Cantabria (,
also , ,
Cantabrian: ) is an
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
in northern
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
with
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a
historic community, in its current
Statute of Autonomy
Nominally, a Statute of Autonomy ( es, Estatuto de Autonomía, ca, Estatut d'Autonomia, gl, Estatuto de Autonomía, ast, Estatutu d'Autonomía, eu, Autonomia Estatutua) is a law hierarchically located under the constitution of a country and, u ...
. It is bordered on the east by the
Basque autonomous community
The Basque Country (; eu, Euskadi ; es, País Vasco ), also called Basque Autonomous Community ( eu, Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa, links=no, EAE; es, Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco, links=no, CAPV), is an autonomous community of Spain. It ...
(
province of Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
), on the south by
Castile and León
Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain.
It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
(
provinces of León,
Palencia
Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia.
Located in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half o ...
and
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
), on the west by the
Principality of Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensive ...
, and on the north by the
Cantabrian Sea
The Cantabrian Sea; french: Mer Cantabrique, gl, Mar Cantábrico, ast, Mar Cantábricu, eu, Kantauri. is the term used mostly in Spain to describe the coastal sea of the Atlantic Ocean that borders the northern coast of Spain and the southwest ...
(Bay of Biscay).
Cantabria belongs to ''
Green Spain
Cantabrian Coast is the name given to a lush natural region in Northern Spain, stretching along the Atlantic coast from the border with Portugal to the border with France. The region includes nearly all of Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, in ...
'', the name given to the strip of land between the
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
and the
Cantabrian Mountains
, etymology=Named after the Cantabri
, photo=Cordillera Cantábrica vista desde el Castro Valnera.jpg
, photo_caption=Cantabrian Mountains parallel to the Cantabrian Sea seen from Castro Valnera in an east-west direction. In the background, th ...
, so called because of its particularly lush vegetation, due to the wet and moderate
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
. The climate is strongly influenced by
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
winds trapped by the mountains; the average annual precipitation is about .
Cantabria has archaeological sites from the
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories coin ...
period, although the first signs of human occupation date from the
Lower Paleolithic
The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 3 million years ago when the first evidence for stone tool production and use by hominins appears in ...
. The most significant site for cave paintings is that in the
cave of Altamira
The Cave of Altamira (; es, Cueva de Altamira ) is a cave complex, located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contem ...
, dating from about 37,000 BC and declared, along with nine other Cantabrian caves, as
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. Historically, the territory sits in the
Ancient Period
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
Cantabri
The Cantabri ( grc-gre, Καντάβροι, ''Kantabroi'') or Ancient Cantabrians, were a pre-Ancient Rome, Roman people and large tribal federation that lived in the northern coastal region of ancient Iberia in the second half of the first mille ...
a, but from the Late Middle Ages to the early 19th century, the name Cantabria usually refers to the
territory of the Basques, especially the
lordship of Biscay
The Lordship of Biscay ( es, Señorío de Vizcaya, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One ...
.
The modern Province of Cantabria was constituted on 28 July 1778 at Puente San Miguel,
Reocín
Reocín is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, nationa ...
. The yearly Day of the Institutions holiday on 28 July celebrates this. The
Organic Law
An organic law is a law, or system of laws, that form the foundation of a government, corporation or any other organization's body of rules. A constitution is a particular form of organic law for a sovereign state.
By country France
Under Article ...
of the
Autonomy Statute of Cantabria, approved on 30 December 1981, gave the region its own institutions of self-government.
Etymology and usage
![Physical map of Cantabria - Spain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Physical_map_of_Cantabria_-_Spain.png)
Numerous authors, including
Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville ( la, Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636) was a Spanish scholar, theologian, and archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of 19th-century historian Montalembert, as "the last scholar of ...
,
Julio Caro Baroja
Julio Caro Baroja (13 November 1914 – 18 August 1995) was a Spanish anthropologist, historian, linguist and essayist. He was known for his special interest in Basque culture, Basque history and Basque society. Of Basque ancestry, he was the ne ...
,
Aureliano Fernández Guerra and
Adolf Schulten
Adolf Schulten (27 May 1870 – 19 March 1960) was a German historian and archaeologist.
