Galicia in Spain
One of the autonomous communities of Spain is Galicia. The area of this community is located in the northwest of the country. The four provinces of La Coruna,Lugo, Qurense and Potevedra divide the area among each other.
The name was given to theregionfrom the Celtic Galläker, which also means Callaici in Latin. This derived from the passage of time Galiciaas a designation.
Landscapes of Galicia
Located between the Cantabrian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Galicia borders Portugal and the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Castile-León and Asturias.
High mountain ranges are predominant in Galicia. These separate the rest of Spain from Galicia. Over half of the area of Galicia is higher than 400 meters. The highest mountain is the Pena Trevinca, which reaches a height of 2,127 meters. The coast is very extensive and has a length of 1,659 kilometers. Of these, 800 kilometers are pure cliffs, around 300 kilometers are beach sections, some of which contain beautiful areas. More than a third of the entire Spanish coast belongs to the territory of Galicia.
The coastal area is optically characterized by the rias. These are tube-shaped or funnel-shaped river mouths that have a lot in common with fjords that the sea has invaded. The difference to fjords, however, is that the rias are much shallower. Here you can also see the typical wooden rafts. Mussels are grown on these and later harvested. In addition to the coastal areas, there are also the large ones Forest areas characteristic of Galicia. In some cases, they helped a bit by reforesting the forests with eucalyptus trees. The Galicia region accounts for 30 percent of Spain’s total forest.
History of Galicia
archaeological finds have been here between 25,000 and 16,000 BC. The first humans lived. Among other things, stone tools from this era were found here. The first settlements were around 4000 BC. Built in BC. The people of that time buried their dead in burial mounds. Unfortunately, these were very often destroyed and emptied by grave robbers. These thefts continue to this day. Therefore, one can say or understand very little about the culture and people of that time. What is certain, however, is that metalworking must have taken place here in the Bronze Age. During excavations, figures were found engraved in stone, which are believed to date from this period.
From the later settlement period, some foundation walls and floor plans are still preserved, which can be viewed today. When Julius Caesar in 60 BC BC Galicia conquered for the Roman Empire, he made it the province of Gallaecia. This had a slightly larger area than today’s community of Galicia.
Economy and industry in Galicia
In the region of Galicia, small and medium-sized enterprises are the dominant and most represented in their number. This is also due to the fact that in agriculture and fishing, which is characteristic here, mainly family or individual farms predominate.
On the other hand, industrial areas can be found at the major ports in the west. In recent years, the service sector has continued to grow thanks to increasing tourism. Holiday resorts and holiday complexes emerged particularly in the coastal regions to attract more tourists. The sights, such as historical buildings or monuments, are now being marketed more actively. Galicia is dressing up, so to speak, in order to be able to keep up with the modern age.
Cantabria (Spain)
The Cantabrian Sea is part of the Cantabrian Autonomous Community. This is located in the north of Spain. Around Cantabria are Asturias, Castile-León and the Basque Country. Cantabria consists exclusively of one province, which is also called Cantabria.
The province is located in the coastal region and has a significant Port and industrial economy. The capital Santander is also a port and industrial city and in more economicallu significant for the entire region.
The landscapes of Cantabria
In terms of landscape, mountainous and hilly areas predominate in the entire region. The Picos de Europa is the highest mountain in Cantabria. It has an altitude of 2,000 m.
In the coastal region, the climate is mild to humid. The summers are cool, the winters mostly mild. The interior of the country is climatically shaped by the mountains and therefore has the typical mountain climate.
The history of Cantabria
The Celts were the first settlers in what is now Cantabria. The tribe of Cantabrer gave the area its name. According to legend, he was ruled only by women. In the 5th century, the Visigoths took power and completely ousted the Cantabrians. The Moors came to the country as early as the 8th century and took control of it. The Reconquista followed and after a short time the area was again in the hands of the Christians.
The French occupied northern Spain at the beginning of the 19th century, and there was resistance against the occupiers in the Cantabrian Mountains. The guerrillas also appeared, who prevailed against the French oppressors and won the war. Today Cantabria is a quiet region, which carries its autonomous status with dignity and pride.
Economy and life in Cantabria
Agriculture in the form of livestock and animal husbandry play a particularly important role in the region. In addition, Cantabria is very conveniently located by the sea. Fishing takes place in the coastal areas. In addition, tourism is an important source of economic income for the province. The beautiful landscapes and the maritime climate attract many holidaymakers to the Spanish area. They especially enjoy the mild temperatures and the wonderful sea bays.
Many of the employees are employed in the service sector of the tourism industry. Hotels are currently being built steadily and demand is driven by marketing. But traditional mining has not been forgotten either. There are large deposits of zinc, lead, iron ore and coal in Cantabria. These are mined and exported here or processed directly in their own country.
Many chemical companies such as Solvay and Firestone have settled in Cantabria. In addition, there are also numerous works of this processing industry. These are mainly in the bay of Santander.
If you want to travel from the Basque Country to France and want to get through Cantabria, you should use the A8 motorway. This connects the three regions as well as Asturias with each other. When it is fully developed, Portugal should also be connected to this network.
This is not only an important step for freight forwarding, but also for tourism and business travelers. In general, the Cantabria region is very well connected to the transport network, has an airport and a good rail network.
