Almeria

Almeria, a province and capital town in Spain. The province, carved out of the kingdom of Granada, has an area of 3,300 square miles. Its seaboard was once the haunt of pirates. The interior is mountainous, but the valleys produce quantities of grapes, sugar, and maize, and the uplands pasture large herds of cattle. There are mines of copper, iron, silver, and mercury. The City of Almeria (Partus Magnus or Murgis) is situated on the spacious bay of that name. The streets are narrow, displaying many specimens of Moorish architecture, but there are several fine squares. Under the Moors Almeria was very rich and important, and after the fall of the Caliphate of Cordova was the capital of a small kingdom. It passed into Christian hands in 1143. The trade is principally in barilla, lead, and esparto.