Schulten was born in Elberfeld, Rhine Province, and received a doctorate in geology from the University of Bonn in 1892. He studied in Italy, Africa an ...
, have explored the etymology of the name ''Cantabria'', yet its origins remain uncertain. The Online Etymology Dictionary states the root ''cant-'' is said to come from the
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
for "rock" or "rocky", while ''-abr'' was a common suffix used in Celtic regions. Thus, ''Cantabrian'' could mean "people who live in the rocks" or "
highlanders", a reference to the steep and mountainous territory of Cantabria.
The name ''Cantabria'' could also be related to the Celtic root "kant" or "cant" meaning edge or rim thus "coastal district," or "corner-land", "land on the edge" thus having the same probable derivation as the name of the English county of ''
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
'' and
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
, one of its major cities.
During the Spanish liberal regimes of the 19th century, the term came to be increasingly associated to the province of Santander. However, during the late medieval and Modern Period literature, ''Cantabria'' and ''Cantabrians'' refer to the Basque Country, especially the lordship of Biscay, and the Basques.
Geography
Relief
Cantabria is a mountainous and coastal region, with important natural resources. It has two distinct areas which are well differentiated morphologically:
*Coast. A coastal strip of low, wide and gently rolling valleys some 10 kilometres in width, the altitude of which does not rise above 500 metres, and which meets the ocean in a line of abrupt cliffs broken by river estuaries, forming
ria
A ria (; gl, ría) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea.
Definitions
Typically rias have a Drainage system (geomorphology)#Dendritic dr ...
s and beaches.
Santander Bay
The Bay of Santander is both a ''comarca'' of Cantabria and the largest estuary on the North coast of Spain, with an extension of 22.42 km (9 km long and 5 km wide). Due to the influence of Santander and its metropolitan area, nea ...
is the most prominent indentation in the coastline. To the south, the coastal strip rises to meet the mountains.
*Mountains. This is a long barrier made up of abruptly rising mountains parallel to the sea, which are part of the
Cantabrian Mountains
, etymology=Named after the Cantabri
, photo=Cordillera Cantábrica vista desde el Castro Valnera.jpg
, photo_caption=Cantabrian Mountains parallel to the Cantabrian Sea seen from Castro Valnera in an east-west direction. In the background, th ...
. The mountains are mostly made of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
with
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
topography, and occupy most of Cantabria's area. They form deep valleys running north–south. The torrential rivers are short, fast flowing and of great eroding power, so the slopes are steep. The valleys define different natural regions, delimited physically by the intervening mountain ranges:
Liébana
Liébana is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain). It covers 575 square kilometres and is located in the far southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia. It is made up of the municipalities of: Cabezón de Liébana, Camaleño, Cil ...
,
Saja-Nansa
The Valleys of the Saja and Nansa Rivers comprise an administrative ''comarca'' in Cantabria, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of said rivers, each one being a natural ''comarca'' of its own.
Saja valley
The valley of the Saja River, located ...
,
Besaya,
Pas-
Pisueña,
Miera,
Asón-
Gándara,
Campoo
Campoo (formally Campoo-Los Valles) is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1,000 km2, and including the municipalities of Hermandad de Campoo de Suso, Campoo de Enmedio, Campoo de Yu ...
. To the 'mountain' region belongs the
Escudo Range, a mountain range of high that covers in a parallel line to the coast in the West part of Cantabria.
Towards the south are higher mountains, the tops of which form the watershed between the drainage basins of the Rivers
Ebro
, name_etymology =
, image = Zaragoza shel.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza
, map = SpainEbroBasin.png
, map_size =
, map_caption = The Ebro ...
,
Duero
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...
and the rivers that flow into the Bay of Biscay. These peaks generally exceed from the Pass of San Glorio in the west to the Pass of Los Tornos in the eastern part: Peña Labra,
Castro Valnera
Castru Valnera ( Cantabrian) or Castro Valnera (Spanish) is a peak located in the central area of the Cantabrian Mountains, in Burgos, northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España ...
and the mountain passes of Sejos, El Escudo and La Sía. The great limestone masses of
Picos de Europa
The Picos de Europa ("Peaks of Europe", also the Picos) are a mountain range extending for about , forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain.
