Murcia

The territory has been inhabited by humans since prehistory. People also lived in the current municipality during the Bronze and Iron Ages. During the late Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age, the occupancy of part of the current municipality was performed by the Argaric people. During the late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, the people who inhabited the current municipality were the Iberians. A remarkable site is a religious building, whose name is the De la Luz Iberian Sanctuary. There are traces of people presence during the Roman rule in the Iberian Peninsula era. A construction of the late Roman period in the Iberian Peninsula is a fortress, Castillo de los Garres, located in the south of the northern half of the municipality. …

Murcia is located near the center of a low-lying fertile plain known as the huerta (orchard or vineyard) of Murcia. The Segura River and its right-hand tributary, the Guadalentín, run through the area. The city has an elevation of 43 metres (141 ft) above sea level and its municipality covers approximately 882 square kilometres (341 sq mi). The best known and most dominant aspect of the municipal area's landscape is the orchard. In addition to the orchard and urban zones, the great expanse of the municipal area is made up of different landscapes: badlands, groves of Carrasco pine trees in the precoastal mountain ranges and, towards the south, a semi-steppe region. A large natural park, the Parque Regional de Carrascoy y el Valle, lies just to the south of the city. The Segura River crosses an alluvial plain (Vega Media del Segura), part of a Mediterranean pluvial system. …

Economically, Murcia predominantly acts as a centre for agriculture and tourism. 33.1% of the municipality is utilised with crops purposes. 35.3% of the agreements of 2019 were written for jobs in agriculture and fishing sectors and 9.84% workers had signed agreements for crop land labouring in the second half of 2016. 7.79% agreements corresponded to the industry sector in 2019 and 5.91% workers had signed agreements for industry labouring in the second half of 2016. 53.12% agreements corresponded to jobs of the service sector in 2019 and 14.26% workers had signed agreements for waiter jobs in the second half of 2016. The economy of Murcia is supported by fairs and congresses, museums, theatres, cinema, music, aquariums, restaurants, hotels, shopping centres, campings, sports, foreign students, and tourism.

The Cathedral of Murcia was built between 1394 and 1465 in the Castilian Gothic style. Its tower was completed in 1792 and shows a blend of architectural styles. The first two stories were built in the Renaissance style (1521–1546), while the third is Baroque. The bell pavilion exhibits both Rococo and Neoclassical influences. The main façade (1736–1754) is considered a masterpiece of the Spanish Baroque style. Other buildings in the square shared by the cathedral (Plaza Cardinal Belluga) are the colorful 'Bishop's Palace' (18th century) and a controversial extension to the town hall by Rafael Moneo (built in 1999). The Glorieta, which lies on the banks of the Segura River, has traditionally been the center of the town. It is a landscaped city square that was constructed during the 18th century. The ayuntamiento (city hall) of Murcia is located in this square. …

A national highway named A-30, which connects Cartagena and Albacete, traverses the municipality from south to north, A national motorway named A-7 also occurs in Murcia, specifically in its northwest. There is also a highway named MU-30, which connects Alcantarilla municipality and El Palmar district, so it occurs in the northwestern quarter of Murcia. 52 regional pavement lines also occur in the municipality. The RM-1 road, which is intended to connect Santomera and San Javier, takes place in the east and the RM-15 highway, which connects Alcantarilla and Cehegín, occupies part of the northwest. Region of Murcia International Airport (RMU) is located 20 km south from the city centre, in the suburban district of Corvera. The airport operates several international and domestic routes. It was opened on 15 January 2019. …

As of 2024, Murcia has 471,982 inhabitants making it the 7th-largest city in Spain. When adding in the municipalities of Alcantarilla, Alguazas, Beniel, Molina de Segura, Santomera, and Las Torres de Cotillas, the metropolitan area has 672,773 inhabitants making it the twelfth most populous metropolitan area in Spain as of 2020. Nevertheless, due to Murcia's large municipal territory, its population density (547 inhabitants/km2, 760 hab./sq.mi.) does not likewise rank among Spain's highest. As of 2024, the foreign-born population of the city is 76,853, equal to 16.3% of the total population, with 3.7% from the rest of Europe, 4.9% from Africa, 7.1% from the Americas and 0.6% from Asia. Murcia is one of the communities with the largest Romani population in Spain.