For hundreds of years, Spain has played a crucial role on the world stage. The discovery of America and the Inquisition, bullfighting and flamenco, Goya and Picasso - this is only a small part of its glorious past and present. The curious features of the country include its administrative structure. So, the provinces of Spain, the list of which includes 50 names, are combined into 17 autonomies. Each is like a state in a state. I must say that the province in Spain is not a region remote from the capital with all the consequences, but a large territorial unit, whose representatives are members of the country's legislative bodies. Now they have somewhat lost their former significance, but still the Spaniards use their names to specify the postal address, telephone and selective codes. In addition, in Spain there are 2 autonomous cities located in Africa. This is Melilla and Ceuta.
Andalusia
Spain, whose provinces occupy part of the continent and several islands, is the southern country of Europe. Andalusia is located in the very south of its mainland. The Strait of Gibraltar is separated from Africa. It also delimits the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, which wash the southwestern shores of Andalusia. Once it was inhabited by African tribes. It was in Andalusia that the remains of people who lived here more than one and a half million years ago were found. Since the 700s of our era, an Arab-Islamic state has existed on its territory. Andalusia includes the most famous provinces of Spain. The list includes 8 items: Almeria, Cordoba, beautiful Seville, Jaen, Malaga, Huelva, glorious Granada and Cadiz. Their capitals are also called.
Each province of the district is distinctive and unique. Almeria is the least touristy and the richest in unique virgin beaches. There is also a nature reserve with the interesting name of Cabo de Gata. Almeria is famous not only for its unique landscapes and diverse fauna, but also for the Moorish fortress of Alcazaba, the village of La Chanka with cave houses equipped with the latest technology, mini-Hollywood, where fascinating performances take place. Cadiz - a charming province in southern Spain - is distinguished by a special original architecture, Doñana Nature Reserve, an abundance of wonderful bays and beaches. Seville is not only the largest transport hub in the country, but also the birthplace of Figaro, Carmen, Don Juan, as well as a place where incendiary flamenco reigns. Granada is remembered by tourists for its Alhambra complex, the Nasaries Palace, the gardens of the Generalife, the Royal Chapel. Many people know Cordoba thanks to the town of Montilla, famous for its wines. Jaen - the pearl of Andalusia - impresses with its endless olive groves and rich architectural monuments. Huelva, closely associated with Christopher Columbus, is liked not only by lovers of antiquity, but also by golf lovers. Well, Malaga is famous for its resorts and unique natural monuments.
Neighbors of Andalusia
This wonderful county borders with Portugal and the three Spanish regions. In the northwest it is Extremadura with the capital Merida. It is noteworthy that even at the dawn of our era, when the ancient Roman province of Louisitania was located on the site of the current Estramadura, its capital was still the same Merida. In 1812, when Russia opposed Napoleon, bloody battles also took place on the territory of Estramadura. One of them ended in the fall of the city of Badajoz. Today it is the capital and at the same time historical province of Spain, located in the southwest of Extremadura. The second province in this county is Cáceres. It is also called its capital, founded at the beginning of the 1st century and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the northeast, Andalusia borders on the district of Murcia, named after the mulberries, who grew here in abundance and sound in Latin like Murtae. This district consists of only one province of the same name, the capital of which bears the same name - Murcia. She is nearly 1,200 years old, so lovers of historical and architectural ensembles here are always interested. In addition to attractions, the city is famous for its festivals and fairs.
The northern neighbor of Andalusia is the district of Castile la Mancha with the capital of Toledo, which Spain is proud of. The provinces of the district are Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and all the same Toledo. Now the archbishop center is located in the famous capital of the okrug and the province, and once there was the residence of the Castilian kings. Toledo became famous for its high-quality swords, and there are so many unique monuments of history and architecture that this city was included in the World Heritage List. The cathedral, the Toledo Alcazar, the Roman aqueduct, the synagogue del Transito, the castle of San Servando are just some of the pearls of Spain that tourists are eager to see. Toledo is also interesting because the famous El Greco, the blessed Mary of Jesus, Pedro Machuca lived here.
