Andalusia
From Open Encyclopedia
- For other uses of "Andalusia", see Andalusia (disambiguation).
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| Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator Andalucía por sí, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humanity) | |||||
| Image:Locator map of Andalusia.png | |||||
| Capital | Seville | ||||
| Area – Total – % of Spain | Ranked 2nd 87 268 km² 17,2% | ||||
| Population – Total (2003) – % of Spain – Density | Ranked 1st 7 478 432 17,9% 85,70/km² | ||||
| Demonym – English – Spanish | Andalusian andaluz, andaluza | ||||
| Statute of Autonomy | January 11, 1982 | ||||
| Parliamentary representation – Congress seats – Senate seats | 62 8 | ||||
| President | Manuel Chaves González (PSOE) | ||||
| Junta de Andalucía | |||||
Andalusia (Spanish: Andalucía) is a region of Spain. Andalusia is the most populated and second largest of the seventeen autonomous communities that constitute Spain. Its capital is Seville. Andalusia is bounded on the north by Extremadura and Castile-La Mancha, on the east by Murcia, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and Gibraltar, and on the west by Portugal.
The name Andalusia is derived from the Arabic name "Al Andalus", which referred to the parts of the Iberian peninsula which were under muslim rule. The Islamic history of muslim Spain can be found in the entry al-Andalus. Tartessos, the capital of a once great and powerful Civilization, was located in Andalusia, and was known in the Bible by the name of Tarsis. More information about this region can be found in the entry Hispania Baetica, the name of the Roman province that corresponds to the region.
Andalusian culture has been deeply marked by the eight centuries of muslim rule over the region, which ended in 1492 with the conquest of Granada by the Catholic monarchs.
The Spanish spoken in the Americas is largely descended from the Andalusian dialect of Castilian Spanish due to the role played by Seville as the gateway to Spain's American territories in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Andalusia is known for its moorish architecture. Famous monuments include the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita in Córdoba and the Torre del Oro and Giralda towers in Sevilla. Archaeological remains include Medina Azahara, near Córdoba.
Andalusian cuisine is known for its use of fish and shellfish, its desserts, and its world-famous sherry.
Andalusia is divided into 8 provinces named after the capital cities of these provinces:
Other Andalusian towns are:
- Algeciras, Cádiz
- Jerez, Cádiz
- Marbella, Málaga
- San Fernando, Cádiz
- Dos Hermanas, Sevilla
- Antequera, Málaga
- Ronda, Gaucín, and the so-called "pueblos blancos," Málaga
Andalusia is the home of flamenco music.
External links
- Statute of Autonomy (in Spanish)
- Government of Andalusia (in Spanish)
- Parliament of Andalusia (in Spanish)
- Basic statistical data for Andalusia (in Spanish, .pdf format)
- Andalucia Info
- History of the Andalusian Flag
- Asamblea Nacional de Andalucia (in Spanish, interesting History and Andalusian dialect section)
| Administrative structure of Spain | Image:Spain flag large.png |
|---|---|
| Autonomous Communities: Andalusia | Aragon | Asturias | Balearic Islands | Basque Country | Canary Islands | Cantabria | Castile–La Mancha | Castile–Leon | Catalonia | Extremadura | Galicia | Madrid | Murcia | Navarre | La Rioja | Valencia | |
| Autonomous Cities: Ceuta | Melilla | |
| Plazas de soberanía menores: Islas Chafarinas | Peñón de Alhucemas | Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera | |
