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Jimena de la Frontera
—  Municipality  —
View of the medieval castle of Jimena de la Frontera as seen from one of its streets.
Coat of arms
Location of Jimena de la Frontera
Jimena de la Frontera Location in Spain
Coordinates: 36°26′N 5°27′W / 36.433°N 5.45°W / 36.433; -5.45Coordinates: 36°26′N 5°27′W / 36.433°N 5.45°W / 36.433; -5.45
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Andalusia
Province	Cádiz
Comarca	Campo de Gibraltar
Judicial district	San Roque
Government
- Alcalde	Pascual Luis Collado Saraiva (2007) (PSOE)
Area
- Total	345.66 km2 (133.5 sq mi)
Elevation	99 m (325 ft)
Population (2008)
- Total	10,330
- Density	29.9/km2 (77.4/sq mi)
- Demonym	Jimenato, ta
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	11330 11339 (Estación de Jimena)
Dialing code	(+34) 956
Official language(s)
Website	Official website

Jimena de la Frontera is a historic town and municipality located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to estimates made by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE), the municipality has a population of 9,893 inhabitants in 2006. It is surrounded by the Los Alcornocales Natural Park.

History

The town has been inhabited by the Phoenicians, Iberians, Carthaginians, and the Romans. The Moors used the town's position on the hill to their advantage, using it as a strategic military position.

The village of Jimena de la Frontera became a town in 1879, during the reign of Alfonso XII. ^[1]

Today

Today, Jimena's population of around 10,000 has been made up of an increasing number of British ex-pats.

The town is served by road and rail. The main road stretches north to Ronda, and south to San Roque. The railway station is situated just outside the town in nearby Estación de Jimena. Several trains a day stop at Jimena on the line between Algeciras and Granada.

Castle

The castle was built on the hill by the Moors around 750 A.D. as part of making Jimena a strategic military position. Views stretch as far Gibraltar to the south. It is believed that the castle was built on Roman ruins, constructed using locally sourced limestone.

Demographics

Source: INE (Spain)

Town Festivals

• Town Carnival - February

• Agricultural Fair - Second week of May

• Annual Village Fair - Second week of August

• Devotion to the Reina de los Angeles - First week of September

• Annual Music Festival - Second week of July ^[2]

Gallery

Jimena from its castle

At night. Castle lit up in background

Hozgarganta river near Jimena

Los Alcornocales Natural Park view

Prehistoric paintings inside Cueva de la Laja Alta

References

External links

• Jimena de la Frontera - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía