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Castile and León , known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities
Autonomous communities of Spain

The Autonomous Community is the first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978....
 of Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. It was constructed from Old Castile
Old Castile

Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of politically, Santander , Burgos , Logro?o , Soria , Segovia , ?vila , Valladolid , Palencia ....
 (Spanish: Castilla la Vieja) and León
León (province)

Le?n is a Provinces of Spain of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, Le?n, Le?n....
 in 1983. This region is the largest in Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. It covers an area of 94,223 km² with an official population of 2.5 million (2005).

Geography
Castile and León borders on Asturias
Asturias

The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous communities of Spain within the kingdom of Spain, former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages....
 and Cantabria
Cantabria

Cantabria is a Spain province and autonomous community with Santander, Cantabria as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Country , on the south by Castile and Le?n , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea....
 to the north, Aragon
Aragon

Aragon is an autonomous communities of Spain of Spain. Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces of Spain from north to south: Huesca , Zaragoza , and Teruel ....
, the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country is an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.The Basque Country was granted the status of Historical regions in Spain within Spain with the Spanish Constitution of 1978....
, and La Rioja to the east, the autonomous community of Madrid and Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha

Castile-La Mancha is an Autonomous communities in Spain of Spain.Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and Le?n, Community of Madrid, Aragon, Valencia , Region of Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura....
 to the southeast, Extremadura
Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous communities in Spain of western Spain whose capital city is M?rida, Spain. It includes the provinces of Spain of C?ceres and Badajoz ....
 to the south, and on Portugal
Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
 and Galicia to the west.

Castile and León roughly overlaps with the Spanish part of the Douro
Douro

The Douro or Duero The name may have come from the Celt that inhabited the area before Roman times. .In its Spanish section, the Duero crosses the great Castile meseta and meanders through five significant provinces of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon: Soria , Burgos , Valladolid , Zamora , and Salamanca , passing t...
 River basin
Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean....
, on the northern half of the Meseta Central
Geography of Spain

Spain is located in sothwestern Europe and comprises about 84 percent of the Iberian Peninsula. Its total area is of which is land and is water....
, a vast plateau in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar and a very small area of France....
.






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Castile and León , known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities
Autonomous communities of Spain

The Autonomous Community is the first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978....
 of Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. It was constructed from Old Castile
Old Castile

Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of politically, Santander , Burgos , Logro?o , Soria , Segovia , ?vila , Valladolid , Palencia ....
 (Spanish: Castilla la Vieja) and León
León (province)

Le?n is a Provinces of Spain of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, Le?n, Le?n....
 in 1983. This region is the largest in Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. It covers an area of 94,223 km² with an official population of 2.5 million (2005).

Geography


Castile and León borders on Asturias
Asturias

The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous communities of Spain within the kingdom of Spain, former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages....
 and Cantabria
Cantabria

Cantabria is a Spain province and autonomous community with Santander, Cantabria as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Country , on the south by Castile and Le?n , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea....
 to the north, Aragon
Aragon

Aragon is an autonomous communities of Spain of Spain. Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces of Spain from north to south: Huesca , Zaragoza , and Teruel ....
, the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country is an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.The Basque Country was granted the status of Historical regions in Spain within Spain with the Spanish Constitution of 1978....
, and La Rioja to the east, the autonomous community of Madrid and Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha

Castile-La Mancha is an Autonomous communities in Spain of Spain.Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and Le?n, Community of Madrid, Aragon, Valencia , Region of Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura....
 to the southeast, Extremadura
Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous communities in Spain of western Spain whose capital city is M?rida, Spain. It includes the provinces of Spain of C?ceres and Badajoz ....
 to the south, and on Portugal
Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
 and Galicia to the west.

Castile and León roughly overlaps with the Spanish part of the Douro
Douro

The Douro or Duero The name may have come from the Celt that inhabited the area before Roman times. .In its Spanish section, the Duero crosses the great Castile meseta and meanders through five significant provinces of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon: Soria , Burgos , Valladolid , Zamora , and Salamanca , passing t...
 River basin
Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean....
, on the northern half of the Meseta Central
Geography of Spain

Spain is located in sothwestern Europe and comprises about 84 percent of the Iberian Peninsula. Its total area is of which is land and is water....
, a vast plateau in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar and a very small area of France....
. It also extends to some adjoining valleys, such as El Bierzo
El Bierzo

El Bierzo is a region in the province of Le?n , Spain. The valley has the administrative status of comarca and its capital is the town of Ponferrada....
 (León) and many secluded mountain valleys: Laciana
Laciana

Laciana, Tsaciana in Leonese language, is a comarca in the province of Le?n ....
 (León), Valle de Mena
Valle de Mena

The Valley of Mena is a municipality of the province of Burgos , Spain, that borders Biscay.The town has 3,395 inhabitants and the town is under jurisdiction of Villasana de Mena, Burgos....
 (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
European route E80

European route E 80 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Lisbon, Portugal and ends in G?rbulak, Turkey, on the border with 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:
  • The Way of St. James
    Way of St. James

    The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the Twelve Apostles, James, son of Zebedee, are buried....
     (Spanish: Camino de Santiago), now a hiking trail and a motorway, from East to West.
  • The Roman Silver Way
    Via de la Plata

    The V?a de La Plata or Ruta de la Plata is an old commercial path that crosses the west of Spain from north to south, connecting M?rida, Spain to Astorga, and in extension Seville with the Bay of Biscay, at Gij?n....
     (Spanish: Vía de la Plata), now a main road, through the West of the region.


