Asturias
Principado de Asturias ( Spanish ) Principáu d'Asturies ( Asturian ) Principao d'Asturias ( Galician ) Principality of Asturias |
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Basic data | |||||
Country : | Spain | ||||
Capital : | Oviedo | ||||
Area : | 10,602 km² | ||||
Residents : | 1,022,800 (January 1, 2019) | ||||
Population density : | 96.5 inhabitants / km² | ||||
Expansion: | North – South: approx. Up to 76 km West – East: approx. 214 km |
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ISO 3166-2 : | ES-AS | ||||
Website : | www.asturias.es | ||||
Anthem : | Asturias, Patria querida | ||||
Politics and administration | |||||
Autonomy since: | January 11, 1982 | ||||
President : | Adrián Barbón Rodríguez ( PSOE ) | ||||
Representation in the Cortes Generales : |
Congress : 8 seats Senate : 6 seats |
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Structure : | 78 Concejos | ||||
map | |||||
Asturias ( Spanish Asturias ; officially Spanish Principado de Asturias , Asturian Asturies , officially Asturian Principáu d'Asturies ; German Principality of Asturias ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain . The territory of the Autonomous Community is identical to that of the Province of Asturias (formerly the Province of Oviedo ). The capital is Oviedo with 219,686 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019).
geography
Asturias stretches between the Cantabrian Sea in the north and the Cantabrian Mountains in the south. Politically it borders on Galicia to the west, Castile and León to the south and Cantabria to the east . The coast is called Costa Verde ; here are some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain.
The entire region has an oceanic climate that is very different from the hot and dry climate in central and southern Spain. The landscape of Asturias is therefore characterized by a lot more green ( España Verde , the "green Spain"). The Cantabrian Mountains act as a climatic divide to the central Spanish table country .
population
The population is concentrated in the valleys of the central part of the country as well as on the coast with its urban centers Gijón and Avilés , while the middle and high mountain regions are only sparsely populated.
languages
In addition to the official language of Spanish also in Asturias is Asturian and in the western border areas along the border with Galicia , a transitional dialect of Asturian and Galician speaking, the so-called Galician-Asturian or Eonaviego .
Cities
The largest cities in Asturias are the port city of Gijón ( Xixón in Asturias ) with 271,780 inhabitants, the capital Oviedo ( Uviéu in Asturias) with 219,686 inhabitants and the industrial city of Avilés with 78,182 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019).
- Largest communities
local community | Residents (January 1, 2019) |
---|---|
Gijón | 271.780 |
Oviedo | 219,686 |
Avilés | 78.182 |
Siero | 51,667 |
Langreo | 39,420 |
Mieres | 37,959 |
Castrillón | 22,376 |
San Martín del Rey Aurelio | 16,074 |
Corvera | 15,549 |
Cangas del Narcea | 12,347 |
Llanes | 13,568 |
Navia | 8,380 |
Ribadesella | 5,746 |
Historical population development
Source: INE Archives
history
In the region there are caves with stone age paintings, especially animal representations, that are more than 15,000 years old. About 700 dolmens were found. Most of them did not survive the millennia unscathed, although they were covered by mamaas .
The first permanent settlements are attributed to the Iberians . The region offered mineral resources, especially gold , for the extraction of which places surrounded by walls were founded by the so-called Castro culture . These were populated for a long time (> 1000 years) and are now being excavated.
Around 800 BC The region was settled by Celtic tribes . They built fortified settlements like the Castro de Coaña . Among other things, they are likely to have made their living as shepherds.
Approx. 25-19 BC The region was incorporated into the Roman Empire . But the Asturians, like other indigenous peoples, were rebellious, which can be seen as the reason for their relatively late integration into Roman rule. After its collapse, Asturias became part of the Visigoth Empire in the 5th century . After the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Muslims (711–719), the Christian resistance began from Asturias, organized by the noble Pelayo (Pelagius) († 737). He was elected king (or prince) by his followers and defeated, probably in 718 or 722, a force of the Muslim governor responsible for the region in the legendary battle of Covadonga . This success is seen as the starting point of the Reconquista .
The Kingdom of Asturias arose from Pelayo's sphere of influence, which expanded southward and thus became part of the Kingdom of León in 924 . After changeful unions and inheritance divisions of the northern Spanish kingdoms, Asturias was permanently united with the kingdom of Castile in 1230 . The Spanish heir to the throne has had the title of " Prince of Asturias" (Príncipe de Asturias) since 1388 .
In the 19th century , Asturias, together with Catalonia and the Basque Country, became the center of industrialization in Spain (especially mining and heavy industry). There was coal in Asturias, iron in the Basque Country and the America-textile monopoly in Barcelona. It was also one of the original regions of the Spanish labor movement .
In October 1934, the communist "revolución de octubre" (October Revolution) or "revolución minera" (Miners' Revolution) took place in the mining areas of Asturias, which was suppressed by the troops of the then right-wing government of the republic. The military action against the striking miners was headed by the future dictator Franco , who two years later was to start the civil war .
