Murcia is a Spanish city and municipality, capital of the Region of Murcia. It is the center of the Huerta de Murcia region and its metropolitan area. It is located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, on the banks of the Segura River, in the so-called Murcian pre-coastal depression, 40 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. With 460,349 inhabitants (INE 2021), it is the seventh most populous municipality in Spain.
The urban area of ​​the city (or metropolitan area), although not officially established, would comprise some ten municipalities in the Region of Murcia, with a population of 672,773 inhabitants in 2020, spread over a total area of ​​1,230.92 km², with a population density of 547 inhabitants/km². In this way, the urban area of ​​Murcia would occupy 10th place in the list of metropolitan areas in Spain.
It is an important service center in which the tertiary sector has replaced its former condition of agricultural exporter par excellence, thanks to its famous and fertile orchard, for which it was known as the "Orchard of Europe". Among its most outstanding industries are food, textiles, chemicals, distillation and the manufacture of furniture and construction materials, many of them located in the West Industrial Estate, considered one of the largest on the peninsula ( shared with the municipality of Alcantarilla).
It is also an important center with a great university tradition since the first university was founded in 1272. It is currently the headquarters of two universities: the public University of Murcia and the private Universidad Católica San Antonio, with around 50,000 students.
Of uncertain origins, there is evidence that it was founded in the year 825 by order of Abderramán II, probably on a previous settlement of Roman origin. During the Middle Ages, Murcia became the capital of the Cora de Tudmir, later it was the head of different taifa kingdoms of increasing importance in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries and between 1243-1266 it was incorporated into the Crown of Castile as Capital of the Kingdom of Murcia, being also a city with a vote in courts and episcopal seat since 1291.
Of its historical-artistic heritage, its famous Cathedral stands out, with a Baroque façade and mainly Gothic interior, the famous Casino, with sumptuous interiors; the dense sculptural heritage of Francisco Salzillo, and a large group of baroque buildings. In the cultural field, it is known for its rich folklore, especially colorful during the Spring Festival and the Holy Week processions, declared of International Tourist Interest. The Council of Good Men of the Huerta de Murcia, an example of a customary court of irrigators of the Spanish Mediterranean, has been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.