Guadalhorce righ onflow (fauna and rubish)

The Guadalhorce (from

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

وَادِي (''

wādī Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water o ...

''), "river" +

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''forfex'', "scissors") is the principal river of the Province of Málaga 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 ...

. Its source is in the Sierra de Alhama in the Province of Granada, from which it drains the depression of Antequera, flowing for through southern

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 ...

into the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

west of the city of Málaga. It has the greatest volume of flow of any river in the Costa del Sol region after the Guadiaro. It forms the long canyon of Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, a spectacular gorge with sheer walls towering up to in places, before continuing through the

Hoya de Málaga Hoya may refer to: Places *Hoya, Germany, a city in Lower Saxony, Germany *County of Hoya, a former state in present Germany * Hoya, Tokyo, now incorporated within Nishi-tokyo, Tokyo, Japan * Hoya, Hpruso, a place in Hpruso Township, Kayah, Myanmar ...

. Over its course, it passes through the towns of Villanueva del Trabuco, Villanueva del Rosario,

Archidona Archidona is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is the center of the comarca of Nororiental de Málaga and the head of the judicial district that bears its name ...

, Antequera,

Alhaurín el Grande Alhaurín el Grande is a town located in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It covers an area of 73.1 km2 extending from the northern slope of the Sierra de Mijas and the plain of the Guadalh ...

Alhaurín de la Torre Alhaurín de la Torre is a town in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, in southern Spain. The town is part of Málaga Metropolitan Area and of the comarca of Valle del Guadalhorce. It sits at the entrance to the Guadalhorce valley on the slopes ...

Almogía Almogía is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , nati ...

Álora Álora is a town and municipality in southern Spain in the province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Located c. 40 km from Málaga, on the right bank of the river Guadalhorce and on the Córdoba-Málaga railway, withi ...

Cártama Cártama is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately from Málaga. It is one of the most extensive towns in the province, coverin ...

Coín Coín () is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, Spain, c. 33 km west of the provincial capital, Málaga, and about 30 km north of Marbella. The town has an official population of 22,000 inhabitants. Foreigners now make ...

Pizarra Pizarra is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 30 kilometres from Málaga. It is located in the center of the province and ...

and

Valle de Abdalajís Valle de Abdalajís () is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. It is located in the comarca of Antequera. The municipality is situated approximately 50 kilometres ...

, forming 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

Valle del Guadalhorce The Valle del Guadalhorce is a ''comarca'' in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, southern Spain. It includes 8 municipalities and is part of the natural region of the Guadalhorce river. Coín Coín () is a town and municipality in the Provin ...

; then bifurcates shortly before it reaches the sea. A portion of the river is diverted to provide water and power to the city of Málaga. Near its mouth the remains of a

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

n settlement were found at Cerro del Villar.

Geology

During the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

era, the river's valley was actually an arm of the sea that connected the waters of the Mediterranean with those of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

through the Bética depression (now the valley of the

Guadalquivir The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from the Gul ...

). In the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Mijas Mijas ( ; ) is a municipality in the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Located on the southeastern coast of Spain, Mijas belongs to the region of Costa del Sol Occidental. Its center is a typical Andalusian white-w ...

and the

Montes de Málaga Montes de Málaga is a mountain range of the Penibaetic System in Málaga Province, Andalusia, Spain. Its highest point is the 1,030 m high Cresta de la Reina peak. Other notable peaks are San Antón, Coronado, Monte Victoria and Gibralfaro. T ...

, while also creating the geologically isolated Sierra of

. Throughout the rest of the Pliocene, the river basin eventually took on its current form.

Tributaries

* Pereilas *

Río Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio ...

* Arroyo El Valle * Nacimiento *

Turón Turón is a municipality in the province of Granada, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyo ...

* Caballos * Guadalteba * Fahala *

Campanillas Campanillas, also known as District 9, is one of the 11 districts of the city of Málaga, Spain. It comprises the wards (''barrios'') of Amoníaco, Campanillas, Castañetas, Centro de Transporte de Mercancías, Colmenarejo, El Brillante, El P ...

* Arroyo Marín * Arroyo del Quinto

Geology

Tributaries

See also