History of the Bajo Guadalentin region
The Bajo Guadalentin region is made up of the municipalities of Aledo, Alhama de Murcia, Librilla, Mazarron and Totana. The total area covered by the different municipalities is 1,020 square kilometres.
The origin of Bajo Guadalentin is linked to its position in reference to the Guadalentin River, located southeast of the Iberian peninsula and crossing the Murcia region. The name Guadalentin comes from Arabic and means "river of mud".
Although the analysed historical records of the Bajo Guadalentin region are just under 1,000 years old, marks of human presence have been found from the Middle Paleolithic era. Part of the history of Bajo Guadalentin dates back to around 1080, when Castilian nobles were present in struggles against Muslims.
Previously, Bajo Guadalentin was a leading region, with groups of immigrant Jews mainly found there. A short time later, these immigrants were expelled for their personal relationships, which were not approved by the religious beliefs of the nation at that time.
Due to the danger of the borders, different municipalities of Bajo Guadalentin were forced to group together as population municipalities. Little by little, this led the municipalities in their different economic sectors to unite and make political alliances until they became the region that we know today.
Due to the danger of the borders, different municipalities of Bajo Guadalentin were forced to group together as population municipalities. Little by little, this led the municipalities in their different economic sectors to unite and make political alliances until they became the region that we know today.
Bajo Guadalentin is full of historical places of interest, castles and parks with extensive cultural stories. When visiting this region, you will be tempted to browse each archaeological artifact and discover all its secrets.
The population of Bajo Guadalentin, distributed among its municipalities, has been increasing since 1900. Currently, the three municipalities with the largest number of inhabitants are Mazarron, Totana and Alhama de Murcia, with a total number of 32,209, 32,008 and 22,007 inhabitants, respectively. Bajo Guadalentin currently has 92,551 inhabitants in total (2019 data).
Economy
In past centuries, agriculture was the most important activity by far, providing income for the economy of Bajo Guadalentin. This activity has been gradually reduced due to the modernization of technologies and the optimization of growing areas. The economy has been diversified to make it more competitive. However, 50% or more of the lands that make up the five municipalities is currently devoted to this economic activity.In terms of agricultural production, the main crops found in the region are vegetables, followed by citrus fruits. The remaining agricultural production is distributed among vineyards, cereals, and various fruits, among others. In terms of livestock production, the Bajo Guadalentin region depends mainly on the pig industry.
Currently, Bajo Guadalentin is a very active region in terms of tourism. Therefore, one of the main economic activities is the service industry. This is followed, with great economic movement, by the construction sector.
