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Home > Travel Spain > Spain Destinations > Lorca
Lorca
Spain, also known as Kingdom of Spain, is one of the oldest inhabited regions on the planet. It is a country which is located in Southern Europe, and politically organized as a parliamentary monarchy. It is the largest sovereign nation of the three nations that make up the Iberian Peninsula. Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 provinces, grouped into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities with a high degree of autonomy. The name Spain comes from the Latin name Hispania whose capital is Madrid which is also the largest city of the Country.
Lorca is a city in southeast Spain, in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 84,245. Lorca is one of the most extensive municipalities in Spain with an area of 1,676 square kilometers. The region around Lorca was already inhabited by the Iberians during the Bronze Age. Lorca was probably called Eliocroca by the Romans and Lurka by the Arabs. During the Reconquista, Lorca was a dangerous border town, caught between the Spanish kingdom of Castile and the Moorish kingdom of Granada.
During the 18th century, a number of baroque churches were built in Lorca. From the 19th century onwards, religious processions or marches have been taking place during the Holy Week every year. The processions in Lorca are unique for their atmosphere, a blend of gaiety and devotion. Roman soldiers and quadrigas take turns with baroque statues of saints and with amateur actors playing Cleopatra, Nero, the devil and other biblical and historical characters. After most of the land and water supplies had been held for centuries by a minority of landowners and by Roman Catholic religious orders, Lorca began a period of sluggish economic growth during the 1960s.
Still today, its economy is largely based on agriculture and stockbreeding especially pigs, although its service industries make it the commercial capital of the surrounding area. In recent years, Lorca has experienced a population growth because of peasant immigration, mostly coming from Ecuador and Morocco.
Lorca, justifiably so, enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers and is one of the most visited place. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origins back to prehistoric times.
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