Teruel (province)
Encyclopedia
Teruel is a province of Aragon
, in the northeast of Spain
. The capital is Teruel
.
It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia (including its exclave Rincón de Ademuz
), Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Zaragoza.
The area of the province is 14,809 km². Its population is 138,686 (2003), of whom about a quarter live in the capital, and its population density is 9.36/km². It contains 236 municipalities, of which more than half are villages of under 200 people.
The main language throughout the province is Spanish
, although Catalan
is official in the Matarranya comarca.
area. The main ranges in the province of Teruel are Sierra de la Virgen
, Sierra de Santa Cruz, Sierra de Cucalón
, Sierra de San Just
, Sierra Carrascosa
, Sierra Menera
, Sierra Palomera, Sierra de Javalambre
, Sierra de Gúdar
, Sierra de Albarracín
and the Montes Universales
, among others.
As a consequence there are a large number of ghost town
s in different parts of the province.
A great number of surviving towns in Teruel province have only a residual population, reviving somewhat during the summer when city-dwellers spend their holidays there. Other causes of the strong emigration have been the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices, like sheep and goat
rearing, by the local youth, the closure of mines, like the large Sierra Menera
mine near Ojos Negros
, as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.
The "Teruel exists" movement began at the turn of the century. It is a platform of provincial authorities, institutions and sympathizers seeking to reverse the long-standing neglect of this province.
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, in the northeast of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The capital is Teruel
Teruel
Teruel is a town in Aragon, eastern Spain, and the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006 making it one of the least populated provincial capitals in the country...
.
It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia (including its exclave Rincón de Ademuz
Rincón de Ademuz
Rincón de Ademuz is Spanish comarca constituted as an exclave of both the Region of Valencia and the province of Valencia located between the provinces of Cuenca and Teruel .-Overview:...
), Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Zaragoza.
The area of the province is 14,809 km². Its population is 138,686 (2003), of whom about a quarter live in the capital, and its population density is 9.36/km². It contains 236 municipalities, of which more than half are villages of under 200 people.
The main language throughout the province is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, although Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
is official in the Matarranya comarca.
Geography
This province is located in the mountainous Sistema IbéricoSistema Ibérico
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...
area. The main ranges in the province of Teruel are Sierra de la Virgen
Sierra de la Virgen
Sierra de la Virgen is a mountain range in the Aranda and Comunidad de Calatayud comarcas, Aragon, Spain. It is located south of the Moncayo Massif between the valleys of the Jalón and the Aranda rivers, rising north of the N-234 road, roughly between Calatayud and Torrelapaja.The ridge is aligned...
, Sierra de Santa Cruz, Sierra de Cucalón
Sierra de Cucalón
Sierra de Cucalón is a long system of mountain ranges in Aragon, Spain, located between the comarcas of Jiloca and Cuencas Mineras.These mountains are part of the Iberian System and are often covered with snow in the winter...
, Sierra de San Just
Sierra de San Just
Sierra de San Just is a mountain range in the Cuencas Mineras comarca of Aragon, Teruel Province, Spain. The highest point in the range is San Just...
, Sierra Carrascosa
Sierra Carrascosa
Sierra Carrascosa is a mountain range in the Maestrazgo comarca of Aragon, Teruel Province, Spain. The highest point in the range is Muela Carrascosa...
, Sierra Menera
Sierra Menera
Sierra Menera is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,601 m high summit known as Monte de San Ginés; another important peak is the 1591 m high Mojón Alto....
, Sierra Palomera, Sierra de Javalambre
Sierra de Javalambre
Sierra de Javalambre is a long mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre comarca of Aragon and the Rincón de Ademuz and Serrans comarcas of the Valencian Community, Spain....
, Sierra de Gúdar
Sierra de Gúdar
Sierra de Gúdar is a mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre and Maestrazgo comarcas of Aragon and the Alto Mijares comarca of the Valencian Community, Spain. The highest point in the range is Peñarroya ....
, Sierra de Albarracín
Sierra de Albarracín
Sierra de Albarracín is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,856 m high summit known as Sierra Alta....
and the Montes Universales
Montes Universales
Montes Universales is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,935 m high summit known as Caimodorro...
, among others.
Depopulation and neglect
Teruel Province has undergone massive depopulation since the second half of the 20th century. The exodus from the rural mountainous areas in Teruel rose after General Franco's Plan de Estabilización in 1959. The population declined steeply as people emigrated towards the industrial areas of the large cities and the coastal towns where tourism grew exponentially, leaving behind their small villages where living conditions were often harsh, with cold snowy winters and very basic facilities.As a consequence there are a large number of ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
s in different parts of the province.
