Cáceres

Cáceres, provincia (province) of the Extremadura comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), western Spain, bordering Portugal to the west. The Tagus River runs through the province. Conquered by Alfonso IX from the Moors in 1229, it became part of the kingdom of León, and it was made a province of Spain in 1833. Mountainous areas in the extreme north and south are formed by the Central and Toledo mountains, respectively; their landscape and wildlife are preserved by a nature park created in 1979 at Monfrague. The remainder of the province is a fertile plain irrigated by the Tagus River and its tributaries. The Gabriel y Galán dam, on the Alagón River, is a source of hydroelectric power and irrigation.

Cáceres is primarily an agricultural (cereals, tobacco, tomatoes, peppers) and cattle-raising region. Large flocks of sheep are pastured along the Tagus River during the winter. Pig raising is also important, and there are numerous evergreen, oak, and cork tree forests that are as yet little exploited. Valle del Jerte is one of Spain’s most important cherry-producing regions. The province includes Las Hurdes, which historically was one of the poorest regions in Spain. Industry is mainly concentrated in Cáceres city, the provincial capital. Area 7,671 square miles (19,868 square km). Pop. (2007 est.) 411,531.