GRANADA, a maritime province of southern Spain, formed in 1833 of districts belonging to Andalusia, and formerly centre of the ancient kingdom of Granada. Pop. (1930) 643,705; area, 4,838 sq. miles. Granada is bounded on the north by Cordova, Jaen and Albacete, east by Murcia and Almeria, south by the Mediterranean sea, and west by Malaga. It includes the western and loftier portion of the Sierra Nevada (q.v.), a vast ridge rising parallel to the sea and attaining its greatest altitudes in the Cerro de Mulhacen (11,427 ft.) and Picacho de la Veleta (11,338 ft.), which overlook the city of Granada. Lesser ranges, such as the Sierras of Parapanda, Alhama, Almijara, Hararia or Baeza, adjoin the main ridge. In this central watershed rise the three principal rivers of the province. Southward flows the Guadalfeo to the Mediterranean, westward the Genil, and northward the Guadiana Menor and its many tributaries draining the north-eastern dis tricts. Both the Genil and the Guadiana join the Guadalquivir outside the province. Summer drought predominates and only the mountain slopes are forested, mainly with pine trees. The soil of the high basins north of the Sierra is, however, fertile, that of the Vega of Granada being considered the richest in the whole peninsula, and from the days of the Moors it has been systemati cally irrigated. Sheep and goats are reared in the Sierra and esparto grass is obtained from the upland areas. Fine alabaster, jasper and other precious stones occur in the mountains behind Granada, but are little worked. The only important industry is sugar refining. This developed rapidly after the loss of the Span ish West Indies and the Philippine Islands in 1898, with the con sequent decrease in competition, and there are now factories in many towns, especially in the Vega and along the coast. Apart from the great highways traversing the province, which are excel lent, the roads are few and ill-kept. The main Madrid–Malaga Algeciras railway passes through the capital. At Moreda a line branches south-east to Almeria, passing through Guadix, junction for Murcia, and through La Calahorra, where a short line runs out to Alquife. A line connects Granada with Motril on the coast, and an electric railway runs from the capital up into the Sierra Nevada. The chief towns are Granada, the capital (pop. 1930, 118,179), Loja (21,021), Motril (17,846), Guadix (21,949), Baza (17,483 ), Montef rio (14,380) and Alhama de Granada (8,204). These are described in separate articles. Other towns of over 7,00o inhabitants are Illora (12,346), Huescar Pinos-Puente (11,257), Almunecar (9,149), Santafe (8,846), Cullar de Baza (8,515), Puebla de don Fadrique (7,797) and Albunol (7, 569) . (See also ANDALUSIA and, for the history of the ancient kingdom, the city of GRANADA below.)