- Capital: Murcia.
- Area: 11,313 km
In Murcia, vineyards cover open fields in the north east of the region. In the north west are mountains and between a plateau which is cut through by the Segura river. The Segura is used to irrigate such crops as rice, citrus and peaches. The irrigation canals date back to Moorish civilizations and are the best in the peninsular.
Murcia is naturally a drier zone given its geographical position and this old water network allows a greater range of crops to be grown even to this day.
The highest mountain is Revolcadores at 2015 m, situated near the boundary to Andalucia and Castilla la Mancha in the west.
The largest forested area is the Sierra Espuña with a peak of 1585m bearing the same name. The Aleppo pine has a stronghold, with Kermes oak, Lentisc, Strawberry tree, Honeysuckle, Rockrose and Rosemary forming the mix of lower shrubs.
Small groups of Barbary sheep live in the dry rocky areas. This is an African species which was introduced in 1970 and can survive on little grazing. Wild boar are plentiful here as are Red squirrel.
Birds encountered are common Crossbills, Crested tit, Firecrest and Golden eagle.
The Mar Menor is a stretch of sea water cut off from the Mediterranean by a 24km long sand bar.
This creates a small sea, a direct translation of the name. Although developed as a beach tourism area, it is, none the less, a natural treasure.
1 The Sierra Espuña
2 Carrascoy y El Valle
3 Calblanque
4 Calnegre y Cabo Cope
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