Search results
OpenHistoricalMap is an interactive map of the world throughout history, created by people like you and dedicated to the public domain. OpenHistoricalMap collaboratively stores and displays map data throughout the history of the world.
- About
GreenInfo Network is a nonprofit social-good mapping and...
- Help
OpenHistoricalMap has several resources for learning about...
- GPS Traces
OpenHistoricalMap collaboratively stores and displays map...
- Edit
Edit - OpenHistoricalMap
- About
Nov 29, 2023 · About Asturias. Capital: Oviedo. Area: 4,094 sq mi (10,604 sq km). Population: ~ 1,060,000. Largest cities: Oviedo, Gijón (Xixón), Avilés, Cangas de Onís, Cangas del Narcea, Gozón, Grado, Langreo, Llanera, Laviana, Lena, Llanes, Mieres, Siero, Valdés, Vegadeo and Villaviciosa.
- Overview
- Geography
- History
Asturias, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historic region of Spain that is coextensive with the northwestern Spanish provincia (province) of Asturias. It is bounded by the autonomous communities of Cantabria to the east, Castile-León to the south, and Galicia to the west. The Cantabrian Sea lies to the north. The autonomous community ...
Mountains cover more than four-fifths of Asturias. The region may be divided into several east-west zones. North to south, these include the plains and hills of the Atlantic coast, which occupy a narrow strip and recede into a range of coastal hills. These hills surround the central corridor, the valley of the Nalón River, in which most of Asturias’s population and industries are concentrated. Structurally, this is a longitudinal depression running between the centres of Cangas de Onis (east) and Oviedo (west). The Cantabrian Mountains rise to the south, with the glaciated Europa Peaks established as a national park. Valleys run north to south, but Leitariegos Pass is the only easily accessible pass into the neighbouring region of Castile-León. Annual precipitation is high, exceeding 40 inches (1,000 mm). The climate is oceanic, with relatively even precipitation throughout the year; temperatures are moderate and show little seasonal variation.
The Asturian population has doubled since 1900, but its proportion in the Spanish population has steadily declined, and emigration has left behind an aging population. Emigration to the industrialized regions of Spain and to other western European countries has kept population growth below the national average. The declining agricultural sector has led to emigration from the countryside, with the population increasingly concentrated in the industrial and urban triangle of Oviedo, Avilés, and Gijón.
Agriculture is poorly developed in the region. Traditional crops are wheat, millet, and kidney beans, and crop rotation has included corn (maize) and potatoes since the 18th century. Asturian agriculture has traditionally had a collective orientation, and the extensive pastures in the mountains were communal until the early 20th century. Pastures and the cultivation of fodder have spread dramatically since that time, establishing animal husbandry as the dominant agricultural activity. Swiss cattle, introduced in 1885, are the leading farm animals and have steadily displaced sheep and horses.
The wealth of Asturias, however, is in its coalfields, which extend throughout the Nalón Basin and cover more than 1,000 square miles (2,600 square km). Asturias is the most important mining and metallurgical region in Spain. A great industrial complex has been built up at Avilés and has resulted in a large increase in its population. Mieres is a busy mining and smelting centre. Gijón’s seaport, Puerto del Musel, is Spain’s foremost coal-exporting port. There is an armaments factory at Trubia. Oviedo, the capital, is a cultural and communications hub. Asturias is also a major producer of zinc, but production has fallen off considerably since the mid-19th century. Asturias’s industries are not greatly diversified, although the manufacture of cement, glass, food and beverages, tobacco, leather, and textiles has increased.
The region’s undeveloped infrastructure has hindered industrial expansion. Roads and railroads tend to run north-south, converging on the triangle of Oviedo, Avilés, and Gijón and largely bypassing points lying to the east and west. Shipping has increased, favouring the ports of Avilés, Gijón, and El Musel.
Exclusive academic rate for students! Save 67% on Britannica Premium.
Asturias was an independent Christian kingdom between 718 and 910, formed by Visigothic nobles and officials who had been displaced by the Muslim invasion of Spain. The Visigoths elected Pelayo as king and set up a capital at Cangas de Onís. The kingdom extended its frontiers to include Galicia to the southwest and Cantabria to the east before the end of the 8th century. The capital was transferred first to Pravia (c. 780) and in the 9th century to Oviedo, a strategically sited new city. During the reign of Alfonso III (866–910), the frontiers of Asturias were pushed south to the line of the Duero River from the Atlantic to Osma.
By the 10th century the kingdom had become too large to be controlled effectively from the mountain capital at Oviedo, and in 910 García I made León, to the south, his capital. García’s successors styled themselves kings of León and Asturias and eventually simply kings of León. John I of Castile (a region that was united with León from 1230) created Asturias a principality for his eldest son, Henry (later King Henry III), in 1388. The title “prince of Asturias” subsequently was held by the crown princes throughout the years of the Spanish monarchy.
World map 600 AD. Map by: Thomas Lessman. Map information sources. Primary Sources for East-Hem_600ad.jpg: The DK Atlas of World History, 2000 edition. (See specific references below) John Nelson. Interactive Historical Atlas of the World since 500BCE. Map of the “Countries of the World 1/1/600CE.”.
1) The fall and rise of Asia. 300 years ago, a majority of the world's economic output was located on the Asian continent. But with the coming of the Industrial Revolution, Europe's share of the...
May 14, 2018 · Asturias Region in nw Spain, bordering the Bay of Biscay and traversed by the Cantabrian Mountains. The capital is Oviedo. Asturias was named by the Iberians in the 2nd century bc and is famous for its cider. Its coal mines are the richest in Spain.
People also ask
What is Asturias known for?
Where is Asturias located?
How big is Asturias?
Who ruled Asturias?
How has emigration affected the population of Asturias?
Is Asturias an autonomous region?
Interactive historical map of the world, historical timeline, 20th century history. Learn about historical events, track border changes, visualize unions.
