Бадахос провинциясы: географиясы, халқы және тарихы

Province of Spain

The province of Badajoz (lang es baðaˈxoθ; província de Badajoz ) is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres in the north, Toledo, Ciudad Real in the east, Córdoba in the south east, Seville, and Huelva in the south and Portugal in the west. With an area of , it is the largest province in Spain. with a population density in 2018 of 31.07 inhabitants/km2, below the national average (91.13 inhabitants/km2). It is the twenty third most populated province in the country, just behind Toledo. It exceeds in almost 280 000 inhabitants to Cáceres (396 487), the other Extremaduran province. 22.26% of its inhabitants live in the city of Badajoz, which, with a population of 150702 (INE 2019), stands out as the most populated urban centre in the province. The next city by population is Mérida, which with 59335 inhabitants (INE 2019), is home to 8.81% of the province's total population.

The population in the province of Badajoz has been characterized by a constant growth until the 1960s, when a strong exodus towards more prosperous areas of the country began, mainly Catalonia and Madrid, reducing the population by almost 200 000 inhabitants in a matter of 20 years. Since the 1980s the population has stagnated below 700 000, with a slight growth until 2010, when the trend is again reversed and the province loses population again. If we observe the trend by municipalities, we can see how the municipalities located in the mountains to the east and south of the province are constantly losing population while those located near the population centres of Badajoz, Mérida, Don Benito or Almendralejo are growing. Some of the popular tourist destinations of the province include Badajoz, Fregenal de la Sierra, Jerez de los Caballeros, Llerena, Mérida, Olivenza, Alange, Alburquerque and Almendralejo. The popular dishes include hare, partridge and various pork products. Cornalvo Nature Reserve, the ancient structure of Roman Theatre in Mérida, National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Alcazaba City Wall and Ibn Marwan Monument and Espantaperros Tower of Badajoz Fortress are popular tourist spots. The National Museum of Roman Art was designed in 1980 by architect José Rafael Moneo Vallés and completed in 1985. The architect designed the museum to have a Roman feel and look. Romans used to control present day Spain, also known as the Iberian Peninsula, in the years following their arrival around 295 BC. Today, Mérida has the greatest number of noteworthy Roman buildings still surviving. It is also famous on an archaeological basis. The museum exhibits remnants of Roman infrastructure and dwellings, including those showing Christian influences like a basilica, and tombs. Inspiration for the National Museum of Roman Art dates back to 1838, when the city located the museum in a church, Santa Clara.