Valencian Community - Provinces

Provinces

Traditionally the land is divided into comarques, and in 1833 was, along with the rest of Spain, divided into provinces according to a decree from minister Javier de Burgos. There are 32 comarques, and three provinces: Castellón/Castelló, Valencia/València, and Alicante/Alacant (names in Spanish/Valencian).

Here is a list of some of the largest cities.

• Valencia (Valencian: València), population 796,549, capital of the province of the same name, on the river Turia. Famous festival of the Falles on March 19.
• Alicante (Valencian: Alacant), population 319,380, capital of the province of the same name, in the Mediterranean coast. Famous for its hard nougat or turrón duro (Valencian: torró dur) and Postiguet, Albufereta and Sant Joan Beaches. The famous festival of the Bonfires of Saint John is in June. Its city hall and the Santa Barbara Castle are historic monuments.
• Elche (Valencian: Elx), population 215,137, famous for the wood of the palm tree called Palmeral, and for the Misteri d'Elx, two-day festival of singing and street drama that acts out the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, declared by UNESCO as part of all humankind's oral heritage.
• Castellón de la Plana (Valencian: Castelló de la Plana), population 167,455, capital of the province of Castellón.
• Torrevieja, population 84,348, in the south, important tourist center with many hotels, apartments and tourist accommodations; includes La Mata Beach.
• Gandia (Spanish: Gandía), population 77,943, is another important tourist center, situated on the Costa del Azahar.
• Orihuela, population 75,009, on the Segura River, historic city with palaces, churches and the Cathedral, a highly productive area for farm products such as oranges, lemons and the like.
• Benidorm, population 67,492, a major holiday resort, dubbed Beniyork because of its many skyscrapers, including Spain's tallest, the 52-story Gran Hotel Bali.
• Alcoy (Valencian: Alcoi), population 60,590, an important industrial area for textile products, with characteristical 19th century modernist buildings and with the best known Moors and Christians festivities.
• Elda, population 55,571, important production center for shoes and wine in the Vinalopo area.
• Villena, population 35.000, important production of shoes and wine, with many historical and monumental visits. Also, fiestas of Moros y Cristianos, one of the most important in the Community, with the highest participation.
• Vila-real (Spanish: Villarreal), population 46,696, important producer of ceramics and brick.