Algatocín is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

in southern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The municipality is situated approximately from Málaga and from

Ronda Ronda () is a town in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliff-side location and a deep chasm ...

. It is located in the west of the province in the Valle del Genal, being one of the townsⁿ that make up the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

of the Serrania de Ronda. It is situated at an altitude of . The town has a population of approximately 900 residents, over a surface area of , for a population density of .

Geography

Location

Algatocín lies in the middle of the Valle del Bajo Genal. It extends from the mountains to the river banks of the Genal, and is full of hills and vegetation.

Flora and fauna

The municipality shares similar characteristics in terms of flora and fauna with the rest of the Valle del Genal. Highlighting some of them are:

Flora

* Algerian oak ('' Quercus canariensis'') * Cork oak (''

Quercus suber ''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the core ...

'') * Strawberry tree (''

Arbutus unedo ''Arbutus unedo'' is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe. The tree is well known for its fruits, which bear some resemblance to the strawberry — hence the common na ...

'') * Chestnut (''

Castanea sativa ''Castanea sativa'', the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the Temperate climate, temperate world. A substa ...

'') * Aleppo pine (''

Pinus halepensis ''Pinus halepensis'', commonly known as the Aleppo pine, also known as the Jerusalem pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. Description ''Pinus halepensis'' is a small to medium-sized tree, tall, with a trunk diameter up to , exce ...

'') * Mastic tree ('' Pistacia lentiscus'') * Fern ('' Davallia canariensis'') * Gorse * Heather

Mammals

* Wild boar ('' Sus scrofa'') * Red fox (''

Vulpes vulpes The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

'') * European rabbit (''

Oryctolagus cuniculus The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (including Spain, Portugal, and southwestern France), western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has b ...

'') * Common genet ('' Genetta genetta'') * Egyptian mongoose ('' Herpestes ichneumon'')

Birds

* Common kestrel (''

Falco tinnunculus The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, wher ...

'') * Eurasian sparrowhawk ('' Accipiter nisus'') * Booted eagle (''

Hieraaetus pennatus The booted eagle (''Hieraaetus pennatus'', also classified as ''Aquila pennata'') is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a ...

'') * Common cuckoo ('' Cuculus canorus'') * European robin (''

Erithacus rubecula The European robin (''Erithacus rubecula''), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain & Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. About in len ...

'') * Common nightingale ('' Luscinia megarhynchos'')

History

Antiquity and the Middle Ages

The earliest evidence of human settlement in the lands of the present municipality of Algatocín go back to the Bronze Age as pottery was found in Cerro Gordo. In this same place, around 1,000 BC, the remains of an Iberian

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...

or defensive enclosure have been found. Later, during Roman rule, and in Cerro Gordo as well, seemed to emerge a major city called Vesci and a Roman road nearby.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Algatocin Municipalities in the Province of Málaga