Jerez de la Frontera

With a population of 214,844, Jerez de la Frontera is the most populated municipality in the province of Cádiz, and the fifth in Andalusia. The municipality covers an area of 1,188.14 km2 (458.74 sq mi) and includes Los Alcornocales Natural Park.

The area's record of human presence includes the nearby site of Asta Regia with occupation since perhaps the Atlantic Bronze Age up to the 10th century. Information about the current settlement is scarce before the 12th century under the Almohads, when it grew into the largest urban centre in between Seville and the Strait of Gibraltar. Jerez was conquered by the Crown of Castile in 1261. Winegrowing has long been Jerez's primary economic driver, particularly with the transition to modern agro-extractivism in the mid-18th century. Jerez and its surroundings are noted for the production of local grapes into Sherry wines. For most of the 19th century, the local wine was overwhelmingly produced for foreign export, preeminently catering to the British market. In this period, the city gained a reputation as a paradigm for large landowners and high levels of social inequality, as well as its winery-related identity.

Since 1987, Grand Prix motorcycle racing has been held at the Circuito de Jerez in early May. The circuit has also hosted several Formula One Grands Prix, including the 1997 European Grand Prix, which decided the 1997 Formula One World Championship.