Málaga (/ˈmæləɡə/ ⓘ MAL-ə-gə, Spanish: [ˈmalaɣa] ⓘ) is a municipality of Spain,

capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a

population of 578,460 in 2020,[5] it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia
and the sixth most populous in the country. It lies in Southern Iberia on the Costa
del Sol ("Coast of the Sun") of the Mediterranean, primarily in the left bank of
the Guadalhorce. The urban core originally developed in the space between the
Gibralfaro Hill and the Guadalmedina.

Málaga's history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest continuously
inhabited cities in Western Europe. According to most scholars, it was founded
about 770 BC by the Phoenicians from Tyre as Malaka.[6] From the 6th century BC the
city was under the hegemony of Ancient Carthage, and from 218 BC, it was under
Roman rule, economically prospering owing to garum production.[7] In the 8th
century, after a period of Visigothic and Byzantine rule, it was placed under
Islamic rule. In 1487, the Crown of Castile gained control in the midst of the
Granada War. In the 19th century, the city underwent a period of industrialisation
followed by a decay in all socioeconomic parametres in the last third of the
century.[8]

The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and
technology services, but other sectors such as transportation and logistics are
beginning to expand. Málaga has consolidated as a tech hub, with companies mainly
concentrated in the Málaga TechPark (Technology Park of Andalusia).[9] It hosts the
headquarters of the region's largest bank, Unicaja, and it is the fourth-ranking
city in Spain in terms of economic activity behind Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
[10] Regarding transportation, Málaga is served by the Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport
and the Port of Málaga, whereas the city is connected to the high-speed railway
network since 2007.

History
Main article: History of Málaga
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Málaga.

Clay amphora from the Cerro del Villar site, near the mouth of the Guadalhorce (6th
century BC).
Phoenicians from Tyre founded a colony named Málaka (Greek: Μάλακα)[11] or
Malake[12] about 770 BC (Punic: 𐤀𐤊𐤋𐤌, mlkʾ).[12] The town controlled access to the
Guadalmedina and served as a waypoint on trade routes between Phoenicia and the
Strait of Gibraltar. Like other Phoenician colonies, it fell under Carthaginian
rule during the 6th or 5th century BC. The Phoenician and Later Roman urban core
developed around an area running from the Gibralfaro Hill to the mouth of the
Malaca flumen (Guadalmedina).[13]

After the Punic Wars, the Roman Republic took control of the town known to them as
Malaca. By the 1st century BC, Strabo alluded to its Phoenician profile, in
contrast to the hellenized characteristics of the neighbouring settlement of
Mainake.[14]

Transformed into a confederated city, it was under a special law, the Lex Flavia
Malacitana. A Roman theatre was built at this time.[15] After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire, it was ruled first by the Visigoths. The city was taken c.
552 by the Byzantine Empire;[16] either Malaca or Carthago Nova possibly then
becoming the capital of the province of Spania.[17] The Byzantines restored and
expanded the docks, thus consolidating the fishing and trading tradition the city
already enjoyed.[17] The city was retaken by the Visigoth King Sisebuto in 615.[18]
The Islamic conquest of Málaga (rendered as ‫—مالقة‬Mālaqah—in Arab sources) by Arab
and Berber forces took place in 711 or perhaps 713.[19] Following a period of
diminished importance during the early stages of the emiral period already in force
since before the conquest, Málaga was fully Islamized by the end of the
aforementioned period in the wake of Muhammad I's attributed intervention in the
urban configuration as a medina.[20]

