The province's population is 795,902 (2018), about one fifth of whom live in the capital,Tarragona. Some of the larger cities and towns in Tarragona province includeReus,Salou,El Vendrell,Tortosa,Valls,Amposta. This province has 183 municipalities. The province includes severalWorld Heritage Sites and is a popular tourist destination. There areRoman Catholic cathedrals in Tarragona and Tortosa.
After theUmayyad conquest of Hispania in the late eighth century, this part of Spain came under the control of theUmayyad Caliphate and most of the Iberian peninsula was known asAl-Andalus, and was dominated by Muslim rulers.Abd al-Rahman I founded an independent dynasty that survived in the region until the 11th century.
After the Muslim conquest, the bishopric of Tarragona came under the jurisdiction of the metropolitans of Narbonne or Auch in southern France. In 1089, this was reorganised, and it came under the jurisdiction of the bishopric of Vich, and in 1118, after Tarragona had been reconquered, theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Tarragona was established.[1]
The province of Tarragona is in the northeast of Spain with a coast on theMediterranean Sea. Much of the province is hilly or mountainous and the main feature is the broad valley of theRiver Ebro and the coastal plain which is backed by the Catalan ranges. In general, industrial development is on the coast and inland is predominantly forest and agricultural land. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the southeast of the province, theprovince of Barcelona lies to the northeast,Lleida lies to the north,Zaragoza to the northwest,Teruel to the west andCastellón to the southwest.[2] The climate is Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters.[3]
The area of the province is 6,500 square kilometres (2,500 sq mi). The main crops are cereals, grapes, fruit, olives, hemp, and silk. The province has some mineral resources; copper, lead and silver are found and limestone and marble are quarried.[4] Quarrying for aggregate has caused groundwater levels to fall and the environment has been adversely affected by the arrival ofinvasive species such as thezebra mussel in theRiba-roja d'Ebre reservoir on the Ebro, the invasive fishGambusia in the Ebro delta and chemical contamination in theFlix reservoir beside which is a chemical works and a hydro-electric plant.[3]
As well as the port city of Tarragona, the province has much to offer for the tourist. There are Catalan villages to visit, historic sites, sandy beaches, rocky shores, crags, rivers and woodlands and several wildlife reserves.[5] The area has been publicised under theCosta Daurada (golden coast) brand.[6]
The city of Tarragona may have been founded by thePhoenicians and was a major city in Roman times that they calledTarraco. There are many archaeological remains from that period but little remains of the second centuryamphitheatre; after the collapse of theWestern Roman Empire, the abandoned structure was quarried to provide stone for building. TheLes Ferreres Aqueduct dates from the same period and has survived intact.[7] It was built to supply water to the ancient city and is part of theArchaeological Ensemble of Tarraco which has been listed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 2000.[7][8] The city also houses acathedral, dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, which combines Romanesque and Gothic architectural features.[9] There are also many historic churches and convents.
The Costa Daurada is served byReus Airport which receives tourist traffic from passengers journeying to the beach resorts of Salou and Cambrils as well as those travelling to Barcelona. It is a destination of low-cost flights providerRyanair, and planes fly to Reus from many different European and North African locations. The province also has good road and rail links to Barcelona and southwards toValencia,Murcia andAndalusia along the coastal strip, andhigh-speed rail services from Tarragona toMadrid started in 2008.
There are several monasteries in the province that can be visited by following the "Cistercian Monastery Route". The best known is the Cistercian monastery ofPoblet in thecomarca ofConca de Barberà, which is aUNESCO World Heritage site. Other monasteries on the route include theSantes Creus, in the municipality ofAiguamúrcia, andVallbona de les Monges.[6]
Other attractions of the province include the food and wine. The "Penedès Wine and Cava Route" is a tourist trail offering wine-related activities. There are also festivals celebrating local fare, where local gastronomic specialities are eaten, includingcalçots (grilled spring onions) inValls, andXató a sauce served with fish or anendive salad.[6]
The only airport in the province isReus Airport which provides direct routes to some European destinations. However,Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport is also frequently used by air travellers from the province which provides more domestic and international destinations. The airport is located 86 km (53 mi) which is an hour drive south west of Tarragona.
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