Poniente Almeriense

Poniente Almeriense
"Sea of plastic" and the town of El Ejido
"Sea of plastic" and the town of El Ejido
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityAndalusia
ProvinceAlmería
Municipalities
Area
 • Total971 km2 (375 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total259,357
 • Density270/km2 (690/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Largest municipalityEl Ejido

Poniente Almeriense is a comarca in Almería, Spain. It is sometimes also known as the "sea of plastic" (Mar de plástico) due to the numerous greenhouses that cover the area. The comarca contains ten municipalities (the tenth, Balanegra, was created in 2015 from part of Berja municipality) and 259,357 inhabitants[2] in an area of 971 km2. The "sea of plastic" was one of the subjects of We feed the world, a 2005 documentary; and the setting of Spanish crime drama Mar de plástico.

The typical agricultural products of the greenhouses are: cucumbers, watermelons, eggplants, zucchinis, peaches, peppers and tomatoes.[3]

The comarca borders the Alboran Sea to the South, the city of Almería to the east, the Sierra de Gádor to the north, and the municipality of Albuñol (in Granada province) to the west.

  1. ^ Estimate at 1 January 2018: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  2. ^ Estimate at 1 January 2018: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Madrid.
  3. ^ "Greenhouse Farming". my almeria. Retrieved 21 September 2021.