Comarcas of Region of Murcia

There is not consensus and agreement in the demarkation of the comarcas of the region and some of them varies largely depending on the comarcas proposal. According to La Verdad newspapers’ Region of Murcia Atlas, there are three main divisions corresponding to three different authors.

Most agreed comarcas

The following comarcas are the most agreed in regards to its size and demarcation. They are accepted to be in a same way by most authors or their changes depending the versions are minor.

Altiplano

It is located in the north and is 1,580 km2 in area. It includes the municipalities of Yecla and Jumilla. In regards to landforms, what are present mainly in the area are mountain ranges such as Sierra del Carche, Sierra del Buey, Sierra Larga and Sierra del Molar. No rivers traverse the region, but several ramblas (dry stream beds but in rainy periods) occur in the comarca.[1][2][3][4]

Alto Guadalentín or Comarca de Lorca

This territory is located in the southeast and has an area of 2,071.8 km2. The municipalities of Lorca, Águilas and Puerto Lumbreras belong to this comarca. There is a remarkable water landform in the area: Guadalentín River. Another river that is present is the Luchena River. Other notheworthy landforms that occupy Alto Guadalentín are the mountain ranges Sierra de la Almenara, Sierra de la Carrasquilla, Sierra de Cantar, Sierra de la Torrecilla, Sierra de En medio, and Sierra del Cambrón.[5][6]

Noroeste

This comarca is located in the northwest of Region of Murcia, hence its name which meaning is “northwest”. The municipalities of Moratalla, Caravaca de la Cruz, and Cehegín are agreed to be included in this area in all the proposals. However, the municipalities of Calasparra and Bullas only belong to the comarca under a more limited definition. If all five municipalities were included, the territory has an area of 2,386.9 km2. However, if the smaller definition is taken as true, the comarca is 2,119.2 km2 in area.[7][8] Some remarkable landforms in the region are a mountain range named Sierra de Moratalla, that occupies part of the north of Noroeste; a mountain range named Sierra de la Muela, that is also placed in the north; Revolcadores, which is montanious area that occurs in the east of Noroeste and a river which name is Quípar that is present in the western half of the comarca.[9][10]

Cuenca de Mula

It includes the municipalities of Mula, Pliego, Albudeite and Campos del Río. According to University of Murcia proposal, Bullas would also belong to this comarca. In this region there are two rivers. Part of mountain ranges are also present in the area – the north of Sierra Espuaña occupies little part of the south of Cuenca de Mula and the east of Sierra de Cambrón occupies little part of the south east of this comarca.[11]

More varying comarcas

Bajo Guadalentín

According to its largest version, it includes five municipalities: Aledo, Lorca, Alhama de Murcia, Librilla and Mazarrón and has an area of 1,024.7 km2. If the a smaller version is adopted, the only municipality that doesn't belong to this territory is Mazarrón and has an extension of 706 km2. An important landform of the comarca is Guadalentín river – a stretch of it traverses the territory, hence its name. Part of Sierra Espuña, one of the most important mountain ranges in Region of Murcia, is located in the northwest of Bajo Guadalentín. If Mazarrón is considered as a part of the region, Sierra de las Moreras and Sierra del Algarrobo mountain ranges will also occur in the Bajo Guadalentín as well as Rambla de Las Moreras.[12]

Campo de Cartagena

This territory is located in the southeast of the province of Murcia. In regards to mountain reliefs, some of them are Sierra Minera Cartagena- La Unión, Sierra de la Muela. There are no water basins with a permanent water flow, but there are several arroyos (creeks) or ramblas; the most important are Rambla del Albujón and Rambla de Benipila.[13]

There is more debate and less agreement about the nature of the comarca where Murcia is included – its size and municipalities that are included.

If we considered two proposals, there would be a comarca named Mar Menor, whose territory is part of Campo de Cartagena according to other comarcas proposals. This one includes Torre-Pacheco, San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier and Los Alcázares municipalities. An important mountain relief that occurs in this region is Cabezo Gordo.

Área Metropolitana de Murcia

The municipalities that are part of this comarca are the ones that the most change the comarca that they belong to according to the demarcation initiative.

