Valencia, Spain, the capital of Valencia province. Valencia is a port city lying in eastern Spain about two miles (3 km) from the mouth of the Turia River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Palms, masses of flowers, fountains, and buildings brightly roofed with blue and white tiles give Valencia unusual beauty.
The climate is mild. There is little rain, but irrigation canals, many built by the Moors in the eighth century, water the city and surrounding fertile plain. Valencia exports the region's grapes, olive oil, rice, and fruits. The Valencia orange was one of the chief types introduced into Florida by Spanish explorers. Mulberry groves support the city's large silk industry. Valencia's many industries, largely developed in the 20th century, include chemicals, machinery, furniture, and pottery. There are also large shipyards.
The Romans founded Valencia as a colony about 200 B.C. The Goths seized it in the fifth century. Moors held it from the eighth century until the Cid took it in 1094. Its university was founded about 1500. In the Spanish Civil War Valencia was the Loyalist capital, 1936-37.