During the Spanish Civil War , Asturias was a center of republican resistance. However, it was geographically isolated from the main part of the Republican zone and was able to be captured by Franco's troops in the summer of 1937.
The region received its current statute of autonomy on January 11, 1982.
architecture
Political structure
Asturias is administratively divided into 78 Conceyos (German councils , cities and municipalities based on the model of the Municipios in the rest of Spain), which according to the Statute of Autonomy can be combined into Comarcas (corresponds roughly to administrative districts or counties), but this has not yet been done in full . From the judicial point of view, the 78 Concejos are divided into 18 judicial districts.
economy
Asturias is one of the industrial regions of Spain, especially due to the predominant mining and heavy industry. As these industries rather belong to the shrinking, there is Asturias since the 1970s in a structural change . Over the past four decades, the rate of economic growth in Asturias has lagged that of other areas of Spain.
Agriculture plays a bigger role in Asturias, as due to the humid climate and moderate temperatures, agricultural products can be produced that can only be grown in other regions of Spain with greater effort. There is also (mainly domestic) tourism.
The GDP of the region reached measured in purchasing power standards 79% of the average in 2015 the European Union (EU-28). With a value of 0.882, Asturias ranks 8th among the 17 autonomous communities of Spain in the Human Development Index .
Industry
The traditionally dominant industries in Asturias were coal and ore mining . Since the further extraction of raw materials is associated with more effort and the extracted raw materials have become more unprofitable due to cheap competition from abroad, mining has been declining continuously since the 1990s. There is heavy industry between Gijón and Avilés , with the factories being affected by a wave of closings, not least as a result of the decline in mining.
The regional government is trying to avert an economic crisis through the targeted settlement of modern companies, which, however, does not stop the number of jobs from falling. Former miners in particular have great difficulties finding work in the region. The media report a real unemployment rate between 30% and 40%.
Agriculture
Asturias is Spain's milk room; dairy cows are mainly kept from the coast to the Picos de Europa . An average dairy farm has 10 to 15 dairy cows, large farms are rare in the hilly and small-structured areas. Arable farming is mainly carried out as maize cultivation for ensiling and winter feeding of the cows. Grain cultivation hardly takes place, just as there is little viticulture worth mentioning. Sidra , an inexpensive cider , is an Asturian specialty .
In Asturias you can still find traditional square Hórreos , these are grain, fruit and potato stores that stand on stakes to protect against rodents. Most of the Hórreos are made of wood. In the west of Asturias, however, there are also elongated granaries made of stone materials.
The forest consists today mostly of eucalyptus - monocultures . The fast-growing and high-quality wood has the disadvantage that the forest floor is depleted. In addition, the high oil content of eucalyptus wood greatly increases the risk of forest fires.
Sports
Soccer
By Sporting Gijon a Asturian club playing in the Segunda División , the second tier in Spanish football. Another well-known club is Real Oviedo , which played 38 seasons in the Primera División and is currently also active in the Segunda División , Spain's second-highest division.
Motorsport
The two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso comes from Asturias.
politics
status
The Asturias Region has had the status of an Autonomous Community since 1982 . As in the other Autonomous Communities, its political organs are the Parliament ( Junta General del Principado de Asturias ), the Prime Minister ( Presidente del Principado de Asturias ) and the Government ( Consejo de Gobierno ). For historical and traditional reasons, the autonomous community is called "Principality of Asturias" ( Principado de Asturias ). The Spanish heir to the throne, who also traditionally bears the title " Prince of Asturias " ( Príncipe de Asturias ), has neither a political nor a legal position in Asturias.
houses of Parliament
Since the Statute of Autonomy came into force in 1983, eight elections to the regional parliament ( Junta General del Principado de Asturias ) have taken place. After the FAC minority government failed to find a majority in parliament for the 2012 draft budget , Prime Minister Alvárez-Casco dissolved parliament on January 30, 2012 and ordered new elections for March 25, 2012. These brought the following result:
- PSOE 32% and 16 seats
- FAC 25% and 13 seats
- PP 22% and 10 seats
- IU 14% and 5 seats
- UPyD 4% and 1 seat
- (preliminary official final result)
It was not until March 28, 2012 that the votes of those eligible to vote living abroad were counted. Taking this into account, it emerged that the FAC would lose one seat to the PSOE. The FAC has filed an election review suit against this. The Tribunal Superior de Justicia of Asturias (which roughly corresponds to a German Higher Administrative Court) then ordered the re-election of the Spaniards registered in the electoral register for the constituency West to be repeated. It also stated that the sixth seat of this constituency would remain vacant until the re-election, which is why the newly elected parliament was constituted on April 27, 2012 with only 44 members for the time being. The PSOE, IU and the PSOE candidate, who was affected by the loss of his mandate, lodged an electoral constitutional complaint with the Spanish Constitutional Court against this judgment. The Constitutional Court upheld the complaint on May 11, 2012 and overturned the judgment of the Tribunal Superior de Justicia . So there will be no re-election, the final allocation of seats is: PSOE 17, FAC 12, PP 10, IU 5 and UPyD 1.