Madrid
Many provinces of Spain and their capitals have the same name. Madrid is also the capital of the entire state. In addition, the Autonomous Okrug bears the same name, one of the smallest in size and largest in value. He became the capital in 1561, when King Philip II moved his residence here. The city is divided into 21 districts, each of which has its own zest. Dozens of hotels of different levels, hundreds of first-class restaurants, nightclubs, many museums, the most famous of which are the Prado, art galleries, architectural monuments and, of course, bullfighting, are waiting for tourists. The Royal Palace, Encarnacion Monastery, Retiro Park, the Cathedral and the delightful Madrid Squares also enjoy great attention.
Castile and Lyon
If Madrid is one of the smallest autonomous regions in terms of area, then Castile and Leon, on the contrary, occupy the largest territory. The area of the district is almost 94,000 square meters. km, 9 provinces divide among themselves - Leon, Avila, Palencia, Burgos, Salamanca, Segovia, Zamora, Soria and Valladolid, traditionally a city and province of Spain, as well as the capital of the entire autonomous region. The province of Avila and its main city of the same name have a turbulent history. Alans, vandals, Visigoths, Muslims, Christians ruled here ... Each era left its unique monuments as a legacy. Avila is a very beautiful cozy town, and its residents are unusually welcoming and hospitable. Since in the old days beautiful Spain became the scene of military operations more than once, the provinces of this country often formed where defensive fortresses were built. Burgos is one of them. Its capital is famous for the fact that there are burial places of the most famous warrior of the country Sid and his wife Jimena. The province with a very melodic name Palencia has many interesting objects, but they are all concentrated in only four blocks of its eponymous capital. Of particular note are the Cathedral, St. Paul's Monastery, the Palace of Deputies and the Church of St. Francis.
Salamanca will not disappoint tourists. After being conquered by Hannibal, she began to turn from a modest settlement into a major shopping and religious center, and now it is also a student center. And one of the most beautiful places in Castile and Leon, of course, is Segovia, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In general, every province and every city in the district boasts its own unique attractions. I would especially like to highlight Leon, which is located near the mountains of Cantabria. Once it was the capital of the kingdom, which left a special imprint on its architecture. The most famous monument of Leon is the Cathedral, also called the "House of Light". It is impossible not to mention the capital of the district - the province and at the same time the city of Valladolid. It was here that the notorious Torquemada was born. In Valladolid was the residence of Anna of Austria, the heroine of A. Dumas novels about the musketeers.
Galicia
The westernmost autonomous region of the country is Galicia. In the west and south of its coast, the Atlantic Ocean is washed, and the central and eastern parts are decorated with mountain ranges. The picturesque nature of Galicia is proud of Spain. The provinces of the county, of which there are only 4, are La Coruna, Pontevedra, Lugo and Ourense. All of them have the same main cities, and the capital of the district is Santiago de Comppostela. Once Galicia was called the end of the world. Now it is the largest tourist and resort center. Lugo was founded by the Romans about 2 thousand years ago. For about 300 years, they built a fortress wall with a unique appearance and size, thanks to which it was included in the World Heritage List. Lugo is also famous for its natural monuments, including the Sierra de Coururel mountain ranges, Sierra dos Ankares, parks, nature reserves, and beaches. Ourense is famous for its Las Bourgas thermal springs park, fountains, baths and wineries. Pontevedra is a port city, remarkable for the fact that you can admire a dozen of the most beautiful squares in it. Pontevedra was once the largest port in Spain. It was here that Christopher Columbus built his famous ship "Santa Maria".
Asturias
Asturias adjoins Galicia - a small autonomous region and at the same time a province in northern Spain. Its capital is the city of Oviedo. The natural landscapes of Asturias are approximately the same as in Galicia. Thanks to the impregnable ridges of the Cantabrian Mountains, this province has never been conquered by Muslims. The first people lived here in the Neolithic era, they left us with unique cave paintings. Asturias since the 18th century has become a center of education. Of great interest to tourists are the Museum of Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts. Supporters of beach vacations will be delighted by the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and extreme sports enthusiasts will enjoy skiing and hiking trails.
