Asturias

Asturias (/æˈstʊəriəs, ə-/, Spanish: [asˈtuɾjas]; Asturian: Asturies [asˈtuɾjes; -ɾjɪs]), officially the Principality of Asturias (Spanish: Principado de Asturias; Asturian: Principáu d’Asturies; Galician-Asturian: Principao d’Asturias), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.

It is coextensive with the province of Asturias and contains some of the territory that was part of the larger Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages. Divided into eight comarcas (counties), the autonomous community of Asturias is bordered by Cantabria to the east, by León (Castile and León) to the south, by Lugo (Galicia) to the west, and by the Cantabrian sea to the north.

Asturias is situated in a mountainous setting with vast greenery and lush vegetation, making it part of Green Spain. The region has a maritime climate. It receives plenty of annual rainfall and little sunshine by Spanish standards and has very moderated seasons, most often averaging in the lower 20s celsius. Heatwaves are rare due to mountains blocking southerly winds. Winters are very mild for the latitude, especially near sea level.

The most important cities are the communal capital, Oviedo, the seaport and largest city Gijón, and the industrial town of Avilés. Other municipalities in Asturias include Cangas de Onís, Cangas del Narcea, Gozón, Grado, Langreo, Llanera, Laviana, Lena, Llanes, Mieres, Siero, Valdés, Vegadeo and Villaviciosa (see also List of municipalities and comarcas in Asturias).

Asturias is also home of the Princess of Asturias Awards.

Asturias History

Asturias was inhabited first by Homo erectus then by Neanderthals. Since the Lower Paleolithic era, and during the Upper Paleolithic, Asturias was characterized by cave paintings in the eastern part of the area. In the Mesolithic period, a native culture developed, that of the Asturiense, and later, with the introduction of the Bronze Age, megaliths...

Asturias Administrative and territorial division

Asturias is organised territorially into 78 municipalities, further subdivided into parishes. Asturias is also divided into eight comarcas, which are not administrative divisions. They are only used as a system to homogenize the statistical data made by the Principality.

Asturias Geography and climate

The Cantabrian Mountains (Cordillera Cantábrica) form Asturias's natural border with the province of León to the south. In the eastern range, the Picos de Europa National Park contains the highest and arguably most spectacular mountains, rising to 2,648 metres (8,688 ft) at the Torrecerredo peak. Other notable features of this predominantly limestone range are the...

Asturias Pollution and Conservation

This part of Spain is one of the best conserved in the entire country, and full of vegetation and wild spaces. It holds two of the most important natural parks in Spain, and is very renowned for the Picos de Europa and Somiedo areas. The Gijón area was marked and singled out as one of...

Asturias Demographics

According to the 2020 census, the region has a population of 1,018,784 which constitutes 2.1% of the population of Spain, with the population density numbering 96 people per square kilometre. Asturian population has the highest mortality rate in Spain and the lowest total fertility rate (1.03), the lowest in the European Union.[17] Immigration is not as high...

Asturias Politics

The organisation and political structure of Asturias is governed by the Statute of Autonomy of the Principality of Asturias, in force since 30 January 1982. According to the Statute, the institutional bodies of the Principality of Asturias are three: the Council of Government, the General Junta and President. The form of government of the Principality...

Asturias Economy

For centuries, the backbone of the Asturian economy was agriculture and fishing. Milk production and its derivatives was also traditional, but its big development was a by-product of the economic expansion of the late 1960s. Nowadays, products from the dairy cooperative Central Lechera Asturiana are being commercialised all over Spain. The main regional industry in...

Asturias Music

The music of Asturias is varied. The most characteristic instrument in traditional music is the Asturian bagpipe, or Gaita asturiana, which has a single drone, in common with the traditional bagpipes of other Celtic nations such as Wales and Ireland. The bagpipe is often accompanied by the hand drum, whistles and accordion. In recent years,...

Asturias Notable people

Luis Enrique Martínez García, former FC Barcelona captain and manager. he has also been the manager of Spain national football team since July 9, 2018. Juan Carreño de Miranda, court painter Fernando Alonso, Formula One racing driver, 2005 and 2006 world champion Leopoldo Alas "Clarín", 19th-century author of La Regenta, a seminal work in the...

Asturias Events

Princess of Asturias Awards Asturian Revolution (Asturian History) Gijón International Film Festival (Entertainment) Avilés International Cinema and Architecture Festival (Entertainment)