Alicante - Valencian Community
According to the 2005 census, Alicante ranks as the 5th most populous province in Spain, with 1,732,389 inhabitants. Cities
with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the province are Alicante (319,380 inhab.), Elche (215,137 inhab.), Torrevieja (84,348 inhab.), Orihuela (75,009 inhab.), Benidorm (67,492 inhab.), Alcoy (60,931 inhab.), and Elda (55,571 inhab.). It has an area of 5.863 km2.
The Capital - Alicante
Alicante is one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. Its economy is based upon tourism in the beaches from Costa Blanca coast, wine production, services and administration. It exports wine, olive oil, and fruit, and has light industries, including food-processing, leather, textiles, and pottery. turrones (torrons in Catalan) ”honey and almond nougatâ”is a food specialty of Alicante.
The city has regular ferry services to the Balearic Islands, and an international airport is nearby. It is strongly fortified, with a spacious harbor. Amongst the most notable features of the city is its castle, the "Castillo de Santa Barbara", which sits high above the city upon a cliff. The most important festival, the Bonfires of Saint John, takes place at the time of the summer solstice.
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