A great number of surviving towns in Teruel province have only a residual population, reviving somewhat during the summer when city-dwellers spend their holidays there. Other causes of the strong emigration have been the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices, like sheep and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
rearing, by the local youth, the closure of mines, like the large Sierra Menera
Sierra Menera
Sierra Menera is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,601 m high summit known as Monte de San Ginés; another important peak is the 1591 m high Mojón Alto....
mine near Ojos Negros
Ojos Negros
Ojos Negros is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 531 inhabitants....
, as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.
The "Teruel exists" movement began at the turn of the century. It is a platform of provincial authorities, institutions and sympathizers seeking to reverse the long-standing neglect of this province.
Comarcas
The following Comarcas of Aragon are located in Teruel Province:- Bajo MartínBajo MartínBajo Martín is a comarca in Aragon. It is part of the historical region of Lower Aragon. It is located in Teruel Province, in the transitional area between the Iberian System and the Ebro Valley....
- JilocaJiloca ComarcaJiloca Comarca is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous Iberian System area.Its capital is Calamocha and it was formerly known as Comarca de Calamocha....
- Cuencas MinerasCuencas MinerasCuencas Mineras is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous area of the Sistema Ibérico.The administrative capital is Utrillas, with 3,346 inhabitants the largest town of the comarca, but the historical and cultural center is Montalbán.This comarca owes its...
- Andorra-Sierra de ArcosAndorra-Sierra de ArcosAndorra-Sierra de Arcos is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province and it is named after Sierra de Arcos, a range of this mountainous area of the Sistema Ibérico....
- Bajo AragónBajo AragónBajo Aragón or Baix Aragó is an administrative comarca in eastern central Aragon, Spain. It was first established in 1999. It has a population of 29,358 and an area of 1.304,2 km². The seat of the comarca is in Alcañiz...
- Comunidad de Teruel
- MaestrazgoMaestrazgo, AragonMaestrazgo is a comarca in southeastern Aragon, Spain. Its names derives from the Maestrat/Maestrazgo mountain massif that extends to the east to the Comarques of the Valencian Community Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat. The most important town is Cantavieja...
- Sierra de Albarracín ComarcaSierra de Albarracín ComarcaSierra de Albarracín Comarca is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in the Iberian System, in an area formerly known locally as Tierra de Albarracín, roughly corresponding to the ancient Señorío de Albarracín feudal manor...
- Gúdar-JavalambreGúdar-JavalambreAramón JavalambreGúdar-Javalambre is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. The most important town is Mora de Rubielos.This comarca is located at the southern end of Aragon, bordering the Valencian Community...
- Matarranya
Famous people
- Luis BuñuelLuis BuñuelLuis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
, film director from Calanda - Antón García AbrilAntón García AbrilAntón García Abril is a Spanish composer and musician. In 1997 Plácido Domingo created the role of Lucero in his Divinas Palabras at the Teatro Real in Madrid.-Biography:...
, music composer - Pablo Serrano, sculptor from Crivillén
- Luis MillaLuis MillaLuis Milla Aspas is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current coach....
, retired footballer who played for CD Teruel, FC Barcelona and R. Madrid - David CiveraDavid CiveraDavid Civera is a popular Spanish singer.-Biography:David Civera was born in Teruel, in 1979. His parents are José and Pilar and he has two sisters, Sonia is older than David, and Andrea is the younger. David studied Computer Studies and communications but he liked music better and wanted to sing...
, light music singer - Federico Jiménez LosantosFederico Jiménez LosantosFederico Jiménez Losantos is a popular and controversial Spanish pundit, being most known for his radio talk show, but also a TV host and literary author.He was born in Orihuela del Tremedal, Teruel, on September 15, 1951.-Education:...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and radio host - Manuel Pizarro Moreno, businessman, politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and juristJuristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage... - DJ Jano, dj and music productor
See also
- List of Aragonese comarcas
- List of municipalities in Teruel
- Lower AragonLower AragonLower Aragon , also known as Tierra Baja, is a natural and historical region in Aragon, Spain. The name "Lower Aragon" refers to the areas of the lowest altitude within the Ebro river basin, but the historical region encompasses only the river basins of several right tributaries of the Ebro River,...
- Sistema IbéricoSistema IbéricoThe Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...