Jaén is a province of southern Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Córdoba, Ciudad Real, Albacete, and Granada. Its capital is Jaén city.

Its area is 13,484 km². Its population is 657,387 (2003), of whom just about one-sixth live in the capital, and its population density is 48.01/km².

Although it is one of the least known provinces of Spain, it has many interesting sights. Jaén has four national parks. Sierras de Cazorla Natural Park at 209,920ha is larger than the whole region of La Rioja. The province also contains two important Renaissance cities, Úbeda and Baeza. These two cities, with a quiet and relaxing atmosphere, have been recently declared Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

To the south-west, nearer to Granada than Jaen, is Alcala La Real which has an impressive fortress which dominates the town. Worth a visit, particularly on Tuesday, when there is a large open air market.

Jaén is particularly famous for olive oil production. Olive trees dominate the landscape. The province is one of the largest producers of olive oil in the world and accounts for 60 per cent of Spanish production.

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