bishop’s palace and seminary in the Moorish Alcazaba, and ruined Castillo de San Cristóbal.
It has a Moroccan rather than a European appearance due to the architecture and brightness. Almeria has a mild and sunny climate which allows for swimming year round and it claims to be the resort centre of the Costa de Almería. Filmmakers began to appear in 1960 which prompted the growth of Almeria's airport facilities and the construction of the motels in the area.
The industrial activities of Almeria include metalworking, canning and salting of fish, refining of oil and sulfur, and manufacture of chemicals. It also has a major cement complex. The port of Almeria, which is sheltered and modern, is especially busy between August and December because of the export of oranges and grapes. They also have a ferry service to the Spanish exclave of Melilla which is located on the coast of Moroccan. As of 2007 Almeria had a population of 186,651 people.