The range is situated in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castil ...
also stand out in the southwest of the region: most of their summits exceed , and their topography is shaped by the former presence of
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s.
Climate
![Panoramica Alisas Cantabria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Panoramica_Alisas_Cantabria.jpg)
Due to the
gulf stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
, Cantabria, as well as the rest of "Green Spain", has a much more
temperate climate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
than might be expected for its latitude, which is comparable to that of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. The region has a humid
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
, with warm summers and mild winters. Annual
precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
is around 1,200 mm at the coasts and higher in the mountains. The mean temperature is about . Snow is frequent in the higher zones of Cantabria between the months of October and March. Some zones of Picos de Europa, over 2,500 metres high, have an
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions of ...
with snow persisting year round. The driest months are July and August. The mountainous relief of Cantabria has a dominant effect on local microclimate in Cantabria. It is the main cause of the peculiar meteorologic situations like the so-called "suradas" (
Ábrego wind), due to the
foehn effect
A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range.
It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...
: the southerly wind coming down from the mountains blows strongly and dry, increasing the temperature closer to the coast. This causes a decrease in air humidity and rainfall. These conditions are more frequent in autumn and winter, and the temperatures are commonly higher than . Fires are often helped by this type of wind: one example is the
fire that destroyed part of the city of Santander in the winter of 1941. In these specific cases in the southern part of the
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
the
dry adiabatic gradient produces different conditions to the rest of the region: the wind there is fresher and more humid, and there is more rain.
Hydrology
The rivers of Cantabria are short and rapid, descending steeply because the sea is so close to their source in the Cantabrian Mountains. They flow perpendicular to the coastline, except for the
Ebro
, name_etymology =
, image = Zaragoza shel.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza
, map = SpainEbroBasin.png
, map_size =
, map_caption = The Ebro ...
. They also generally
flow year round due to constant rainfall. Nevertheless, the rate of flow is modest (20 m³/s annual average) compared to the other rivers of the
Iberian peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
. The rapidness of their waters, caused by their steep descents, gives them great
erosive power, creating the narrow V-shaped valleys characteristic of Green Spain. The environmental condition of the rivers is generally good, although increasing human activity due to rising population in the valleys continues to pose a challenge.
![Nacimiento del rio Ason - Source of the Ason river](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Nacimiento_del_rio_Ason_-_Source_of_the_Ason_river.JPG)
The main rivers of the region, sorted by
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
, are:
*
North Basin (flows into the
Cantabrian Sea
The Cantabrian Sea; french: Mer Cantabrique, gl, Mar Cantábrico, ast, Mar Cantábricu, eu, Kantauri. is the term used mostly in Spain to describe the coastal sea of the Atlantic Ocean that borders the northern coast of Spain and the southwest ...
)
**
Agüera
**
Asón
**
Besaya
**
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film
* ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film
* ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film
* Deva (2007 Telugu film)
* ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film
* Deva ...
**
Miera
**
Nansa
Nansa ( fa, نانسا, also Romanized as Nānsā’) is a village in Khezerlu Rural District, in the Central District of Ajab Shir County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 899, in 234 families.
People
Mo ...
**
Pas
**
Saja
*
Ebro Basin The Ebro Basin was a foreland basin that formed to the south of the Pyrenees during the Paleogene. It was also limited to the southeast by the Catalan Coastal Ranges. It began as a fully marine basin with connections to both the Atlantic Ocean and t ...
(flows into the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
)
**
Híjar
**Ebro
*
Duero Basin (flows into the Atlantic Ocean)
Cantabria is the only autonomous community whose rivers flow into every one of the seas which surround the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
: The Cantabrian Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Vegetation
![Prau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Prau.JPG)
The variation in the altitude of the region, which in a short distance ranges from sea level to 2,600 meters in the mountains, leads to a great deal of diversity in vegetation and a large number of
biome
A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
s.
Cantabria has vegetation typical of the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula. It is characterized by forests of leafy
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
trees such as oak and
European beech
''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.
Description
''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though mor ...
