Alhaurin de la Torre

The municipality covers an area of 82 km ²
between the Sierra de Mijas and the Hoya de Malaga, and is crossed by the river
Guadalhorce. It is the most populous region of Guadalhorce and the third
biggest in the province, with 33,567 inhabitants, behind Antequera and Ronda.

Alhaurin de la Torre saw a notable rise in population in the
90s due the expansion of the metropolitan area of Malaga. The population density is 409.35
inhabitants / km ²

The city was origionaly founded by the Phoenicians, mainly from Libya.
Since 1991, it is the location of the provincial prison in Malaga, on the outskirts of the town.

The town is located at the bottom of Mount
Jabalcuza, which is the
highest peak in the municipality.

Robins, starling, owls, sparrows and hawks such as kestrels,
and many other birds are often seen flying over the landscape. As for mammals
these include many hares, the dormouse and some wild mountain goats and
foxes.  

The exploitation of the mountain due to its large limestone quarries, which
supply aggregates to the region foe construction, is the main environmental
problem in Alhaurin de la Torre, because of the extensive destruction of the
landscape that it produces.

The township sits between the Sierra de Mijas, with its pine
tree and oak covered mountains belonging to the Cordillera Penibetica and the
Hoya de Malaga, alluvial depression formed by the Guadalhorce river, which
irrigates the whole region and which is occupied by numerous orchards. 

Alhaurin de la Torre is located by the co-ordinates 36 ° 40′0 "N 4 °
33′0" W / 36.66667, -4.55, to 99 masl. It borders the towns of Malaga to the east, north
Cartama, Torremolinos Mijas, Benalmadena and Alhaurin el Grande
The hydrography of Alhaurin de la Torre is weak
in terms of river flow. But includes the passage of the Guadalhorce river
through the town along with numerous streams, most are very dry or very little
flow.   

Alhaurin of climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild
winters without snow, except sometimes in the mountains. Temperatures are mild,
with 17.0 ° C on average and more than 320 days of sunshine a year (2920 hours
sunshine per year on average). In summer, temperatures have reached over 40 ° C
on several occasions. The rainfall is generally scarce but torrential when it
does come, with an average of 550 l/m2.

This topic is often the subject of numerous demonstrations
and mobilizations of neighbors calling the cessation of quarrying in the area.
Because of these problems, setting up the Platform of Defense Health and Sierra
(PDSS), indefense of the Sierra de Mijas, from the quarries that threaten the
towns

Another major environmental problems in Alhaurin de la Torre is the diversion
of streams and land occupation by the uncontrolled construction of buildings
and housing developments, although at present the construction in the area has
been hampered by the economic crisis of 2008.

It has a population of 33,567 inhabitants, which results in a population
density of 409.35 inhabitants per km ². It is the most populous city of the
Valle del Guadalhorce, ahead of other places like Alhaurin el Grande (22,785
inhabitants), Coin (21,484 inhabitants), or Alora (13,436 inhabitants), and is
the third most populous municipality of the interior and the twelfth of the
total of the province.

The population of Alhaurin de la Torre is on the rise due to expanding
metropolitan area of Malaga,
from 12,874 inhabitants in 1991 to 30,281 in 2006. As for the foreign
population, it has also increased the number, the census, noting the residents
from many countries most notably the UK
and China.

Vegetation consists of pine, oak and plenty of
Mediterranean scrub, like thyme, rosemary, palmetto, fennel and esparto. Pine
forests in the lower areas of the mountain are often accompanied by carob and
olive trees. Coscoja, lentiscus, juniper, cornicabra, Torviscas and the
accompanying rockrose oak. Floral vegetation is very diverse, including
jasmine, geranium and rose due to the many existing parks and gardens. In the
mountains are the orchids.

Alhaurin de la Torre is a municipality located
18 kilometers from the provincial capital Malaga
in the region of the Guadalhorce Valley and in turn within the metropolitan area of Malaga and the judicial
district No. 3