Martos

Martos is a city that belongs to the province of Jaen, located in the south of Spain, specifically in the eastern part of the Andalusia region.

 

The province of Jaen has an area of ​​14,496 km2, which represents 16.6% of the Andalusian territory and 2.9% of the Spanish territory.

 

Regarding the municipality, the territorial extension of Martos is 259.10 km2, the eleventh largest municipality in Jaen (of the 97 that make up the province).

The municipal term of Martos includes the following annexes: Monte Lope Alvarez, Casillas, Carrasca, Villarbajo and Fuente del Espino.

The geographical location of the main urban centre is (according to coordinates and altitude):

 

• Longitude: 3 ° 58’West

• Latitude: 37 ° 43 ’North

• Altitude above sea level: 740 meters. (Martos has an altitude of 725 meters in the Plaza de la Constitucion, reaching 1003 meters at the top of La Peña).

 

Martos, in the south of the province of Jaen, is one of the largest towns in Jaen, located 24 kilometres from the provincial capital.

The population of Martos has experienced population growth in recent years. For example, in 2017 it registered a growth of more than fifty people, since the number of inhabitants as of January 1 of the year was 24,254 and on December 31 it closed with 24,318 inhabitants.

In other cities there is the problem of depopulation, while Martos continues to grow thanks, in part, to an important work to purge the municipal register of inhabitants, also carried out in recent years.

Although the name of the municipality is Martos, the truth is that in the area the adjective “Ciudad de la Peña” is used because it is located on a rock known as “Peña de Martos”. This fact has caused the municipality to have a fairly rugged orography, making it the perfect place for lovers of mountainous terrain. Some of the most prominent peaks are the Sierra de Caracolera with 1,340 meters above sea level or the Sierra de la Grana with 1,254.

 

 

 

1. Economy

Historically, the economy of Martos has revolved around the agricultural sector, due to the richness and diversity of its natural environment, based on which the population has found its main source of survival.

Currently, the economy is based on two main productive axes: agricultural and industrial, with a large presence of the latter in the municipality.

 

 

 

2. Agriculture

The main land use in Martos is for agriculture. Martos has 2,969 agricultural developments, of which 98% are privately owned and companies own the remaining 2%.

Martos is considered the world’s largest producer of olive oil. Almost the entire agricultural land is occupied by the olive grove that, with 22 thousand cultivated hectares, is capable of offering 1,174 annual work units, with a variety of olives typical of the locality, the “picual” or “marteña”.

In this sense, the activity related to the production of oils has been developed, since in the municipality there are numerous cooperatives of producers, private oil mills, pomace extractors, and olive oil bottling plants.

The Martos olive grove is characterized by being traditionally cultivated, mainly in dry land, although drip irrigation systems are gradually being installed in a large number of farms, a high level of mechanization and a shortage of organic crops.

According to data from the 2009 Agricultural Census, in that year in Martos there were 18 organic farms, 11 that follow qualified organic production methods (with an area of ​​44.91 hectares) and 7 in the period of conversion to organic farming (with an area of ​​38.62 hectares). The dominant organic crop is the organic olive grove.

 

3. industry

The industrial tradition of Martos has been established at least since the 16th century, its most notable examples being the many flour and oil mills that were in Martos and its surroundings. In this proto-industry, the manufacture of fabrics also stood out, especially those made of linen.

At the dawn of the 20th century, electricity made a substantial improvement in almost all industrial processes. In addition, the arrival of the Railroad would also be decisive. Both factors propelled a small Industrial Revolution, creating in Martos a good number of industrial establishments of varied size and activity.

The predominant sector, which largely subsists today, was oil, although there was also a notable representation of industries that took advantage of oil by-products. Other equally important agri-food companies were those that were dedicated to the production of flour.

The production of ceramics was another of the pillars of the Martos industry. In them, objects for domestic use were preferably manufactured: jars, pitchers and flowerpots. The largest potteries were dedicated to building materials. There were also brick factories and others that produced hydraulic tiles.

In the field of construction there is also one of the most prominent sectors of this emerging industry in Martos, natural cement. Since the middle of the 19th century and throughout a good part of the last century, cement that was highly appreciated in Andalusia and other neighbouring regions was industrially produced in Martos. Its high quality led to the establishment of several companies dedicated to its extraction and commercialization.

The development of the industrial sector in Martos has been remarkable thanks to the automobile industry. In the 1970s, the French multinational Valeo, a lighting division, was installed in Martos, dedicated to the manufacture and design of car projectors and lights. This event led to the construction of the recently expanded “Cañada de la Fuente” industrial estate.

There are also other industries in the metal industry. Some for machinery manufacturing and especially one for metal processing.

It is worth mentioning other industrial activities, among which are the chemical industry, plastics manufacturing, the ceramic industry, the manufacture of clothing and the manufacture of wooden furniture, although to a lesser extent.

The growth of the plastics industry has made Martos the epicentre of the technical plastics sector in Andalusia with the introduction of the plastics technology centre.

 

4. Tourism

As for tourism, the name “Cradle of the olive grove”, due to the great production of olive oil, together with the Olive Festival, has forged an incipient tourist attraction.

Martos has a great cultural and natural heritage and outstanding fairs and festivals.

The celebration of its Easter, declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest of Andalusia, stands out, as well as the pilgrimage of the Virgen de la Victoria, which has generated a considerable flow of tourism in Martos, which represents an important source of income for the city.