A 19th-century reconstruction of Islamic Malaqah

The consolidation of the city's importance after 930 (under the Caliphate of
Córdoba) ran parallel to the diminishing fortune of Archidona, the latter of which
Málaga replaced as the capital of the corresponding kura of Rayya.[21][22] The
early 10th-century chronicle of Aḥmad al-Rāzī mentions the vineyards of Málaga,
extolling the unparalleled quality of its raisins.[23] In the 11th century,
following the unravelling of Umayyad authority across the caliphate, Málaga became
a centre of power of the Hammudids, who established a petty kingdom (nominally also
a caliphate) in the city, the taifa of Málaga, complemented by the also Hammudid
sister dominion in Ceuta across the Strait of Gibraltar.[24] The city was seized
away from the Hammudids by the Granadan Zirids in 1056 or 1057, and also underwent
an ephemeral spell under the Sevillian Abbadids by 1066 before returning back to
the former.[25] By the late 11th century, the Zirids lost the city to the North-
African Almoravids.[25]

See also: Taifa of Málaga

The traveller Ibn Battuta, who passed through around 1325, characterised it as "one
of the largest and most beautiful towns of Andalusia [uniting] the conveniences of
both sea and land, and... abundantly supplied with foodstuffs and fruits". He
praised its grapes, figs, and almonds; "its ruby-coloured Murcian pomegranates have
no equal in the world." Another exported product was its "excellent gilded
pottery". The town's mosque was large, with "exceptionally tall orange trees" in
its courtyard.[26]

Ceramic plate from Málaga (14th century)

After the formation of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada in the 13th century, Málaga
became a part of it.[27] The export-oriented harbour traded silk fabrics, dry nuts
(raisins, almonds and the famous Rayya figs, reportedly exported to as far as
China), vine, cutlery, leather and the famous regional lustreware.[27]

In the 15th century, Málaga was the main Nasrid port (followed by Almería),[28]
featuring a notable presence of Genoese merchants.[29] It played a role both as
stopover of the Atlantic international trade (as part of the routes connecting the
Central Mediterranean to the North Atlantic) and as regional trading cog of the
Kingdom of Granada.[30] By the last rales of Nasrid rule, the city had a population
of about 15,000.[31]

Málaga was seized by Christian forces on 18 August 1487,[32] after a 3-month 11

days siege,[33] in what was the most violent episode of the Granada War. The Muslim
inhabitants resisted assaults and artillery bombardments before hunger forced them
to surrender; practically the entire remaining population (around 11,000 people)
became war captives and were sold into slavery in other Andalusian cities as well
as Valencia and Barcelona.[34][35] Only a minority of around 50 people led by
merchant Alí Dordux were allowed to remain in the city.[36]

See also: Siege of Málaga (1487)

The city's Muslim population was converted to Catholic Christianity and the city
was swiftly repopulated by Christian settlers coming from different locations of
the Iberian Peninsula.[36] Málaga became an exporting centre for Andalusia via the
link of the city with Antequera and Córdoba, maintaining its trading character
despite the nearly complete replacement of the population.[37] The city did not
escape a series of typhus fever outbreaks following its annexation to the Crown of
Castile.[38]
Following the death of regent Ferdinand the city rose in revolt in 1516 on the
occasion of the installment of a new court controlled by the Admiral of Castile.
[39] It was only on 2 December 1530 when Málaga was freed from the influence of the
Admiralty for good, confirming the privileges granted in the past by the Catholic
Monarchs.[40]

Málaga in 1572: Castle of Gibralfaro (center)

As of 1625, Málaga may have had a population of around 36,000.[41]

On 24 August 1704 the indecisive Battle of Málaga, the largest naval battle in the
War of the Spanish Succession, took place in the sea south of Málaga.[42]

The city's economy profited from an early industrialisation in the first third of
the 19th century and the population steadily increased until the last years of the
century,[43] when the population decreased between 1887 and 1897 due to the
economic crisis [es] induced by the Phylloxera grapevine pest.[44] The century saw
the accumulation of capital in an enriched bourgeoisie class, that invested in the
incipient industrial development.[45]

The municipality of Málaga annexed the coastal town of Torremolinos in 1924.

Republican refugees fleeing Málaga during the Desbandá (8 February 1937).

