The Murcia reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Murcia

Murcia is a city in southeastern Spain, the capital of the Autonomous Community of Murcia.

• Lat: 37 59 00 N degrees min Lat: 37.983 degrees decim.
• Long: 001 08 00 W degrees min. Long: -1.133 degrees decim.

Murcia is a major producer of fruits, vegetables, and flowers for Spain and the rest of Europe. Excellent wineries have developed near the towns of Bullas, Yecla, and Jumilla. Murcia is a warm, arid region and has relied for centuries on extensive irrigation. Water is supplied by the Segura River (el Río Segura), which is, unfortunately, one of the most polluted rivers in Europe.

Roman Catholic Holy Week in the city of Murcia is famous throughout Spain. Life-sized sculptures by Francisco Salzillo (Murcia, 1707-1783) are taken out of museums and carried around the city in elegant processions full of flowers and, at night, candles. These finely detailed sculptures portray events leading up to and including the Crucifixion. Murcia is also known for its beautiful, handmade Nativity figurines.

The Spanish spoken in Murcia is quite different from other areas of Spain. "Murciano" tends to eliminate many syllable-final consonants and to emphasize regional vocabulary, much of which is derived from old Arabic words. Some Murcian countryfolk still speak a separate dialect, called Panocho, which is virtually unintelligible to speakers of proper Castilian Spanish.

Murcia has also home to the largest university in southeast Spain, the Universidad de Murcia.

On-line editions of local newspapers are available. See La Opinión and La Verdad.

See also: San Javier-Murcia Airport.

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