Airports


The last years have seen a vast improvement in accessibility from the rest of Europe, mainly through the operations of low-cost airlines
Low-cost carrier

A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services....
 at the airport of Villanubla
Valladolid Airport

Valladolid International Airport is an airport situated in the municipality of Villanubla, ten kilometres northwest of Valladolid, Spain.The new passenger terminal was inaugurated in 2000, and its main features are its clean, functional design, emphasised by spaciousness and numerous aesthetically pleasing elements....
 (Valladolid
Valladolid

||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the Valladolid and of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile ....
). There are three other airports in Castile and León: León
León Airport

Le?n Airport is a regional airport located from Le?n, Spain, Spain. In 2007, the airport handled 161,705 passengers, 7,328 operations and 300 kilograms of cargo....
, Salamanca
Salamanca Airport

Salamanca-Matac?n Airport is the airport serving the province of Salamanca province in the autonomous community of Castile and Le?n.It is located in the municipalities of Machac?n, Calvarrasa de Abajo y Villagonzalo de Tormes; and it is 15km from Salamanca....
 and Burgos
Burgos Airport

Burgos Airport , also known as Villafr?a, is an airport located from the central business district of the city of Burgos, Spain....
. The main airport of the neighbouring region of Madrid (Barajas
Madrid Barajas International Airport

Madrid-Barajas International Airport is the main international airport serving Madrid, Spain. It is the country's largest and busiest airport, the World's busiest airports by passenger traffic and Busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic....
) is 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
Provinces of Spain

In addition to its Autonomous Communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces.Formerly of greater importance, since the arrival of the Autonomous communities of Spain the provinces have had fewer powers....
:
  • Avila
    Ávila (province)

    ?vila is a Provinces of Spain of central-western Spain, in the southern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Le?n. It is bordered by the provinces of Toledo , C?ceres , Salamanca , Valladolid , Segovia , and Community of Madrid....
  • Burgos
    Burgos (province)

    Burgos is a Provinces of Spain of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-Leon. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia , Cantabria, Biscay, ?lava, La Rioja , Soria , Segovia , and Valladolid ....
  • Leon
    León (province)

    Le?n is a Provinces of Spain of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, Le?n, Le?n....
  • Palencia
    Palencia (province)

    Palencia is a Provinces of Spain of northern Spain, in the northern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-Leon. It is bordered by the provinces of Le?n , Cantabria, Burgos , and Valladolid ....
  • Salamanca
    Salamanca (province)

    Salamanca is a Province of western Spain, in the western part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Le?n. It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora , Valladolid , ?vila , and C?ceres , and by Portugal....
  • Segovia
    Segovia (province)

    Segovia is a Provinces of Spain of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-Leon. It is bordered by the provinces of Burgos , Soria , Guadalajara , Community of Madrid, ?vila , and Valladolid ....
  • Soria
    Soria (province)

    Soria is a Province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-Leon.It is bordered by the provinces of La Rioja , Zaragoza , Guadalajara , Segovia , and Burgos ....
  • Valladolid
    Valladolid (province)

    Valladolid is a Provinces of Spain of central/northwest Spain, in the central part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-Leon. It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora , Le?n , Palencia , Burgos , Segovia , ?vila , and Salamanca ....
  • Zamora
    Zamora (province)

    Zamora is a Spanish Provinces of Spain of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon.It is bordered by the provinces of Orense , Le?n , Valladolid , and Salamanca , and by Portugal....
Each of these provinces is named after its respective provincial capital.

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
Valladolid

||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the Valladolid and of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile ....
 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
Executive (government)

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 of Castile and León is known as the Junta 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
Ministry (government department)

A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a Political minister, but usually a Civil service, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or administrative organisations....
 (Spanish: Consejerías).
  • Seat of the Regional Executive: Valladolid
    Valladolid

    ||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the Valladolid and of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile ....
  • Seat of the Accounting Committee: Palencia
    Palencia

    Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the Palencia in the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile-Leon....


Regional Legislature

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

Legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to create and change laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law....
 of the Autonomous Community. The tradition of the Regional Courts is traced back to the Royal Council (Latin: Curia Regis
Curia Regis

Curia regis is a Latin term meaning "royal council" or "Noble court."...
) of León (1188). The 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
Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified....
 seems to be an early movement towards the rule of constitutional law, much like the Magna Carta
Magna Carta

Magna Carta , also called Magna Carta Libertatum , is an Kingdom of England legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin....
. The home is in Valladolid
Valladolid

||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the Valladolid and of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile ....
.

