Barcelona (province)
province in Catalonia, Spain
The Province of Barcelona is one of the four provinces of Catalonia, centred around the Catalan capital Barcelona. Dominated by its capital, it features both an extensive Mediterranean coast with many popular beach resorts, as well as a mountain range rising far over 1,000 m in the immediate vicinity of the coast. Owing to Barcelona again, this is one of the most visited regions of Europe, with a wide network of connections both within the continent and beyond.
Besides being a major tourist destination, the Province of Barcelona is also very successful economically and quite affluent, less affected by the crises that plagued the rest of Spain. Much of the Province's area, especially close to the coastline, is heavily urbanised and industrialised, with factories (including the headquarters and main plant of the Spanish car brand SEAT) sitting side by side with tourist resorts, and the Port of Barcelona being a major commercial port.