Many Americans are familiar with the city of Valencia because of Valencian oranges, which you can find at your local supermarket. It’s true. Valencia’s main export is oranges. Between the city and the mountains, you can find miles and miles of orange groves surrounding the city. Even within the city center, orange trees are planted on almost every road you walk down.
Valencia’s location on the Mediterranean Sea provides many resources for the people who live here. Locals take advantage of the abundance of amazing seafood to eat or to sell in local markets and restaurants. Valencia’s port is the largest on the Mediterranean and handles nearly 30% of all of Spain’s exports. Because of this, most goods are easily accessible to the people who live here. Valencia is also the third largest city in Spain, behind Madrid and Barcelona. Particularly during the summer, large numbers of tourists travel here to experience the scenic beaches and take in the city’s rich history. This allows locals to make money by selling souvenirs and tours.
Valencia is a very environmentally conscious city. Many of the lights in stairwells and hallways are on timers that switch off after a minute of use to conserve energy. However, a recent problem mentioned in the news here is the amount of air pollution in the city. As with any major city, an abundance of smog builds up with the large number of cars and buses traveling the roads each day. Each vehicle emits harmful fumes into the air every time it is driven. Furthermore, smoking is also very common throughout all of Spain.