. Nevertheless, human intervention dating back to ancient times has favored the creation of pastures, allowing the existence of large areas of grassland and prairies suitable for grazing cattle. These grasslands are mingled with plantations of
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...
and native oak. The southern part of Cantabria, including the ''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
'' of Campoo the fringes of the Castilian plateau, is characterized by the transition to drier vegetation. Another diversifying factor which contributes to local variation within the region is the Mediterranean
ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate. It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and gras ...
, giving rise to species unique to the region, such as the
holm oak and
arbutus trees, which are found in poor limestone soils with little moisture.
In Cantabria there are several zones of plant life:
*The coastal strip, including sandy dunes with minimal vegetation. Adjacent to these are steep cliffs with plants unique to that type of terrain.
![Hills of La Marina (Cantabria)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Hills_of_La_Marina_%28Cantabria%29.jpg)
*The maritime region, near the coast and including altitudes up to 500 metres. Originally it had mixed deciduous forests containing
ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
linden,
bay laurel
''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. I ...
,
hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
,
maple
''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...
,
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
,
poplar,
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
,
holm oak, and others. The
riparian
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...
parts were filled with forests of
alder
Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
and
willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
. Today these native forests have almost completely disappeared, leaving only reserves in area of poor arability. In their place there are grasslands which are quite productive in the temperate climate and which sustain the economy of rural Cantabria. Next to these are very large
monoculture
In agriculture, monoculture is the practice of growing one crop species in a field at a time. Monoculture is widely used in intensive farming and in organic farming: both a 1,000-hectare/acre cornfield and a 10-ha/acre field of organic kale are ...
plantations of
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...
for paper production, of disastrous ecological consequences to the biodiversity and climate of the region.
During the last two decades of the 20th century, and due mainly to European agricultural policies (
CAP
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
), many farmers substituted forestry for livestock farming, so as to avoid unemployment and poverty. This provoked a surge of
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...
–
see eucalyptus article on Spanish Wikipedia – plantations (and to a less extent of
pines
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
) which often hid the illegal destruction of native forests, just as the spread of livestock farming had done in the past by the endemic conversion of forest into prairie. These acts have been laxly controlled by the local councils or the central governments, in a process that clearly follows the saying: "''Pan para hoy, hambre para mañana''" (which translates as 'Bread for today, hunger for tomorrow'; i.e., "short-term gain, long-term pain").
![Relieve karstico-Karst topography](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Relieve_karstico-Karst_topography.jpg)
The plantation of pines has given way in the last decades to that of eucalyptus because this
non-indigenous species
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...
has no natural attacker within the European ecosystem (while pines are highly vulnerable to the
pine processionary
The pine processionary (''Thaumetopoea pityocampa'') is a moth of the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae in the family Notodontidae, known for the irritating hairs of its caterpillars, their processions, and the economic damage they cause in coniferous ...
).
Both in relative and absolute terms the use of woods for forestry has increased in Cantabria, and is now almost 70% of all woods in the region.
*The foothills, from 500 to 1,100 metres altitude are colonized by monoculture forests of oak (''
Quercus robur
''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...
'' and ''
Quercus petraea
''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial emble ...
'') on the sunnier slopes. In more shaded areas and especially from about 800 metres there are forests of
European beech
''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.
Description
''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though mor ...
which are the main food source in winter for many animal species.
![Pico Tordias](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Pico_Tordias.jpg)
* The subalpine plane, in this high country, the plant life is composed of birch, scrub, and
grasses
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...
which are especially important for the economy because during the summer they serve as pasture for grazing cattle and horses.
Along with these characteristics it would also be necessary to mention peculiarities of the ''comarca'' of
Liébana
Liébana is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain). It covers 575 square kilometres and is located in the far southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia. It is made up of the municipalities of: Cabezón de Liébana, Camaleño, Cil ...
, which has a
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
very similar to the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
, allowing to grow
cork oak
''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the cores ...
s,
vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
s and
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
s, and which is still very well conserved from human activity.
The other remarkable ''comarca'' is
Campoo
Campoo (formally Campoo-Los Valles) is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1,000 km2, and including the municipalities of Hermandad de Campoo de Suso, Campoo de Enmedio, Campoo de Yu ...