- The results so far in detail
PSOE | PP | IU | FAC | CDS | URAS | PAS |
Total seats |
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be right | Seats | be right | Seats | be right | Seats | be right | Seats | be right | Seats | be right | Seats | be right | Seats | |||
I. | 1983 | 52.17% | 26th | 30.35% | 14th | 10.76% | 5 | 3.88% | 0 | 45 | ||||||
II | 1987 | 39.33% | 20th | 25.54% | 13 | 12.24% | 4th | 18.78% | 8th | 1.29% | 0 | 45 | ||||
III | 1991 | 41.53% | 21st | 30.78% | 15th | 15.03% | 6th | 6.83% | 2 | 2.77% | 1 | 45 | ||||
IV | 1995 | 34.24% | 17th | 42.50% | 21st | 16.62% | 6th | 1.80% | 0 | 3.22% | 1 | 45 | ||||
V | 1999 | 46.73% | 24 | 32.83% | 15th | 9.14% | 3 | 0.12% | 0 | 7.26% | 3 | 2.62% | 0 | 45 | ||
VI | 2003 | 41.43% | 22nd | 40.09% | 19th | 11.31% | 4th | 0.11% | 0 | 2.90% | 0 | 1.88% | 0 | 45 | ||
VII | 2007 | 43.08% | 21st | 42.52% | 20th | 9.93% | 4th | 2.27% | 0 | 45 | ||||||
VIII | 2011 | 30.72% | 15th | 20.48% | 10 | 10.55% | 4th | 30.45% | 16 | 0.51% | 0 | 45 |
government
The Prime Minister elected by Parliament ( Presidente del Principado de Asturias ) heads the regional government ( Consejo de Gobierno ) and appoints its members. The governments since 1983 in detail:
Legislature | Period | Prime Minister | Political party | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
I. | 1983-1987 | Pedro de Silva Cienfuegos-Jovellanos | PSOE | |
II | 1987-1991 | Pedro de Silva Cienfuegos-Jovellanos | PSOE | Minority government |
III | 1991-1993 | Juan Luis Rodríguez-Vigil Rubio | PSOE | Minority government |
1993-1995 | Antonio Ramón Trevín Lombán | PSOE | Minority government | |
IV | 1995-1998 | Sergio Marqués Fernández | PP | Minority government |
1998-1999 | Sergio Marqués Fernández | URAS | Minority government | |
V | 1999-2003 | Vicente Álvarez Areces | PSOE | |
VI | 2003-2007 | Vicente Álvarez Areces | PSOE | Coalition PSOE / IU |
VII | 2007-2008 | Vicente Álvarez Areces | PSOE | Minority government |
2008-2011 | Vicente Álvarez Areces | PSOE | Coalition PSOE / IU | |
VIII | 2011–2012 | Francisco Alvárez-Cascos Fernández | FAC | Minority government |
IX | 2012- | Javier Fernández Fernández | PSOE | Minority government |
Airport
The Asturias Airport is the only international airport in the region.
Image selection
Rock formation at Ribadedeva
Web links
- Website of the Government of Asturias
- Asturias Tourist Office website
- Official website for tourism in Spain: information about Asturias (english)
- General information portal on Asturias
swell
- ↑ a b Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
- ↑ ine.es (PDF) Instituto Nacional de Estadistica
- ^ Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. Retrieved August 12, 2018 .
- ↑ 1983: electoral alliance from Alianza Popular , Partido Demócrata Popular (PDP) and Unión Liberal (UL); 1987: Alianza Popular
- ↑ 1983: Partido Comunista de España ; 2003: IU and Bloque por Asturies electoral alliance ; 2007: electoral alliance of IU, Bloque por Asturies and Los Verdes de Asturias; 2011: IU and Los Verdes electoral alliance.
- ↑ 1995: Centristas Asturianos-Centro Democrático y Social (CA-CDS); 1999: Unión Centrista-Centro Democrático y Social (UC-CDS)
- ↑ 1999/2003: Unión Renovadora Asturiana (URAS); 2007/2011: electoral alliance of URAS and Partíu Asturianista (PAS)
- ↑ 1991: electoral alliance of PAS and Unidá Nacionalista Asturiana (UNA); 2007/2011: electoral alliance with Unión Renovadora Asturiana (URAS)
- ↑ After an internal party dispute, the Prime Minister Marqués Fernández and four other MPs of the PP left their parliamentary group in October 1998 and shortly afterwards founded the Unión Renovadora Asturiana. Marqués Fernández filled the government posts with his followers and remained in office until the 1999 election because a constructive vote of no confidence was not passed.
Coordinates: 43 ° 18 ′ N , 5 ° 58 ′ W