After the coup of July 1936 the government of the Second Republic retained control
of Málaga. Its harbour was a base of the Republican navy at the beginning of the
Spanish Civil War. It suffered heavy bombing by Italian warships which took part in
breaking the Republican navy's blockade of Nationalist-held Spanish Morocco and
took part in naval bombardment of Republican-held Málaga.[46] After the Battle of
Málaga and the Francoist takeover in February 1937, over seven thousand people were
killed,[47] as they were trying to flee the city through the road to Almería.[a]

See also: Málaga–Almería road massacre

Torremolinos—originally a small coastal town—greatly developed in the late 1950s
and early 1960s, becoming an international tourist centre.[48] The first gay bar in
Spain was opened in Torremolinos in 1962 (and the first lesbian club in 1968),[49]
and the place acquired a lively LGBT life, to the point of being described as "the
most 'cosmopolitan' and gay-friendly place in all of Spain".[50] Nearly a decade
after, in 1971, a policial crackdown seeking to curb "offences against public
morality and decency" largely put an end to the appeal of the place, only regaining
its status as hub of LGBT leisure and tourism after the death of the dictator.[49]

Torremolinos became independent from the municipality of Málaga in September 1988.

[51]

Geography
Location

Satellite view centered on Málaga

Málaga is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Costa del Sol
(Coast of the Sun) on the northern side of the Alboran Sea (the westernmost portion
of the Mediterranean Sea). It lies about 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of the
Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 kilometres (81 miles) east of Tarifa (the
southernmost point of continental Europe) and about 130 km (81 miles) to the north
of Africa.

The Montes de Málaga mountain range (part of the Penibaetic System) is located in
the northeast of the municipality. The highest point in the range (and in the
municipality) is the Pico Reina, rising up to 1,031 m (3,383 ft) above sea level.
[52]

The city centre is located around the mouth of the Guadalmedina and close to the
Guadalhorce's mouth (where the airport is located). The Totalán Creek constitutes
the eastern boundary of Málaga with the municipality of Rincón de la Victoria.[53]

The Gibralfaro is a 130 m (427 ft) high foothill from which the Gibralfaro Castle
[es] and the Alcazaba fortress overlook the city.[54]

Climate
Málaga's climate is a hot-summer Mediterranean climate[55] (Köppen climate
classification: Csa)[56] with very mild winters, during which most of the year's
rainfall occurs, and hot summers with very little rainfall. Summer to mid-autumn
tends to be fairly humid, due to the evaporation of warm water off the adjacent
Mediterranean Sea being blown on shore by a sea breeze. This humidity is most
pronounced at this time of year as the sea water is at its warmest in relation to
the rest of the year and during this summer, to mid-autumn period, the apparent
temperature often feels higher than the actual temperature would suggest,
especially when the wind is light. When the wind is stronger, this effect is
lessened somewhat, and the heat feels more manageable.[57] Málaga enjoys plenty of
sunshine throughout the year, with an average of about 300 days of sunshine and
only about 40–45 with precipitation annually.

Málaga experiences the warmest winters of any European city with a population over
500,000. The average maximum temperature during the day in the period from December
to February is 17–18 °C (63–64 °F). During the winter, the Málaga Mountains (Montes
de Málaga) block the passage of cold winds from the north.[57][better source
needed] Its average annual temperature is 23.3 °C (73.9 °F) during the day and 13.7
°C (56.7 °F) at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature ranges from
14 to 20 °C (57 to 68 °F) during the day, 5 to 10 °C (41 to 50 °F) at night and the
average sea temperature is 16 °C (61 °F). In the warmest month, August, the
temperature ranges from 26 to 34 °C (79 to 93 °F) during the day, above 20 °C (68
°F) at night and the average sea temperature is 23 °C (73 °F).[58]

Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. The highest temperature ever recorded
at the airport was 44.2 °C (111.6 °F) on 18 July 1978, equalled on 19 July 2023. In
August 1881, the average reported daytime maximum temperature was a record 34.8 °C
(94.6 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded was −3.8 °C (25.2 °F) on 4 February
1954.[59] [60] The highest wind speed ever recorded was on 16 July 1980, measuring
119 km/h (73.94 mph). Snowfall is virtually unknown; since the beginning of the
20th century, Málaga city has only recorded snow on one day, on 2 February 1954.
[61]

