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Castile-Leon

Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAS : Castile-Leon

Comunidad Autónoma de
Castilla y León

75px
Flag Arms
Locator map of Castille-Leon.png
Capital no official capital of the community is defined; Valladolid however is the seat of the Regional Executive
Area
 – Total
 – % of Spain 		Ranked 1st
 94,223 km²
 18,6%
Population
 – Total (2005)
 – % of Spain
 – Density 		Ranked 6th
 2,510,849
 5.7%
 26.65/km²
Demonym
 – English
  		castelians and leoneses
Statute of Autonomy March 2, 1983
CL
Parliamentary
representation
 – Congress seats
 – Senate seats 		 33
 3
President Juan Vicente Herrera Campo (PP)
[Junta de Castilla y León]
Castile and Leon (Castilian: Castilla y León), known formally as the Autonomous Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. Its territory corresponds to the historical region of León and most of the historical region of Old Castile (Spanish: Castilla la Vieja). The autonomous community of Castile and León is the largest in Spain. It covers an area of 94,223 km² with an official population of 2.5 million (2005).

Contents

Charter of the Curia Regis, 1188

The tradition of the Regional Courts of Castile and León is traced back to the Royal Council (Latin: Curia Regis) of León (1188). The Leonese Curia Regis was a king's summons of the estates of the realm. Although the practical outcome of the Curia Regis of 1188 is still disputed, its charter seems to be an early movement towards the rule of constitutional law, much like the Magna Carta.

Main Political Parties

Parties with parliamentary representation in Castilla y León:

Other Political Parties: Political Youths:

Geography

Castile and León borders on Asturias and Cantabria to the north, Aragon, the Basque Country, and La Rioja to the east, the autonomous community of Madrid and Castile-La Mancha to the southeast, Extremadura to the south, and on Portugal and Galicia to the west.

Castile and León roughly overlaps with the Spanish part of the Douro River basin, on the northern half of the Meseta Central, a vast plateau in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula. It also extends to some adjoining valleys, such as El Bierzo (León) and many secluded mountain valleys: Laciana (León), Valle de Mena (Burgos), Valle del Tiétar (Ávila), etc.

Road Communications

The region is the land communication hub of northern Spain. It is crossed by the International E-road E80 (Lisbon - Gürbulak, Iran). This is the main road connection between Portugal and the rest of Europe.

Castilla and León is also crossed by two major ancient routes:

Airports

The last years have seen a vast improvement in accesibility from the rest of Europe, mainly through the operations of low-cost airlines at the airports of Villanubla (Valladolid), Virgen del Camino (León) and Burgos. The main airports of the neighbouring regions of Asturias and Madrid (Barajas) are close as well, if not yet with a direct communication through public transportation.

Regional Administration and Government

Castile and León is divided into nine provinces: Ávila, Burgos, León, Palencia, Segovia, Soria, Salamanca, Valladolid and Zamora. All these provinces are homonym of their respective provincial capitals.

Although the Statute of Autonomy for Castile and Leon does not specify any city to be the capital of the autonomous community, the city of Valladolid serves that purpose in certain contexts, and is the city of residence for the Regional Executive, the Courts, and several other important arms of the regional parliament and government.

Autonomous Executive

The executive of Castile and León is known as the de Castilla y León in Spanish.

It has one head of the Regional Executive (Spanish: Presidente de la Junta) and twelve departments: Two Vicepresidencias and ten ministries (Spanish: Consejerías).

Regional Legislature

The Regional Courts of Castile and León (Spanish: Cortes de Castilla y León) is the elected legislature of the Autonomous Community.

Regional Judicature

Other regional bodies

Ombudsman

The Ombudsman of Castile and León (Spanish: Procurador del Común) is appointed by the Regional Courts.

Consultive Committee

The Consultive Committee of Castile and León (Spanish: Consejo Consultivo) is a group of five legal analysts. They are appointed by the Regional Courts and the Junta. The Committee delivers reports on legal issues both to the Regional Government and to incumbent municipal governments.

Education

Universities

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There are six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Castile and León:

See also

External links

Administrative divisions of Spain

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: Islas Chafarinas | Peñón de Alhucemas | Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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