Don Benito
Don Benito | |||
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Municipality | |||
Parish church of San Juan | |||
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Don Benito Location in Extremadura | |||
Coordinates: 38°57′16.3″N 5°51′42.2″W / 38.954528°N 5.861722°WCoordinates: 38°57′16.3″N 5°51′42.2″W / 38.954528°N 5.861722°W | |||
Country | Spain | ||
Autonomous Community | Extremadura | ||
Province | Badajoz | ||
Comarca | Las Vegas Altas | ||
Founded | 15th century | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Jose Luis Quintana Álvarez (PSOE-Extremadura) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 561,6 km2 (2,168 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 280 m (920 ft) | ||
Population (2014) | |||
• Total | 37,011 | ||
• Density | 6.6/km2 (17/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (GMT +2) (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 06400 | ||
Area code(s) | +34 (Spain) + 924 (Badajoz) | ||
Website | Official website |
Don Benito is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, near the left bank of the Guadiana river. According to the 2014 census,[1] the municipality has a population of 37,011 inhabitants.
History
Don Benito dates from the 15th century, when it was founded by refugees from Don Llorente, who deserted their own town due to the danger of floods from the Guadiana.[2]
Battle of Medellín
On 28 March 1809, the 9 km separating Don Benito from Medellín was the site of a major French victory against Spanish troops during the Peninsular War.
Geography
Don Benito has 37,048 inhabitants, and is part of an urban area with Villanueva de la Serena (26,071 inhabitants) 5 km away.
The municipality is composed by the town of Don Benito and seven villages:
Settlement | Population (2012) |
---|---|
Don Benito | 32,783 |
Conquista del Guadiana | 133 |
Gargáligas | 549 |
Hernán Cortés | 921 |
Ruecas | 718 |
El Torviscal | 549 |
Valdehornillos | 664 |
Vivares | 731 |
Demographics
Transport
The town is served by a railway station on the Ciudad Real-Badajoz railway, part of an international line that links Madrid with Lisbon. It has been interested, along with the nearby Villanueva de la Serena, by a project of a tramway, not yet finalized.[3][4] The town is also the southern terminus of the EXA2 motorway from Miajadas.
Personalities
- Florinda Chico (1926-2011), actress
- Jesús Gil Manzano (b. 1984), referee
- Juanma Gómez (b. 1981), footballer
Twin towns
- Fquih Ben Salah, Morocco
References
- ↑ Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)
- ↑ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Don Beníto". Encyclopædia Britannica. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 411.
- ↑ (Spanish) "The circular tramway Don Benito-Villanueva in the future". El Periódico Extremadura, 29-9-2007
- ↑ (Spanish) "The project of the Don Benito-Villanueva tramway will be taken by the regional board". Hoy, 12-2-2008
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Don Benito. |
- (Spanish) Don Benito official website
- (Spanish) Roman Villa of La Majona in Don Benito