10000 Greenhouses Bring Almeria, Spain, Prosperity

Ever wondered how would 10 000 plastic greenhouses look like from space? Almeria,Spain, has it covered. This historic city in Andalusia Province is at the heart of the country's agriculture industry, accounting for $1,5 billion in economic activity.The greenhouses are packed together so tightly that they're visible from space. 

This example of a modern agricultural "marvel"exports almost three-quarters of its crops to other parts of Europe. Several tons of greenhouse vegetables and fruits such as peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchinis are grown here year round. With just more than 200 millimeters of annual precipitation to support crop growth, the area relies on groundwater fed by small stream aquifers from the mountains to the north.

These gardens are a kind of money-making machines, fueling the province of Almeria's economy.

It is worth mentioning that 35 years ago, this area in the southeast Spain was dry and desert-like.

But with imported soil and fully hydroponic systems the area has been intensively used for agriculture. A mix of thousand of companies tend the crops inside the plastic greenhouses. Temperatures can reach more than 45 degrees Celsius inside the greenhouses.

And one more interesting fact: according to some researches from the University of Almeria, the green house effect keeps Spain cool. The local temperature has dropped an average of 0.3 degrees Celsius every 10 years since 1983.