Aragón

I

Introduction

Aragón, autonomous region and former kingdom, north-eastern Spain, bordered on the north by France, on the east by Catalonia, on the south-east by Valencia, on the south-west by Castilla-La Mancha, and on the west by Castilla-León, La Rioja, and Navarra. The region is composed of the provinces of Huesca, Saragossa, and Teruel. The fourth largest of Spain’s autonomous regions, Aragón covers an area of 47,720 sq km (18,425 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

The Pyrenees Mountains form the region’s northern border with France. Important peaks in northern Aragón include Aneto Peak (3,404 m/11,168 ft), the loftiest point in the chain; Mount Perdido (3,355 m/11,007 ft); and Vignemale (3,298 m/10,820 ft). The mountain landscape around Mount Perdido (Perdu) contains two of Europe's deepest and largest canyons and several noteworthy cirque (corrie) formations; it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed in 1997, extended in 1999). The Ebro River follows a south-eastern course across the region, flowing through the city of Saragossa. Three of the Ebro’s tributaries—the Jalón, Huerva, and Guadalope rivers—are particularly important waterways flowing towards the south of the region. In the north, the principal rivers are the Cinca, the Arba, and the Gállego.

The Ordesa and Mount Perdido National Park, established in 1918, covers an area of 156 sq km (60 sq mi). The park was home to the world’s last remaining herd of Pyrenean mountain goats (also known locally as bucardos), until the species became extinct in 2000.

III

Population

Aragón has a population of 1,296,655 (2007); with an average population density of 26 people per sq km (67 per sq mi)—one of the lowest in Europe. The regional capital is the city of Saragossa (population, 2007, 654,390). Other important cities include Huesca (2007, 49,819) and Teruel (2007, 34,236). The region is subdivided into 33 comarcas (counties).

In addition to Spanish, Aragonese also holds official language status in the region. Aragonese, a Romance language, is spoken as a first language by around 11,000 people, concentrated mainly in Huesca Province, in the valleys of the Pyrenees. Catalan is also spoken in some parts of Aragón. The University of Saragossa (1533) is the region’s leading institution of higher education. The history and culture of Aragón are well documented at heritage sites across the region. The 13th-century Mudéjar architecture of Teruel in Spain was granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1986. An important Roman Catholic pilgrimage route runs through the region. Begun in ad 813 with the discovery of the tomb of St James the Great in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, in Galicia, the Way of St James (which begins in the Pyrenees in southern France, and passes through the Spanish regions of Aragón, Navarra, La Rioja, and Castilla-Léon) was heavily travelled during the 11th and 12th centuries, and several inns and monasteries along the route were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993.

IV

Economy

The economy of Aragón is based around industrial activity and manufacturing; the leading sectors are the motor industry, and the manufacturing of machinery and electrical goods. Textiles, glass, cement, and refined sugar are also produced. Agriculture is of some importance; the chief products are cereal crops and grapes. A large winemaking region is located to the south-west of Saragossa. Tourism is well developed in the region, and many popular ski resorts are located in northern Aragón in the Spanish Pyrenees.