Albacete
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| Albacete, Spain | |
| Nickname: "'Albaceteños'" | |
 |
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| Municipality | Albacete |
|---|---|
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Manuel Pérez Castel (PSOE) |
| Area | |
| - City | 1,141.40 km² (440.7 sq mi) |
| - Land | 1,141.40 km² (440.7 sq mi) |
| - Water | 0.00 km² (0 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 159,518 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Website: http://www.albacete.com/ | |
Albacete its origins is derived from Arabic Al Basita (the plain, or the simple). البسيطة .It is a city an municipality in southeastern Spain, 173 miles southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of 152,115 in 2002.
The settlement was named Al-Basita, "the simple," by the Arabs. The city has been known as a center for the manufacture of fine daggers, scissors, and knives. An assembly plant of Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS, is currently under construction and will begin operating in 2007.
Although Albacete has never been considered a city with industrial tradition, the industrial area in the city, known as Polígono de Campollano, has recently been expanded as it's one of the biggest industrial concentrations in Spain. The local government is pushing to make Albacete a logistic center in the Southeastern part of Spain but its efforts have not had positive results yet.
Albacete, together with Ciudad Real, has one of the main campuses of the University of Castilla la Mancha. It's estimated that between 9000 and 10000 students study at any of the schools that the regional university has at this moment in the city.
Albacete is not known as a tourist destination, but its sights include the new cathedral and the Museo de Albacete.
During the Spanish Civil War, it was the headquarters and training camp of the International Brigades.
Albacete is home to the football team Albacete Balompié.
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