MURCIA, a maritime province of south-eastern Spain. Pop. (1930), area, 4,453 sq.m. It was the first Span ish possession of the Carthaginians, and the Romans included it in Hispania Tarraconensis. Under the Moors the province was known as Todmir, which included, according to Edrisi, the cities Murcia, Orihuela, Cartagena, Lorca, Mula and Chinchilla. The kingdom of Murcia, which came into independent existence after the fall of Omayyads (see CALIPHATE) included the present Alba cete as well as Murcia. It became subject to the crown of Castile in the 13th century. Until 1833 the province of Murcia also included Albacete.
The extent of coast is about 75 m. and the mountains reach their highest point (5,150 ft.) on the Sierra de Espuna, between the Mula and Sangonera valleys. They are rich in iron, copper, argentiferous lead, alum, sulphur and saltpetre. Mineral springs occur at Mula, Archena (hot sulphur), and Alhama (hot chalybeate). The climate is hot and dry, and agriculture is largely
dependent on irrigation, which, where practicable, has been car ried on since the time of the Moors. Wheat, barley, maize, hemp, oil and wine (the latter somewhat rough in quality) are produced; fruit, especially the orange, is abundant along the course of the Segura; mulberries for sericulture are extensively grown around the capital ; and the number of bees kept is exceptionally large. Esparto grass is gathered on the sandy tracts. Large quantities of lead and esparto, as well as of zinc, iron and copper ores, and sulphur, are exported. The province is traversed by a railway which connects Murcia with Albacete and Valencia; from Alcan tarilla there is a branch to Lorca and Baza. The chief towns are Murcia, the capital, Cartagena, Lorca, La Union, MazarrOn, Yecla, Jumilla, Aguilas, Caravaca, Totana, Cieza, Mula, Moratalla and Cehegin.