Andalusia, known to many as "the bridge between two continents", "the gateway to Europe", "a melting pot of cultures" or "a meeting point of two seas" fits perfectly within any of these definitions.

A direct link between Europe and Africa, and the place where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean, Andalusia has been fought over by numerous cultures since the earliest times of civilization, being one of the areas of settlement of our prehistoric ancestors.

Andalusia covers 17.3% of Spanish territory, 87,268 km² in total, making it the largest single region, with an area greater than countries such as Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland.

In Andalusia, contrasts are the norm. The diversity of the landscapes which make up the region provides an entire spectrum: from the warm Guadalquivir valley, to leafy low mountain areas, from volcanic landscapes such as the Tabernas Desert to the white peaks of Sierra Nevada.

Andalusia´s main river, the Guadalquivir, from the Arabic, meaning "Great River", together with its tributary, the Genil, forms a fertile valley which constitutes the fundamental geographical axis of Andalusia. From its beginnings in eastern Andalusia, in the Sierra de Cazorla, to its outlet into the sea in the west, next to the marshes of Doñana National Park, the Guadalquivir is a source of life all along its journey across Andalusian territory.

Numerous tributaries, springing from the mountain areas along its banks, pour the excess water from the reservoirs in Sierra Morena or the Betico Mountains into the Guadalquivir. Such water takes on an important role in regulating the water supply, not only for human consumption, but also in the case of heavy rains and the consequent river floods.

Despite the importance of the Guadalquivir, fifty per cent of the region is mountainous. A third of the territory stands above 600 metres, with many high plains areas, and there are 46 peaks above 1000 metres.

The queen of heights is undoubtedly the Sierra Nevada, in the heart of the Penibético System, where summits above 3,400 m, such as el Mulhacén and el Veleta, preside majestically over the rest of the nearby ranges.

Within forty kilometres it is possible to travel from this alpine landscape to the tropical shores of the Mediterranean. The Andalusian coast, almost 900 km long, is home to a large number of towns and beaches, the delight of those who visit them. In recent years, Andalusia has made great efforts to improve the quality of its coastal area to suit the increasingly demanding tourist market.

Within this diverse landscape live more than seven million inhabitants, spread out among the diverse habitats which abound. The majority live in the big cities - the eight provincial capitals (Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Seville) and Jerez de la Frontera head the list with regards to population growth - while many others prefer to live in towns, small mountain villages, country estates and farmsteads.

This collection of environments forms a blend of tourist offers, which range from the monumental glory of the big towns to the traditional nature of small villages, a continual source of inspiration for all types of artists.

Nowadays, Andalusia is a modern community, equipped with a great infrastructure that knows how to welcome its visitors, and which, despite being conscious of moving with the times, takes great pains to maintain its roots and to look after its important cultural and monumental patrimony.

Andalusia has also made a great effort to back sports, not only due to the growing interest among its people for this healthy way of caring for the body, but also in response to the importance that sport has amongst the visitors to this community. Apart from the great variety of sporting events held in this region, ranging from the most simple to high-level sports events, there are always world class competitions on the horizon to keep hopes high for the future.

It is possible that the Neolithic revolution, the discovery of agriculture, and the evolution from nomadic to sedentary civilization came to Europe from Africa via what is known today as Andalusia. This influence was completed, with the passage of time, with the transition from East to West, from the Mediterranean World to the Atlantic Universe, which began with the discovery of metals and the arrival by sea of the eastern colonists. This combination of the earth´s fertility with metallurgy and seamanship gave rise to the Tartesos phenomenon, the mysterious lost civilization which inhabited the southern Iberian peninsula from the Bronze Age onwards.

The earliest known monarchy in Western Europe, Tartesos was an agricultural, cattle-raising civilization which exploited mines and worked gold. Its ships traded with England and Britanny in the West and the Phoenicians in the East.

Tartesos was the first and most magnificent result of a complex geographical location between two seas and two continents. Rome realized that these lands were an open door to the threat of Carthage. Its legions appeared for the first time during the III century B.C. This exuberant province, known as Bética, formed part of the great civilized world for seven centuries and provided the empire´s first metals, wines, wheat, philosophers, writers, and the first two emperors born outside the Italian peninsula: Trajan and Hadrian. Other settlements appeared in the North. The Vandals descended from the other side of the Rhine, arriving in the year 411 A.D. and settling in the Guadalquivir valley and Northern Africa. They united the two coasts for more than half a century. Before being expelled by the Visigoths, they gave a new name to this tip of Europe: Vandalusia.

Following their arrival in the year 711, the Moslems began a prodigious stay in the region. The caliphate of Cordoba was the most sophisticated state in Europe. For eight centuries, the Arabs enlightened the area with agricultural techniques, botanical and scientific knowledge, poetry and intellectual development.

The Caliphate´s political breakdown was used by the Christian kingdoms in the north of the peninsula to accelerate their Reconquista, or Reconquest. Cordoba fell in 1236 and Seville in 1248. The last stronghold, the Kingdom of Granada, was conquered by the Catholic monarchs in 1492. In the same year, Columbus sailed from the Andalusian port of Palos, in Huelva, to discover America.

The world´s economic and political center of gravity had been displaced. One Andalusian city took advantage of this crucial moment in history and went on to enjoy 150 glorious years, becoming "the beating heart of Europe". Seville was the nerve center of the Spanish empire. Silver and gold, brought to its harbours by ships arriving from America, was coined and distributed throughout Europe. Cádiz later continued Andalusia´s dominance of trade with the Indies. The Andalusian town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda was the starting and finishing point of the First Circumnavigation of the World.

Later, romantic travellers would recall the splendors of the past, with the aid of archaeological remains, ruined towers, and patios hidden within old houses and palaces. They gave rise to the allegorical figures of Carmen, the typical Spanish woman, Don Juan, generous highway robbers, brave bullfighters, and the exotic allure of the eastern expansionists, an image perceived by foreign eyes which still persists to this day.

Andalusia´s recent history tells of a 19th century plagued by political upheaval. It all began with the War of Independence and the first ratification of the Spanish Constitution, at the Court of Cádiz, in 1812. Attempts at modernization and industrialization, the massive exploitation of mineral resources, and the spectacular increase in exports of wine and olive oil were the most notable events within an economy which preferred to remain anchored to its agricultural roots.

The 20th century began with the goal of regeneration and was soon imbued with the optimism of the twenties. However, the persistence of social instability gave way to the Civil War of 1936 and its aftermath. After the remarkable economic and social transformation of the sixties and seventies, democracy returned to Andalusia once again and it was declared an Autonomous Region in 1981. The Junta de Andalucía was created as its highest governing body, and its parliament became the supreme instrument of representation for a population of approximately seven million inhabitants.

Tourism in Andalusia