VALENCIA, an ancient province of Spain, formerly a kingdom, is bounded E. and S.E. by the Mediterranean Sea, W. and S.W. by the provinces of Castilla Is Nueva and Murcia, N. by Cataluna and Aragon; on the south it terminates by a point It is situated between 37° 50' and 40' 45' N. lat, 0° 82' E. long. and 1° 25' W. long. The greatest length north to south is about 220 miles; the greatest width east to west is little more than 50 miles. The area is 7683 square mike. Tho — _ Saefact.—The province of Valencia cousista of a long and rather narrow tract extending along the Mediterranean Sea, the modern pro vince of Valencia. forming the canted portion, Alicante the southern, and Castellon the northern. The whole of the interior Is snoun tainous, the low and level tracts lying along the coast and the courses of the rivers. The mountains are a portion of the great buttress which in this province and that of Murcia supports the table-laud of Castilla k Nueva. The mountains are mostly lofty. rugged, and bare, and in some parts they extend close to the coast. The Sierra de Pena quila crosses the prorinco north of Alicante in a direction from south west to north-eaat, terminating at Cape San Martin. This range coneiste of schistose rocks capped by limestone. The other sierras, which are very Irregular, but have mostly a direction from west to east, consist for the most part of limestone, marbles of various colours, and gypsum. The valleys are generally narrow, but there are a few level tracts of considerable extent.
Rieere—The rivers mostly originate in the provinces west of Valencia. The Turk, or Ouniklaviar, rises In Aragon, and crossing Valencia in a direction from north-west to south-east passes the city of Valencia, and falls into the sea below the small port of Grao. The Jucar rises in Castilla Is Nueva, and soon after entering Bale province receives the Cabriel ou the north bank ; it then flows westward, receives the Magro, and enters the sea at Cullers. The other rivers have a shorter course. The Alcoy, which rises near the town of Alcoy, and the Palencia, which enters the sea below Murviedro, are the only rivers of considerable size which belong entirely to this province. The Mijares rises In Aragon, and receives in this province the Villahermosa and the Monleou. The Segura crosses the southern angle of the province
on its way from Murcia to the sea.
Soil and numerous streams and rivers of this province afford the means of Irrigating the lands to perhaps a greater extent and in a more perfect manner than anywhere else in Spain. The most extensive of tho level tracts are those of Valencia, Orihuela, Alicante, and Jativa (Xativa), or San Felipe. These flat and rich lands are called Huertas, 'gardens.' The Huerta of Valencia has a main-trunk canal, filled from the Turk, whence numerous smaller canals, called acequias, distribute the water in regulated proportions to the various beds into which the land is divided. These beds are quite flat, and the water Is allowed to stand on them for a few days, after which it is let off. The seed is then sown, and no sooner is one crop removed than the land is prepared for another. Three or four crops are thus obtained in the year. The Huerta of Alicante is watered from a vast reservoir called El Pentane, constructed in the, mountains about fifteen miles from the city of Alicante. This huerta comprehends an expanse of about 30,000 acres, everywhere encircled by lofty mountains, except towards the sea. The huertas of Jativa and of Orilauek, are also of considerable extent, well watered, and exceedingly productive.
All the level grounds are under cultivation, and wheat, barley, oats,' maize, beaus and peas, flax and hemp, are produced in abundance. In the swampy grouude large crops of rice are obtained, which are generally consumed in the province, rice forming a large portion of the food of the lower classes; but these tracts are very unwholesome. Much rice is grown in the vicinity of the Albufem [At.eurene DE Vetrecia.] The higher grounds and slopes of the hills are allotted to vines, mulberry-trees, olives, figs, oranges, lemons, quinces, and pomegranates. The foreatetrees are mostly elms, chestnuts, the flex oak, cypress, and poplars, whilst lofty pities cover the summits of the rocky hills. The rugged moors, nhfit for cultivation, are abandoned to the various species of cistus, rosemary, thyme, lavender, and other odoriferous shrubs.