Annual average relative humidity is 65%, ranging from 58% in June to 72% in
December.[62] Yearly sunshine hours average between 2,800 and 3,000 per year, from
5–6 hours of sunshine per day in December to average 11 hours of sunshine per day
in July.[62][63][64]

At Málaga Airport weather station, annual wind speeds average from 14 km/h (8.70
mph) in December, January and February, to 10 km/h (6.21 mph) in September and
October. Atmospheric pressure averages from 1015 mbar in July and August to 1023
mbar in January. Visibility averages either 11 or 12 km in all months.[65] The
strongest gust of wind recorded at this station was 130 km/h (80.78 mph) on 27
January 1948 at 02:30.[66] On 12th December 2023, Málaga broke Spain's and Europe's
all-time December temperature record, settling a new record of 29.9 °C (85.8 °F) at
the AEMET station of Málaga and 29.6 °C (85.3 °F) at the airport of Málaga.[67]

Climate data for Málaga Airport (AGP), Churriana (1981–2010), Extremes (1942-
present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 26.8
(80.2) 30.0
(86.0) 31.4
(88.5) 33.0
(91.4) 35.0
(95.0) 41.0
(105.8) 44.2
(111.6) 44.0
(111.2) 40.0
(104.0) 36.3
(97.3) 30.4
(86.7) 29.9
(85.8) 44.2
(111.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 16.8
(62.2) 17.7
(63.9) 19.6
(67.3) 21.4
(70.5) 24.3
(75.7) 28.1
(82.6) 30.5
(86.9) 30.8
(87.4) 28.2
(82.8) 24.1
(75.4) 20.1
(68.2) 17.5
(63.5) 23.3
(73.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.1
(53.8) 12.9
(55.2) 14.7
(58.5) 16.3
(61.3) 19.3
(66.7) 23.0
(73.4) 25.5
(77.9) 26.0
(78.8) 23.5
(74.3) 19.5
(67.1) 15.7
(60.3) 13.2
(55.8) 18.5
(65.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3) 8.2
(46.8) 9.8
(49.6) 11.1
(52.0) 14.2
(57.6) 18.0
(64.4) 20.5
(68.9) 21.1
(70.0) 18.8
(65.8) 15.0
(59.0) 11.3
(52.3) 8.9
(48.0) 13.7
(56.7)
Record low °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3) −3.8
(25.2) −1.2
(29.8) 2.8
(37.0) 5.0
(41.0) 12.8
(55.0) 14.0
(57.2) 15.2
(59.4) 10.2
(50.4) 5.6
(42.1) 1.4
(34.5) −0.8
(30.6) −3.8
(25.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 69
(2.7) 60
(2.4) 52
(2.0) 44
(1.7) 20
(0.8) 6
(0.2) 0
(0) 6
(0.2) 20
(0.8) 57
(2.2) 100
(3.9) 100
(3.9) 534
(21.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 6 5 4 5 3 1 0 1
2 4 6 7 42
Average relative humidity (%) 69 68 67 63 59 58 58 61 65
70 71 72 65
Mean monthly sunshine hours 180 180 222 244 292 329 347 316 255
215 172 160 2,905
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[68][62][69]
Climate data for Málaga
Subdivisions
Málaga is divided into 11 municipal districts.[71]

Nº District Nº District Location

1 Centro 7 Carretera de Cádiz
2 Este 8 Churriana
3 Ciudad Jardín 9 Campanillas
4 Bailén-Miraflores 10 Puerto de la Torre
5 Palma-Palmilla 11 Teatinos-Universidad
6 Cruz de Humilladero

Main sites

View of the old Alcazaba of Málaga

The Cathedral of the Incarnation

The Concepción viewpoint

The historic Anglican Cemetery of St. George is the oldest non-Roman Catholic
Christian cemetery established on mainland Spain (in 1831).
The old historic centre of Málaga reaches the harbour to the south. In the north it
is surrounded by mountains, the Montes de Málaga (part of the Baetic Cordillera)
lying in the southern base of the Axarquía hills, and two rivers, the Guadalmedina
– the historic center is located on its left bank – and the Guadalhorce, which
flows west of the city into the Mediterranean, in the Churriana district.

