The Province of Málaga (Spanish: Provincia de Málaga, Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmalaɣa]) is located on the southern mediterranean coast of Spain, in Andalusia. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the South and by the provinces of Cádiz, Granada, Córdoba and Seville.

Overview

Its area is 7,308 km² and its population is 1,652,999 (2013), which is concentrated mainly in the metropolitan area of Málaga, province capital, and throughout the coastal area. The population density surpasses both the Andalusia and Spanish averages, reaching 222.53 hab/km². Málaga contains 102 municipalities. Besides the capital, its main cities are Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Vélez-Málaga, Torremolinos, Estepona and Benalmádena, all in the coastal zone. The towns of Antequera and Ronda, are located in the interior.

The prevailing climate is a warm Mediterranean with dry and warm long summers with short mild winters. The geographical relief varies greatly from zone to zone. In general, the coastal zone has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. To the north, a Continental Mediterranean climate exists with cold, dry winters and warm summers.

Málaga (/ˈmæləɡə/, Spanish: [ˈmalaɣa]) is a municipality, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,479 in 2013, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. The southernmost large city in Europe, it lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean, about 100 km (62.14 mi) east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km (80.78 mi) north of Africa.

Málaga's history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded by the Phoenicians as Malaka about 770 BC, and from the 6th century BC was under the hegemony of Ancient Carthage. Then, from 218 BC, it was ruled by the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire as Malaca (Latin). After the fall of the empire, it was under Islamic domination as Mālaqah (مالقة) for 800 years, but in 1487, it again came under Christian rule in the Reconquista. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an "open museum", displaying its history of more than 3,000 years.

Malaga is a sweet fortified wine originating in the Spanish city of Málaga made from Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes. The center of Malaga production is Sierra de Almijara, along with Antequera, Archidona, San Pedro Alcantara, Velez Malaga and Competa. The winemaking history in Malaga and the nearby mountains is one of the oldest in Europe. However, like many of the world’s great dessert wines, demand fell dramatically in the 20th century and it was feared that this wine would soon become extinct. There is now a recent surge in interest in these sweet wines, and Malaga wines are finding their place on the world stage. The main wine villages of this beautiful appellation include Frigiliana and Vélez. There are many red and white varietals grown, but the only ones used for dessert wines are the Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel.

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Málaga is one of the 52 electoral districts (circunscripciones) used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. It was first contested in modern times in the 1977 General Election. It is the sixth largest district in terms of electorate.

Boundaries and electoral system

Under Article 68 of the Spanish constitution the boundaries must be the same as the province of Málaga and under Article 140 this can only be altered with the approval of congress. Voting is on the basis of universal suffrage in a secret ballot. The electoral system used is closed list proportional representation with seats allocated using the D'Hondt method. Only lists which poll 3% or more of all valid votes cast, including votes "en blanco" i.e. for "none of the above" can be considered for seats. Under article 12 of the constitution, the minimum voting age is 18.

Eligibility

Article 67.3 of the Spanish Constitution prohibits dual membership of the Cortes and regional assemblies, meaning that candidates must resign from Regional Assemblies if elected. Article 70 also makes active judges, magistrates, public defenders, serving military personnel, active police officers and members of constitutional and electoral tribunals ineligible.