The Costa Almeria is one of the lesser known Mediterranean coastal areas in
Spain. It is situated in the southeast corner of the Iberian Peninsula and has its capital of the same name.
Each kilometre is a discovery for those who visit the South-East Spain for the first time. More people each year are discovering the beaches, the sun and the natural beauty of this area. Immaculate beaches and magic landscapes of adventure are only a part of it's fascination.
Famous natives of Almería include Nicolás Salmerón, who in 1873 was the third president of the First Spanish Republic, and several musicians, like the popular
folk singer Manolo Escobar, reputed Flamenco guitar player José Tomás
" Tomatito " or Grammy Award winner David Bisbal, record-breaker album seller
in America and Spain.
Almería has been chosen to host the Mediterranean Games in 2005.
Weather
Almeria enjoys a warm and dry Mediterranean climate, with very little rain. The
sun shines for about three thousand hours in the year and temperatures
throughout the year are mild reaching no lower than an average of 11º C in
winter, and no more than an average of 25º C in summer. This results in an
annual mean temperature of about 20º C.
Population / demographics
The province of Almeria has a population of some 604,903 with Almeria city a population of 176,338 (2003).
The Province covers an area of 8,770km2 and has many geographic contrasts, including high mountains with extensive plains, long beaches with small coves and desert areas as well as a very varied vegetation.
Local Industry
Marble and stone extraction, public services, especially tourism-oriented and most importantly agriculture with all its related industries including plastic greenhouse farming, extensively covering east and west coastlines. This makes up one of the richest agricultural regions in Europe. It is known as " Europe's market garden ", and Almería's greenhouse farming model has been largely copied and studied by scientists from all continents. Not surprisingly, top multinational companies from
all around the world have set their seed laboratories and subsidiary industries in Almería.
Education
International Schools on the Costa Almeria are mostly student language schools. The choice between an " international " education and the Spanish state system is
a matter of personal taste. The ages of the children may be a factor to consider. Children attending a local state school will be taught totally in Castilian Spanish,
or the local dialect (e.g. Valencian).
Therefore younger children find it much easier to adapt to being thrust into the system than those approaching or within the secondary school age. In areas where there are many foreigners it is likely that there will be other English-speaking children in local state schools who will help translate.
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