ALBACETE

provincia in the comunidad autnoma (autonomous community) of Castile-La Mancha, southeast-central Spain. It occupies the southeastern end of the Meseta Central (plateau). Albacete is the driest interior province of the Iberian Peninsula, with as little as 2 inches (50 mm) annual rainfall in some areas. The south is mountainous or hilly and is crossed by the Jcar and Segura rivers, which are the chief local sources of power and water for irrigation. The Sierra de Alcaraz rises in the west. Albacete is a stock-raising province, but wheat growing is increasing steadily, with a corresponding decline in livestock. Cheese is sent to all parts of Spain; vines, which have suffered much from phylloxera, and olives are cultivated; the peaches of the Cabriel and Jcar valleys supply canning factories in Valencia. Other products include saffron, esparto grass, and pine lumber. Industry is concentrated in the provincial capital, Albacete. Important towns include Almansa, Helln, and La Roda. A large portion of the province is accessible only by road, although there are good railway connections with Madrid and Alicante. Area 5,762 square miles (14,924 square km). Pop. (1988 est.) 348,058. capital of Albacete provincia, Castile-La Mancha comunidad autnoma (autonomous community), southeast-central Spain. Albacete is located in the historic La Mancha region, on the Don Juan River at its juncture with the Mara Cristina Canal. Of Moorish origin (Arabic: Al-Basit), it was the scene of two battles between Christians and Moors, in 1145 and 1146. Refounded in 1365 as Albacete, it played an important part in the War of the Spanish Succession; the Battle of Almansa was won near there by King Philip V in 1707. Development came only after the construction in the 19th century of the Mara Cristina Canal, which drained malarial swamps to the south. Albacete is divided into the upper town (Alto de Villa), or old quarter, and the lower, modern town. Notable landmarks include the 16th-century San Juan Bautista Cathedral (restored after a fire in 1936) and a museum. The city is now a market centre for agricultural produce (fruit and saffron). Industry is primarily based on agriculture. Knives and daggers (now sold chiefly as souvenirs) from Albacete are well known throughout Spain. A provincial museum displaying the work of regional and local artists was opened in 1978. Pop. (1990 est.) mun., 129,002.