Biar | |
|---|---|
 Castle and town of Biar. | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Biar Location in Spain | |
| Coordinates: 38°37′59″N 0°46′00″W / 38.63306°N 0.76667°W | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Autonomous community |  Valencian Community |
| Province | Alicante |
| Comarca | Alt Vinalopó |
| Judicial district | Villena |
| Government | |
| • Alcalde | Julio L. Sanjuan Martínez (2015-present) (PSOE) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 98.17 km2 (37.90 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
| Population (2018)[1] | |
| • Total | 3,651 |
| • Density | 37/km2 (96/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Biarut, biaruda |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 03410 |
| Official language(s) | Valencian |
| Website | Official website |
Biar (Valencian: [biˈaɾ]; Spanish: [biˈaɾ]) is a town and municipality in the comarca of Alt Vinalopó, province of Alicante, Spain. Biar lies at the foot of the Serra de Mariola and is located 39 km from the city of Alicante.
The economy in Biar is based on manufacture, particularly dolls, and pottery.
On the origin of the name of this town there are two versions, one says that it comes from the Latin word apiarium meaning "place of bees", justifying this giving the importance that Biar had as a producer and exporter of honey,[2] and the other says it is derived from the Arabic word (biʿar) "well" o بِئَار (biʿār) "wells"[3]
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- ^ Juan Piqueras Haba, ed. (1995). "Biar". Geografia de les comarques valencianes (in Catalan). Vol. 6. València: Foro. p. 348.
- ^ Asín Palacios, Miguel (1940). Contribución a la toponimia árabe de España. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. p. 94.