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Its area is 8,769 km². Its population is 546,498 (2002) with a density of 62.32/km². It contains 102 municipalities.
Europe's only desert is found in Almerķa, as is part of the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada (in the Sierra Nevada mountain range), which it shares with Granada province.The desert landscape and climate that characterises part of the province have made it an ideal setting for Western films, especially during the 1960s. Because of the demand for these locations, quite a number of Western towns were built near the Desert of Tabernas. Films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars were shot here.
The most important economic activity is greenhouse farming. Millions of tons of vegetables are exported to Europe and other parts of the world each year. Tourism is also a key sector of the economy, due to the sunny weather and attractive areas such as Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce, Almerimar, Vera or Cabo de Gata.
The German-Spanish Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory is one of the most important observatories of Spain. France's MichelinThe French company Michelin is primarily a tyre manufacturer. It invented the radial design used by nearly all modern tyres. Michelin also publishes a popular series of road maps and travel guides. Michelin is based in the town of Clermont-Ferrand in the tire operates a research center in Cabo de Gata and in Tabernas there is a solar energy research center ( PSA).
The principle river is Rio Andarax (Andarax River), which is located near Granada in the Alpujarras. The Beninar presure, which is located near to Darrical, gives part of the water needed in the production in greenhouses.
During the taifaThe term taifa in the history of Iberia refers to an Islamic independent city-state, region or kingdom, formed in Al-Andalus after the collapse of the Umayyad caliphate or Cordoba. There are two periods of taifas. Taifa kings competed among themselves, no era, it was ruled by the Slavic Banu al-Amiri from 1012Events Mael Morda starts a rebellion against Brian Boru in Ireland, which would eventually end in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. Sulayman is restored as Umayyad caliph of Cordoba, succeeding Hisham II. Benedict VIII becomes pope. Gregory is antipope. to 1038Events Births Deaths Aethelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury Alhazen, Arabian mathematician August 15 Saint Stephen I, first king of Hungary 1038., briefly annexed by ValenciaThis article is about the original city in Spain called "Valencia". For other uses of the name, see Valencia (disambiguation). Valencia ( Spanish: Valencia /ba'lenθja/; Valencian: Valencia /v'lεnsj/) is a medium-sized port city (the third la ( 1038Events Births Deaths Aethelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury Alhazen, Arabian mathematician August 15 Saint Stephen I, first king of Hungary 1038.- 1041Events December 10 Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V. Births Deaths December 10 Michael IV, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire 1041.), then given by Zaragoza to the Banu SumadihThe Banu Sumadih were an Islamic dynasty that ruled Almeria in Spain in the 11th century, subordinate to Zaragoza, until it was conquered by the Almoravids. Their last emir fled to the Hammadid king al-Mansur, who gave him command of Dellys in Algeria. dynasty until its conquest by the Almoravids in 1091. Some centuries later, it became part of the kingdom of Granada.