, in southern Cantabria, with its Pyrenean oak.
Natural parks
![Parques Naturales y Nacionales de Cantabria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Parques_Naturales_y_Nacionales_de_Cantabria.png)
There are seven natural areas in this autonomous community designated as
Natural
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...
or
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
s:
*
Picos de Europa National Park
The Picos de Europa National Park ( es, Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa) is a National Park in the Picos de Europa mountain range, in northern Spain. It is within the boundaries of three autonomous communities, Asturias, Cantabria and Castil ...
*Collados del Asón Natural Park
*
Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park
The Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park is an estuary in Cantabria, protected as a natural park. It is one of the wetlands of most ecological value in the north of Spain, and is used as a winter refuge and migratory passage by many ...
*Macizo de Peña Cabarga Natural Park
*Oyambre Natural Park
*
Saja-Besaya Natural Park
Saja-Besaya Natural Park is Cantabrias largest natural park on the northern slope of the Cantabrian Mountains in West Central Cantabria, Spain. Its hunting reserve is approximately 1800km², the largest and most important in Spain.
Geography
T ...
*Dunes of Liencres Natural Park
The most important of these is the Picos de Europa National Park, which affects Castile and León and Asturias in addition to Cantabria, the three autonomous communities sharing its management.
Santoña, Victoria and Joyel
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
es are also
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...
s for the birds (ZEPA).
Furthermore, nine
Sites of Community Importance
A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...
(LIC) have been declared: Western Mountain, Eastern Mountain, Western Rias and Oyambre Dunes, Dunes of
Liencres and Estuary of the Pas, El Puntal Dunes and Estuary of the Miera, Ria de Ajo, Marshes of
Noja
Noja is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a histori ...
-
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a ...
,
Escudo de Cabuérniga Range and several caves with important
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
colonies.
Demographics
![Map of population of Cantabria 2005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Map_of_population_of_Cantabria_2005.png)
According to the 2009 census, the region has a population of 591,886 which constitutes 1.29% of the population of Spain, with the population density numbering 106.8 people per kilometer. The average life expectancy for male inhabitants is 75 years; for female inhabitants, it is 83 years. Eight years later in 2017 the population has fallen to 581,477 according to INE.
In relative contrast to other regions of Spain, Cantabria has not experienced much immigration. In 2007, only 4.7% of the population were immigrants. The predominant countries of origin for immigrants to Cantabria are
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
, and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
.
The majority of the population resides in the coastal area, particularly in two cities:
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
, with 183,000 people, and
Torrelavega
Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria, northern Spain.
It is situated roughly 8 kilometres from the Cantabrian Coast and 27.5 ...
, the second largest urban and industrial centre in Cantabria, having a population of around 60,000. These two cities form a
conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...
known as the Santander-Torrelavega metropolitan area.
Castro Urdiales
Castro Urdiales is a seaport of northern Spain, in the autonomous community of Cantabria, situated on the Bay of Biscay.
Castro Urdiales is a modern town, although its castle and the Gothic-style parish church of Santa María de la Asunción, date ...
has an official population of 28,542, making it the fourth largest in the region because of its proximity to the
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
metropolitan area, there are a large number of people not registered in Castro Urdiales, and the true count may be double the official figure.
The most populated municipalities of Cantabria as of 2018 are the following:
#
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
(pop. 172,044)
#
Torrelavega
Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria, northern Spain.
It is situated roughly 8 kilometres from the Cantabrian Coast and 27.5 ...
(pop. 51,687)
#
Castro-Urdiales
Castro Urdiales is a seaport of northern Spain, in the autonomous community of Cantabria, situated on the Bay of Biscay.
Castro Urdiales is a modern town, although its castle and the Gothic-style parish church of Santa María de la Asunción, date ...
(pop. 31,977)
#
Camargo (pop. 30,263)
#
Piélagos
Piélagos is a municipality in Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Stat ...
(pop. 25,223)
#
El Astillero
El Astillero (English: "The Shipyard") is a town and municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain. It is near the provincial capital of Santander, and it is known for its shipyard, and for hosting of Spanish na ...
(pop. 18,108)
#
Santa Cruz de Bezana
Santa Cruz de Bezana is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain.