The municipalities of Huerta de Murcia, which is considered as another comarca according to two initiatives, are part of Área Metropolitana de Murcia. These municipalities are Murcia, Alcantarilla, Santomera and Beniel. Mountain landforms that take place in the region are Cresta del Gallo, Sierra de los Villares (mountain range), Columbares and the eastern area of Sierra de Carrascoy. Two rivers traverse Huerta de Murcia: Segura and Guadalentín.[14][15]

Most municipalities of Vega Media (but Lorquí) are part of Área Metropolitana de Murcia and these are Molina de Segura, Ceutí, Alguazas and Torres de Cotillas.[14]

Comarca Oriental

Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia considers that a northern-eastern comarca which includes the municipalities of Abanilla and Fortuna exists. The reasons for the statement of this comarca are topographical and geohydrographical. It covers and area of 385.1 km2.

The comarcas of Region of Murcia according to Consejo Regional de Murcia

In regards to landforms, there are seven mountain ranges and a river in this territory.[16] Some of the spots are a mountain range called Sierra de La Pila, which eastern area occupies the northwest of the comarca; another mountain range named Sierra de Quibas, that occurs in the noreast of the region; Sierra del Corque; and Sierra de Abanilla, that is placed in the southeastern quarter. The river is called Río Chícamo and traverses the southeast of the comarca.[17][18]

Comarca demarcation proposals
  • According to University of Murcia (1968): Altiplano of Yecla and Jumilla; Campo de Lorca, the name in this proposal of Altiplano; Cuenca de Mula, which includes an additional municipality that it part of Noroeste in most proposals, Bullas; Vega Alta del Segura; Vega Media del Segura (Huerta de Murcia and Comarca Oriental); Campo de Lorca; Bajo Guadalentín and Campo de Cartagena.[14]
  • According to Ministerio de agricultura (1977): Nordeste (Altiplano), Noroeste, Centro (Cuenca de Mula), Río Segura, Suroeste y Valle de Guadalentín (the more usual comarcas Alto Guadalentín and Bajo Guadalentín) and Campo de Cartagena.[19]
  • According to Subsecretaría de Planificación, Ministerio del Interior (1977): Jumilla - Yecla (whose usual name is Altiplano), Caravaca (that is corresponding to the smallest version of Nororeste), Alto Segura, Mula, Centro metropolitano de Murcia, Campo de Lorca, Valle del Guadalentín (Bajo) and Campo de Cartagena.[19]
  • According to Consejo Regional de Murcia (1980): Altiplano, Noroeste, Vega Alta, Valle de Ricote, Vega Media, Comarca Oriental, Río Mula, Huerta de Murcia, Alto Guadalentín, Bajo Guadalentín, Campo de Cartagena and Mar Menor.
    Comarcas demarcation according to Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia
  • According to González Ortiz y Sánchez (1981): Altiplano, Noroeste in its largest version, Vega Alta, Cuenca de Mula in its smallest version, Vega Media (Huerta de Murcia and Comarca Oriental), Campo de Lorca, Bajo Guadalentín and Campo de Cartagena.[14]
  • According to Zorita y Calvo (1984): Altiplano, Noroeste, Vega Alta, Valle de Ricote, Vega Media, Comarca Oriental, Río Mula, Huerta de Murcia, Alto Guadalentín, Bajo Guadalentín, Campo de Cartagena and Mar Menor.[20]
  • According to the Atlas of Region of Murcia of La Verdad newspapers: Altiplano, Noroeste, Vegas del Segura, Cuenca de Mula, Cuenca de Abanilla-Fortuna, Comarca de Lorca, Bajo Guadalentín and Campo de Cartagena.[20]

References
  1. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. pp. 418, 419.
  2. "El Altiplano - Región de Murcia Digital" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  3. "Montes catalogados de Jumilla". www.murcianatural.carm.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  4. "Montes catalogados de Yecla". Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. pp. 468, 470.
  6. "Montes catalogados de Lorca" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. "El Noroeste - Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia". Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  8. "La comarca del Noroeste - Región de Murcia Digital" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  9. "Las comarcas naturales de la Región de Murcia. El Noroeste. Espacios naturales protegidos y red natura 2000" (in Spanish). pp. 15, 23, 197. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  10. "Gestion Integral Habitats Comarca Noroeste Murcia" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  11. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. pp. 440, 441.
  12. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. pp. 452, 453.
  13. "Comarca de Cartagena - Mar Menor - Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia".
  14. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. p. 402.
  15. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. p. 491.
  16. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. pp. 500, 502.
  17. "Montes catalogados de Fortuna" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  18. "Montes catalogados de Abanilla" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  19. González Ortiz, José Luis (1999). Geografía de la Región de Murcia. Monografías Regionales (in Spanish). 3. p. 125. ISBN 84-7564-205-5.
  20. Atlas Global de la Región de Murcia. p. 403.
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