Axarquía
Comarca in Andalucía, Spain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Axarquía (Spanish pronunciation: [axaɾˈki.a]) is a comarca in the province of Málaga, Andalusia in southern Spain. It is the wedge-shaped area east of Málaga. Its name is traced back to Arabic الشرقية (aš-Šarqiyya, meaning "the eastern [region]").[1] It extends along the coast and inland. Its coastal towns make up the Costa del Sol Oriental - one of the sunniest places in mainland Spain with the average of 320 sunny days a year.[2] The natives of the region are called axárquicos.
Axarquía | |
|---|---|
Street in Frigiliana. | |
 Location of Axarquía in Andalusia, Spain | |
 Location of Axarquía in the province of Málaga | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Andalucía |
| Province | Málaga |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,023.6 km2 (395.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,066 m (6,778 ft) |
| Population (2023)[notes 1] | |
• Total | 228,556 |
| • Density | 223.29/km2 (578.31/sq mi) |
The comarca is composed of 31 municipalities, of which the capital is Vélez-Málaga. The Vélez, Algarrobo and Torrox rivers all run through the region. Its highest mountain is La Maroma, highest point of the Sierra de Tejeda, Penibaetic System.[3]
The Axarquía comarca is also known as Axarquía-Costa del Sol, for it includes the Costa del Sol Oriental sector of the Costa del Sol, east of Málaga city made up of Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Algarrobo, Torrox and Nerja municipal terms.[4] This comarca was established in 2003 by the Government of Andalusia.[5][6]
Etymology
The Dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy defines the word "jarquía" (xarquía in old Castilian) as "district or territory located east of a great city and dependent on it" and says that it proceeds from Arabic شرقية Šarqiyya, meaning "eastern part" or " eastern." It coincides with the region of Axarquia which lies in the east of Málaga. The Royal Academy, in its spelling of the Spanish Language, 1999 edition, explains that, in old Castilian, consonant fricative phoneme [[Voiceless velar fricative|⟨x⟩]] represented the palatal [ʃ] as in English sh sound, found in words like Axarquía, Don Quixote, Mexico, Texas etc.
Municipalities
The Axarquía comarca consists of the following municipalities:
| Arms | Municipality | Area (km²) | Population (2023)[notes 2][7] |
Density (/km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Alcaucín | 45.1 | 2,554 | 56.6 |
.svg) |
Alfarnate | 34.0 | 1,059 | 31.1 |
 |
Alfarnatejo | 20.4 | 380 | 18.6 |
 |
Algarrobo | 9.7 | 6,773 | 698.2 |
 |
Almáchar | 14.4 | 1,848 | 128.3 |
.svg) |
Árchez | 4.8 | 391 | 81.5 |
.svg) |
Arenas | 26.3 | 1,264 | 48.1 |
 |
Benamargosa | 12.1 | 1,557 | 128.7 |
.svg) |
Benamocarra | 5.7 | 3,079 | 540.2 |
.svg) |
El Borge | 24.4 | 925 | 37.9 |
 |
Canillas de Aceituno | 42.0 | 1,767 | 42.1 |
 |
Canillas de Albaida | 33.2 | 801 | 24.1 |
 |
Colmenar | 66.0 | 3,494 | 52.94 |
.svg) |
Comares | 25.5 | 1,339 | 52.51 |
.svg) |
Cómpeta | 54.2 | 3,875 | 71.5 |
 |
Cútar | 19.4 | 592 | 30.5 |
 |
Frigiliana | 40.5 | 3,322 | 82.0 |
 |
Iznate | 7.5 | 915 | 122.0 |
.svg) |
Macharaviaya | 7.2 | 523 | 72.6 |
 |
Moclinejo | 14.3 | 1,220 | 85.3 |
 |
Nerja | 85.1 | 21,913 | 257.5 |
.svg) |
Periana | 58.8 | 3,290 | 56.0 |
 |
Rincón de la Victoria | 28.5 | 51,300 | 1,800 |
 |
Riogordo | 40.0 | 2,795 | 69.9 |
 |
Salares | 10.3 | 187 | 18.2 |
.svg) |
Sayalonga | 18.3 | 1,647 | 90.0 |
.svg) |
Sedella | 31.6 | 611 | 19.3 |
.svg) |
Torrox | 50.0 | 20,932 | 418.6 |
.svg) |
Totalán | 9.2 | 767 | 83.4 |
 |
Vélez-Málaga | 157.9 | 85,377 | 540.7 |
.svg) |
Viñuela | 27.2 | 2,059 | 75.7 |
| Totals | 1,023.6 | 228,556 | 223.3 |
See also
Notes
- Estimate at 1 January 2023: National Statistics Institute (Spain)
- Estimate at 1 January 2023: National Statistics Institute (Spain)
