El Raal

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El Raal is a village and district in Murcia, Spain, belonging to the Murcia municipality. It sits in the northern Huerta de Murcia region, in a low‑lying area near the coast, about 10.8 km from Murcia city. Evidence of people here before the Middle Ages is scarce, and the area’s history is closely tied to the Segura River and its irrigation canals. The first written mentions come from 1257 and 1271, with a 1452 tax record also noted. In the early 1800s, during the Trienio Liberal, El Raal briefly had its own local government under the name Villa Constitucional de El Raal de Teatinos, lasting three years. The 20th century saw population growth: 1,559 inhabitants in 1900, about 3,367 in 1940, 5,171 in 1963, 3,958 in 1972, and 5,132 in 1996. By 2013, the population was 6,211. About 19.5% of residents are foreigners (roughly 4.9% from Europe, 12.9% from Africa, 1.6% from the Americas, and 0.2% from Asia). El Raal lies at about 31 meters above sea level.