- Lérida
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/le"rddee dhah/, n.a city in NE Spain. 90,884.
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provincia, in the comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It was bounded by France and Andorra to the north and by the provincias of Gerona and Barcelona (east), Tarragona (south), and Zaragoza and Huesca (west). It was formed in 1833 with an area of 4,644 square miles (12,028 square km). With Barcelona, Gerona, and Tarragona, Lérida became one of the four provinces of the newly created autonomous region of Catalonia in 1979.The northern half lies within the Mediterranean sector of the Pyrenees Mountains and contains some of the finest scenery in the whole Pyrenean chain, including the valleys of Aran and Cerdaña and large tracts of forest. It is watered by many rivers, the largest of which is the Segre, a left-bank tributary of the Ebro, with important hydroelectric power developments.The southern half, in contrast, is a rolling, well-irrigated plain stretching to the Ebro. Agriculture is well mechanized, and the province does a thriving trade in wine, wool, timber, and cattle, but the importance of the traditional mule and horse trade is diminishing.The olive oil produced in the town of Borjas Blancas is known for its purity. Fruits, especially pears and lemons, are exported. Industrial development is slight, centred on the provincial capital, Lérida city. Seo de Urgel, near the headwaters of the Segre, is an episcopal see with a close historical connection with Andorra. Pop. (1988 est.) 354,026.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
