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.

The New Garden of Eden in Spain

Spain is one of the countries with more international presence on food products.Generally speaking, Spanish fruits and vegetables are internationally prestigious thanks to the quality of its products.

The different climates in Spain allow for the production of various so-called exotic fruits. Age-old cultivation and irrigation traditions and new production techniques come together in Spain to create a basketful of exotic fruits of many different species, shapes, colors and flavors that find a warm welcome on both domestic and international markets.

Some of them reached Spain from the East and have been grown there since ancient times. Others are more recent, having come from the other side of the Atlantic after Christopher Columbus' voyages to America in the 15th century.

The one with the longest history in Spain is the pomegranate. Originally from Asia, it was already known in the Mediterranean area in ancient times. Its strikingly beautiful fruit was much loved by the Arabs to the extent that the Spanish town that was the capital of the last Muslim kingdom in Spain bears the Spanish name for pomegranate, Granada.

Another Asian fruit is the kaki or persimmon, of which there are numerous varieties.

The cherimoya (or custardapple), an American native, was brought to the coasts of Granada by returning Andalusian emigrants, but large-scale cultivation only began in the second half of the 20th century.