Parties with parliamentary representation in Castilla y León:
  • Partido Popular de Castilla y León 48 Autonomical seats, 18 Congress seats.
  • Partido Socialista de Castilla y León 33 Autonomical seats, 14 Congress seats.
  • Unión del Pueblo Leonés, 2 autonomical seats.


Regional Judicature

  • Regional High Court
    Cortes Generales

    The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Spanish Senate ....
    : Burgos
    Burgos

    Burgos is a city of northern Spain, at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178.000 inhabitants in the city proper and another 15,000 in its suburbs....


Other regional bodies


Ombudsman
The Ombudsman
Ombudsman

An ombudsman is an official, usually appointed by government or by a non-governmental public body, who is charged with investigating complaints by citizens and, where possible, resolving them, usually by making recommendations but sometimes through mediation....
 of Castile and León (Spanish: Procurador del Común) is appointed by the Regional Courts.

  • Seat of the Ombudsman of Castile and León: León
    León, Spain

    The city of Le?n is the capital of Le?n in the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, in northwest Spain. Its population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for over one quarter of the province's population....


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.
  • Seat of the Consultive Committee: Zamora
    Zamora, Spain

    Zamora is a city in Castile and Le?n, Spain, the capital of the Zamora . It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50km/30mi downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier....


Education


Universities

  • Catholic University of Ávila
  • Miguel de Cervantes European University
    Miguel de Cervantes European University

    Is a private university in Valladolid. The centre was founded in 2002. The university currently has 1.500 students.http://www.uemc.es/es/UEMC/Paginas/MigueldeCervantes.aspx...
     (Valladolid
    Valladolid

    ||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the Valladolid and of the autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon, therefore is part of the historical region of Castile ....
    )
  • Pontificial University of Salamanca
  • SEK University (Segovia)
  • University of Burgos
    University of Burgos

    The University of Burgos is a public university in the Spanish city of Burgos....
  • University of León
  • University of Salamanca
    University of Salamanca

    The University of Salamanca , located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid, is the oldest university in Spain , and List of oldest universities in continuous operation in Europe....
  • University of Valladolid
    University of Valladolid

    The University of Valladolid is a university in the city of Valladolid in the Valladolid province of the autonomous region of Castile-Leon, in Spain....


Language


Leonese
Leonese language

The Leonese language was developed from Vulgar Latin with contributions from the pre-Roman languages which were spoken in the territory of the Spanish provinces of Le?n , Zamora, and Salamanca and in some villages in the District of Bragan?a, Portugal....
 and Galician are recognised in the Statute of Autonomy.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There are six UNESCO
UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
 World Heritage Sites in Castile and León:

  • The Way of Saint James, that crosses both regions of Castile and León.
  • Gothic-style cathedral of Burgos
    Burgos Cathedral

    The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture....
  • Old city and aqueduct
    Aqueduct of Segovia

    The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the most significant and best-preserved monuments left by the Ancient Rome on the Iberian Peninsula. It is among the most important symbols of Segovia, as is evidenced by its presence on the city's coat of arms....
     of Segovia
    Segovia

    Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Segovia in Castile and Leon. It is situated north of Madrid, and can be reached by bullet train in 35 minutes from Madrid at ....
  • Old city and wall of Ávila
    Ávila

    This article is about the Spanish city. For other uses, see Avila?vila de los Caballeros is the capital of the ?vila , now part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Spain ....
  • Old city of Salamanca
    Salamanca

    Salamanca is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca , which belongs to the autonomous community of Castile and Leon ....
  • Las Médulas
    Las Médulas

    Las M?dulas, located near the town of Ponferrada in the region of El Bierzo , used to be the most important gold gold mining in the Roman Empire....
     in the province of León
    León (province)

    Le?n is a Provinces of Spain of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain of Castile and Leon.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, Le?n, Le?n....
    , Roman gold mines
  • Archaeological deposits of Atapuerca
    Atapuerca

    The 'Atapuerca Mountains' is an ancient karst topography region of Spain, near the town of Atapuerca and Ibeas de Juarros, containing several caves, where fossils and stone tools of the earliest known Homininas in West Europe have been found....
    , near the city of Burgos
    Burgos

    Burgos is a city of northern Spain, at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178.000 inhabitants in the city proper and another 15,000 in its suburbs....
    , where fossils of the one of the earliest known hominids in Europe have been found


See also

  • Kingdom of Castile
    Kingdom of Castile

    Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of Le?n....
  • Kingdom of León
    Kingdom of León

    Kingdom of Le?n was an independent country situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 A.D. when the Christian princes of Kingdom of Asturias along the Bay of Biscay shifted their main seat from Oviedo to the city of Le?n, Spain....
  • Castilian-Leonese cuisine


External links

  • (in Spanish)
  • (Mostly in Spanish)
  • (in Spanish)
  • (historical)