The oldest architectural remains in the city are the walls of the Phoenician city,
which are visible in the cellar of the Museo Picasso Málaga.

The Roman theatre of Málaga, which dates from the 1st century BC, was rediscovered
in 1951.[72]

The Moors left posterity the dominating presence of the Castle of Gibralfaro, which
is connected to the Alcazaba, the lower fortress and royal residence. Both were
built during the Taifa period (11th century) and extended during the Nasrid period
(13th and 14th centuries). The Alcazaba stands on a hill within the city.
Originally, it defended the city from the incursions of pirates. Later, in the 11th
century, it was completely rebuilt by the Hammudid dynasty.[73] Occupying the
eastern hillside that rises from the sea and overlooks the city, the Alcazaba was
surrounded by palms and pine trees.

Like many of the military fortifications that were constructed in Islamic Spain,
the Alcazaba of Málaga featured a quadrangular plan. It was protected by an outer
and inner wall, both supported by rectangular towers, between which a covered
walkway led up the slope to the Gibralfaro (this was the only exchange between the
two sites). Due to its rough and awkward hillside topography, corridors throughout
the site provided a means of communications for administrative and defensive
operations, also affording privacy to the palatial residential quarters.

The entrance of the complex featured a grand tower that led into a sophisticated
double bent entrance. After passing through several gates, open yards with gardens
of pine and eucalyptus trees, and the inner wall through the Puerta de Granada, one
finds the 11th- and 14th-century Governor's palace. It was organised around a
central rectangular courtyard with a triple-arched gateway and some of the rooms
have been preserved to this day. An open 11th-century mirador (belvedere) to the
south of this area affords views of the gardens and sea below. Measuring 2.5 square
metres (27 square feet), this small structure highlighted scalloped, five-lobed
arches. To the north of this area were a waterwheel and a Cyclopean well
(penetrating forty metres or 130 feet below ground), a hammam, workshops and the
monumental Puerta de la Torre del Homenaje, the northernmost point of the inner
walls. Directly beyond was the passage to the Gibralfaro above.

The Church of Santiago (Saint James) is an example of Gothic vernacular Mudéjar,

the hybrid style that evolved after the Reconquista incorporating elements from
both Christian and Islamic tradition. Also from the period is the Iglesia del
Sagrario, which was built on the site of the old mosque immediately after the city
fell to Christian troops. It boasts a richly ornamented portal in the Isabeline-
Gothic style, unique in the city.[74]

The Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace were planned with Renaissance architectural
ideals but there was a shortfall of building funds and they were finished in
Baroque style.

The Basílica y Real Santuario de Santa María de la Victoria, built in the late 17th
century, has a chapel in which the vertical volume is filled with elaborate Baroque
plasterwork.[75]

Other sights include:[76]

Walls. Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Spanish remains of the defensive
compounds of the city.
Church of the Sacred Heart.
San Felipe Neri Church.
Church of the Holy Martyrs.
La Concepción, botanical and historical garden.[77]
Atarazanas Market.[78]
Anglican Cemetery of St. George.[79]
Palm grove and Muelle Uno. Port of Málaga.
San Miguel Cemetery.[80]
La Malagueta bullring.
Pedregalejo, old fishing district.
Calle Marques de Larios, the main shopping street of the city.
Demographics
Foreign population by country of citizenship (2020)[81]
As of 2018, the population of Málaga is 571,026, accounting for 527,463 Spanish
nationals and 43,563 foreign citizens.[82]

The number of resident foreign nationals has risen significantly in Málaga since
the 1970s. [83] As of 2020, Málaga has a foreign population of 50,080.[81]

Metropolitan area

Population density map of the Province of Málaga.

