GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

The Community of Aragon is one of the seventeen autonomous regions that constitute Spain and is formed by the provinces of Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, with a total of 739 municipalities (202 belong to Huesca; 236 to Teruel; and 291 to Zaragoza). It has an area of 47.650 square kilometers. The province of Zaragoza is the biggest one with 17.252 square kilometers, followed by Huesca with 15.613 and Teruel with 14.785. In size, Aragon is the fourth bigger Autonomous Community in Spain and occupies the 9,42 percent of the Spanish territory.

Aragón border on France in the north, Navarre, La Rioja, Soria, Guadalajara and Cuenca in the west, Valencia and Cuenca in the south and Castellón, Lérida and Tarragona in the east. In this way, their bordering Communities are Catalonia, Castille-La Mancha, Castille and Leon, La Rioja, Navarre and Valencia.

THE AGRICULTURAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCHOOL of Huesca is located at 3 Km from the built-up area of Huesca, in the confluence of the motorway Zaragoza-Huesca E-7, National 330, with the local road to Cuarte.

0.- Vicerrectorado del Campus de Huesca. 1 y 2.- E. U. de Profesorado de E. G. B. 3.-  Facultad de Huesca. 4.- Escuela Politécnica Superior 5.- E. U. de Estudios Empresariales. 6.- Colegio Mayor Ramón Acín

The city of Huesca, with an altitude of 460 metres, is situated in the southern base of the prepyrenean foothills, the mountain ranges of Gratal and Guara in the transition toward the lands of Monegros situated in the south.

Its climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters, although smoother winters than in the low points of the aragonese Ebro Valley. The rainfall reaches the 500 mm. and the average temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. The north wind and the fogs, typical of the Ebro Valley, are mitigated due to the proximity of the Prepyrenean hills and by the height. The snow is occasional, although it sometimes remains during the winter in the crest of the Guara peak.

In the Valley of the same name, the city stands on a small hill, whose top are found the Cathedral and the City Hall where the Iberian city was found, which subsequently was romanized and islamized, enclosured by the Walls of the Cosos.

Outside the Walls, the modern city is found, in a sequence of neighbourhoods that go from the medieval populations to the different extensions of the 20th century.

The Miguel Servet Park takes up a wide area of the town centre, which complements its green spaces with The Perpetuo Socorro Park and The Isuela Park as well as the pine groves of the hill of San Jorge.

This environmental offer is complemented with an extensive variety of possibilities in its surroundings. Thus we can mention the castles of Montearagón and Loarre, the medieval city of Alquézar, the mallets of Riglos and Vadiello or the old reservoir of Arguis.

   

Ornithology is an important chapter in Huesca, where bird-watching posts and recommended places exist in Valdabra, pools of Cortés and Loreto and in the mallets of Salto de Roldán.

Huesca is a quiet city, friendly and with a high quality of life, as the proximity and quality of many of the basic services show. Currently it has a population of near 50.000 inhabitants. Its economy centres on the administration, agriculture and services, with an industrial sector recovering slowly. As entry to the Pyrenees, the city is situated in a junction of communications, between the Ebro Valley and the Pyrenees and between Navarre and Catalonia. It is connected with Zaragoza by main road and in the future it will be also connected with Lérida and Pamplona. The railway of Canfranc, today in decadence, connects the Ebro Valley with the French border too.

Despite its limited population, it has an intense cultural activity, with two museums and several exhibition rooms, as well as a conservatory of music. Among the activities that are annually organized in the city, it's worth highlighting the International Contest of Short Films, twenty-seven editions, the Sample of Theatre that is celebrated in autumn, the International Fair of Theatre, with an important participation of groups of various countries, ethnic and ancient music recitals, as well as other activities organized by the Peñas Recreativas Oscenses: movies-forum, concerts, etc.

Since the antiquity, the city has been defined by a great educational vocation. It had its own University (Universidad Sertoriana) for several centuries and currently has various university institutions, with clear aspirations to increase the quality and quantity of its degrees.

From an agricultural point of view, Huesca is situated in the area around the canal of the Cinca and forms part of a zone with strong cereal production in dry and irrigated farming that supplies several flour factories. In its near area,it exists an extensive livestock raising activity, in pork and poultry.

Inside the services sector, besides those supporting the farm sector, it's worth emphasizing the restaurant industry and adventure sports. A series of restaurants present an attractive gastronomic offer. On the other hand, Huesca is the perfect place for the followers of adventure and nature sports.

From nearby Monflorite, gliding may be pacticed, rafting in the Gállego river and the Ara river, sport climbing in the rocodromo of the Perpetuo Socorro and in the nearby schools of Riglos and Vadiello, golf in Nueno, paragliding in Loarre and Tiacuto, ultralight aircraft in Tardienta, horse activity, camel riding, rambling, etc.