Castilla-León

I

Introduction

Castilla-León or Castile-León, an autonomous region, northern-central Spain, with an area of 94,224 sq km (36,380 sq mi). Landlocked, it is surrounded by the region of Cantabria to the north, the Basque Country (País Vasco) to the north-east, La Rioja to the north-east, Aragón to the east, Castilla-La Mancha in the south-east, Madrid to the south-east, and Extremadura to the south. The republic of Portugal is located to the south-west and west, Galicia to the west and north-west, and Asturias to the north-west and north. The largest of the Spanish regions, it is divided into nine provinces: Avila, Burgos, León, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid, and Zamora. Condado de Treviño, a small enclave of the Basque Country to the south of Vitoria, is administratively part of Burgos Province.

II

Physical Geography

Most of Castilla-León is located on an elevated central plateau, the Meseta Central, which has an average height of 610 m (2,000 ft) above sea level. This produces great extremes of summer and winter temperatures. In the south-east, the Guadarrama Mountains form a natural border with the Madrid Region and contain substantial pine forests. The western part of the Picos de Europa massif extends across the north of the region, including a small section of the Montaña de Covadonga National Park (designated in 1918, Spain’s first national park). Also to the north are the Cantabrian Mountains. The River Duero (in Portuguese, Douro) cuts across Castilla-León from east to west, while the River Ebro flows across the north of the region. A short distance from the Portuguese border is the Lago de Sanabria, a large glacial lake.

III

Population

Castilla-León has 2,487,646 inhabitants (2003 estimate), with an average population density of 26 people per sq km (67 per sq mi). The principal cities of the region are Valladolid, the capital (population, 2006 estimate, 319,943); Burgos (2006 estimate, 173,676); Salamanca (2006 estimate, 159,754); and León (2006 estimate, 136,985).

Castilian Spanish is the main language although the Leonese dialect is spoken in some parts of Castilla-León. An important Roman Catholic pilgrimage route leading to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, passes through the region. The Gothic-style Cathedral of Burgos, begun in 1221 and completed in 1567, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Monuments and ancient buildings in the cities of Segovia, Ávila, and Salamanca are also inscribed on the World Heritage List. The region’s most important archaeological site is Atapuerca, where more than 24 human fossils, dating from between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, have been excavated. The University of Salamanca, established in 1218, is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in Europe. Other universities in the region include the University of Valladolid (1346), the University of Burgos (1994), and the University of León (1979).

IV

Economy

Agriculture is the principal economic activity and wheat, sugar beet, beans, and potatoes are the main crops. Livestock-raising is also important, with sheep, dairy, and beef farming common. The larger towns have some industry, such as vehicle manufacture, paper and fertilizer production, and mining. Forestry is conducted in the mountainous areas of the region, while in the western and south-western provinces hydroelectricity is generated.