Cantabria, Navarra, Basque Country and Rioja
These small autonomous regions are located in northern Spain. The Basque country, or Basque country , includes three provinces - Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. Alava, which has no access to the coast, but is proud of its main city and at the same time the capital of the district of Vitoria, is the famous historical province of Spain. The Basque countries were inhabited by the most ancient ethnic groups - the Basques, who for a long time maintained their independence and, as a result, the original ethnic group and culture. The province of Bizkaia chose the city of Bilbao, an interesting Avant-Garde Museum, as its capital. And the capital of Gipuzkoa, the city of San Sebastian, is famous for its delightful seaside resorts and film festivals, held here since 1953.
Navarra and Cantabria are autonomous districts and provinces at the same time. Cantabria is famous for the country's largest Peak of Europe national park, as well as unique caves, where many prehistoric cave paintings have been preserved. Navarra has a mountainous terrain. It was once called Pamplona and was a strong kingdom, divided in the 16th century between Spain and France. Although most of Navarra is mountainous, it is from here that Europe passes to the grave of the Apostle Santiago the famous “Santiago Way”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rioja is a small autonomous region and province of Spain, lying south of Navarra and the Basque Country. Its capital is the city of Logrono. Rioja is located away from the coast, so there are no sea resorts here, but there are no less attractions than in neighboring provinces. The monasteries of Yuso and Suso are especially interesting, and the wine festival held in the town of Aro always attracts thousands of tourists.
Aragon
Adjacent to Navarre is the Aragon district, whose provinces are Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel with the capitals of the same name. Aragon was once a separate kingdom, including Catalonia, Mallorca and Valencia. Today it is the most isolated district of Spain. His capital Zaragoza is familiar to us from the feature film about the manuscript found in this city. Aragon boasts dozens of attractions. In Zaragoza alone there are more than two hundred palaces. And in Teruel, architecture is a wonderful combination of Gothic and Oriental motifs. This city is also famous for the fact that its temple, rebuilt from the tower of San Pedro, became the last shelter for the Spanish Romeo and Juliet.
Catalonia
The most eastern autonomous region of Spain is Catalonia with its famous capital Barcelona, which is also the capital of the province of Barcelona. This is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, which is famous not only for sports achievements and the Olympic Village. It is divided into old and new parts, each of which is interesting in its own way. Sights in Barcelona are about two hundred.
One of them - the Sagrada Familia Basilica - is presented in the photo. The provinces of Spain in Catalonia, in addition to Barcelona, are as follows: Tarragona, Girona and Lleida. Accordingly, their capitals are also called. Tarragona is considered the center of world tourism. The best Spanish resorts are located here, eccentric festivals, carnivals are held, and numerous historical and architectural objects are included in the UNESCO list. Girona also boasts festivals held here almost every week. In addition, this wonderful city is famous for its unusual architecture. What are only his colorful houses on the river Onyar! But Lleida is located away from the coast. It is surrounded by fertile plains planted with vineyards and olive groves. Here, tourists will find unique masterpieces of culinary and winemaking, as well as a calm measured rest.
Valencia
This is one of the most famous districts of Spain. Valencia, located in the east of the country, consists of three provinces - this is actually Valencia with the capital of the same name, Alicante and Castellon. The province of Alicante is very popular among tourists. Spain is proud of the capital of this region, bearing the same name and existing for almost three thousand years. The main attraction of the city is the Santa Barbara fortress, which has seen the Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, Arabs in its lifetime.
The province of Castellon and its capital, Castellon de la Plana, are located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Wonderful beaches stretch for more than 100 km. Compared to Alicante, the capital of Castellon is quite young, it is not even 900 years old. It attracts tourists mainly for its resorts, cuisine, enchanting festivals.
Many people call Valencia the treasury of Spain. The beauty of this city, its parks, streets, squares, gardens and fountains is breathtaking. In addition, this city is famous for its beaches, amazing cuisine and exciting shopping.
The islands
No matter how delightful the province of Valencia is, Spain is famous for its island resorts. One of them is the Canary Islands, which are simultaneously an administrative district. There are two provinces - Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the capital of the same name and Las Palmas. Its main city is called Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Although these places are considered the birthplace of song canaries, the name Canary does not mean birds, but dogs. Once the islands were called Canine and only then feathered singers were called canaries.
The second island district of Spain is the Balearic Islands. There is only one province. Its capital is the city of Palma, located on the island of Mallorca. For tourists from all over the world, Palma de Mallorca is one of the best resorts, famous not only for its beaches and restaurants, but also for its unique sights.