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Palmeral of Elche

Agriculture in SpainBien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of AlicanteDate palm orchardsElcheGardens in Spain
Geography of the Province of AlicanteWorld Heritage Sites in Spain
Arcoiris en el Palmeral de Elche
Arcoiris en el Palmeral de Elche

The Palmeral or Palm Grove of Elche (Spanish: Palmeral de Elche; Valencian: Palmerar d'Elx) is the generic name for a system of date palm orchards in the city of Elche, Spain. The Palmeral was planted in Roman times and underwent modifications in the medieval period under Islamic and Christian rulers. The Roman empire introduced water management techniques to Elche, but the 10th c. Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba and later rulers of Al-Andalus planted palm groves and garden-estates in huertos (rectangular base agricultural units). Islamic rulers also constructed the largest canal system sections in Elche. In the 13th century Christian rulers conquered Elche and expanded the canal system. Industrialization and urban sprawl contracted the Palmeral in the late 19th and 20th century. The Spanish national government and Valencian regional government enacted legislation to protect the Palm Grove. In 2000, UNESCO designated the Palmeral a World Heritage Site, but climate change, pests, and disease threaten the site. The Palmeral includes a National Artistic Garden, Palm Grove Museum, Route of El Palmeral, and Municipal Park.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Palmeral of Elche (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Palmeral of Elche
avinguda Alcalde Vicente Quiles, Elx / Elche Porfirio Pascual

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

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N 38.27 ° E -0.698 °
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Address

avinguda Alcalde Vicente Quiles
03271 Elx / Elche, Porfirio Pascual
Valencian Community, Spain
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Arcoiris en el Palmeral de Elche
Arcoiris en el Palmeral de Elche
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Baix Vinalopó
Baix Vinalopó

The Baix Vinalopó (Spanish: Bajo Vinalopó, lit. "Lower Vinalopó") is a comarca in the province of Alicante (Valencian Community, Spain). It is bordered by the comarques of Vinalopó Mitjà and Alacantí on the north and Vega Baja del Segura on the south. Its capital is the city of Elche/Elx, with a population of 232,517 in 2019. The other major towns in the comarca are Crevillent/Crevillente and Santa Pola. Vinalopó river flows through this comarca giving its name to it, even though nowadays is just a tiny stream more than a proper river. The territory is mostly flat except for some of the last ranges belonging to the Baetic System which appear here near the border with the neighbouring comarcas Vinalopó Mitjà, following a general southwest-northeast trend. The highest peaks are found in the Serra de Crevillent (Sierra de Crevillente), a mountain range close to Crevillent/Crevillente, being its highest the Sant Gaietà with its 816 metres, a local hiking attraction. Its climate is dry, with scarce rainfalls—below the Mediterranean climate threshold—which happen mostly in Autumn and Spring amounting an average of 250–300 mm per year and showing relatively warm mean temperatures. Among the herbaceous species, esparto and shrub deserve to be mentioned due to their industrial value in the past. Some important natural places are the swamps in the lower part of the comarca known as El Fondo Natural Park and the Salines de Santa Pola Natural Park, both Ramsar sites. The comarca is highly industrial, especially in its capital, Elche, and also in the town of Crevillent/Crevillente. Agriculture is also an important activity in the area. In the coastline around Santa Pola the main activity is tourism, fisheries and sea salt.