The urban area, stretching mostly along a narrow strip of coastline, has a
population of 1,066,532 on 827.33 square kilometres (319.43 sq mi) (density 1,289
inhabitants/km2 – 2012 data).[citation needed] It is formed by Málaga proper
together with the following adjacent towns and municipalities: Rincón de la
Victoria, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Alhaurín de la Torre, Mijas,
Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara. The Málaga metropolitan area includes additional
municipalities located mostly in the mountains area north of the coast and also
some on the coast: Cártama, Pizarra, Coín, Monda, Ojén, Alhaurín el Grande and
Estepona on west; Casabermeja on north; Totalán, Algarrobo, Torrox and Vélez-Málaga
eastward from Málaga; centered Málaga urban area (Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria,
Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella, Mijas) and Alhaurín de la Torre.
[citation needed]

Together about 1.3 million (max. 1.6 million[citation needed]) people live in the
Málaga metropolitan area and the number grows every year as all the municipalities
and cities of the area record an annual increase in population.

Politics and administration

Málaga City Hall

Málaga is a municipality, the basic local administrative division in Spain. The
Ayuntamiento is the body charged with the municipal government and administration.
The Plenary of the ayuntamiento is formed by 31 elected municipal councillors, who
in turn invest the mayor. The last municipal election took place on 26 May 2019.
The current mayor is Francisco de la Torre (People's Party), who has won several
mandates since becoming mayor in 2000.[84] The city hall is located at the Casona
del Parque [es], a Neo-Baroque building inaugurated in 1919.[85]

Economy

Trade Fair and Congress in Málaga (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga)

Málaga is the fourth-ranking city in economic activity in Spain behind Madrid,
Barcelona and Valencia.[10]

See also: Economy of Spain

Aerial view of the Andalusia Technology Park.

The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and
technology services, but other sectors such as transportation and logistics are
beginning to expand. The Andalusia Technology Park (PTA) (In Spanish, "Parque
Tecnológico de Andalucía"), located in Málaga, has enjoyed significant growth since
its inauguration in 1992 by the King of Spain. In 2018, this high-tech, science and
industrial park employs over 16,774 workers, according to its own numbers.[86]

In line with the city's strategic plan, the campaign "Málaga: Open for Business" is
directed towards the international promotion of the city on all levels but
fundamentally on a business level. The campaign places a special emphasis on new
technologies as well as innovation and research in order to promote the city as a
reference and focal point for many global business initiatives and projects.[87]

Málaga is a city of commerce and tourism has been a growing source of revenue,
driven by the presence of a major airport, the improvement of communications, and
new infrastructure such as the AVE and the maritime station, and new cultural
facilities such as the Picasso Museum, the Contemporary Art Centre and Trade Fair
and Congress, which have drawn more tourists.[88]

The city hosts the International Association of Science and Technology Parks (IASP)
(Asociación Internacional de Parques Tecnológicos), and a group of IT company
executives and business leaders has launched an information sector initiative,
Málaga Valley e-27, which seeks to make Málaga the Silicon Valley of Europe. Málaga
has had strong growth in new technology industries, mainly located in the
Technological Park of Andalusia, and in the construction sector. The city is home
to the largest bank in Andalusia, Unicaja, and such local companies as Mayoral,
Charanga, Sando, Vera, Ubago, Isofoton, Tedial, Novasoft, Grupo Vértice and Almeida
viajes, and other multinationals such as Fujitsu Spain, Pernod Ricard Spain,
Accenture, Epcos, Oracle Corporation, Huawei and San Miguel.[89] In February 2021,
Google decided to install a centre of excellence in cybersecurity in the city,
slated for a 2023 opening.[90] Also in 2021, Vodafone chose Málaga for the
installment of a research, development and innovation centre.[91]