Localilities
* Azoños
* Maoño
* Mompía
* Prezanes
* Sancibrián
* Bezana (capital)
* Soto de la Marina
Twin towns
* Martignas-sur-Jalle, Franc ...
(pop. 12,964)
#
Laredo (pop. 11,148)
#
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a ...
(pop. 11,050)
#
Los Corrales de Buelna
Los Corales de Buelna is a municipality in Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its ...
(pop. 10,910)
#
Reinosa
Reinosa is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. , it has 10,307 inhabitants. The municipality, one of the smallest by land area in Cantabria, is notable for being one of the nearest towns to the headwaters of the Ebro River. It is surrounded by th ...
(pop. 9,095)
History
Roman Empire
![Cantabria prerromana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Cantabria_prerromana.svg)
The first written reference to the name Cantabria emerges around 195 BC, in which the historian
Cato the Elder
Marcus Porcius Cato (; 234–149 BC), also known as Cato the Censor ( la, Censorius), the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization. He was the first to write histo ...
speaks in his book ''
Origines
(, "Origins") is the title of a lost work on Roman and Italian history by Cato the Elder, composed in the early-2nd centuryBC.
Contents
According to Cato's biographer Cornelius Nepos, the ''Origins'' consisted of seven books. Book I was the hi ...
'' about the source of the Ebro River in the country of the
Cantabri
The Cantabri ( grc-gre, Καντάβροι, ''Kantabroi'') or Ancient Cantabrians, were a pre-Ancient Rome, Roman people and large tribal federation that lived in the northern coastal region of ancient Iberia in the second half of the first mille ...
:
There are about 150 references to Cantabria or the Cantabri in surviving
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
texts. The Cantabri were used as
mercenaries
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
in various conflicts, both within the Iberian Peninsula and elsewhere. It is certain that they participated the
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
, from references by
Silius Italicus
Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus (, c. 26 – c. 101 AD) was a Roman senator, orator and Epic poetry, epic poet of the Silver Age of Latin literature. His only surviving work is the 17-book ''Punica (poem), Punica'', an epic poem about th ...
and
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...
. When
C. Hostilius Mancinus was besieging
Numantia
Numantia ( es, Numancia) is an ancient Celtiberian settlement, whose remains are located on a hill known as Cerro de la Muela in the current municipality of Garray (Soria), Spain.
Numantia is famous for its role in the Celtiberian Wars. In 15 ...
, he withdrew upon learning that Cantabri and
Vaccaei
The Vaccaei or Vaccei were a pre-Roman Celtic people of Spain, who inhabited the sedimentary plains of the central Duero valley, in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania (specifically in Castile and León). Their capital was ''Intercatia'' in Pa ...
were present among his
auxiliaries
Auxiliaries are support personnel that assist the military or police but are organised differently from regular forces. Auxiliary may be military volunteers undertaking support functions or performing certain duties such as garrison troops, u ...
. The
Cantabrian Wars
The Cantabrian Wars (29–19 BC) (''Bellum Cantabricum''), sometimes also referred to as the Cantabrian and Asturian Wars (''Bellum Cantabricum et Asturicum''), were the final stage of the two-century long Roman conquest of Hispania, in what to ...
began in They were defeated by
Agrippa Agrippa may refer to:
People Antiquity
* Agrippa (mythology), semi-mythological king of Alba Longa
* Agrippa (astronomer), Greek astronomer from the late 1st century
* Agrippa the Skeptic, Skeptic philosopher at the end of the 1st century
* Agri ...
with great slaughter in , but they revolted again under
Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
and were never entirely subdued.
In older geographers, the term Cantabria referred to an expansive country bounded by the Cantabrian Sea (the
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
), the western side of the
Sella valley in
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
, the
hillfort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
of
Peña Amaya in
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
, and along the
Aguera River almost as far as
Castro Urdiales
Castro Urdiales is a seaport of northern Spain, in the autonomous community of Cantabria, situated on the Bay of Biscay.
Castro Urdiales is a modern town, although its castle and the Gothic-style parish church of Santa María de la Asunción, date ...
. It thus included areas of
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
,
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
,
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
, and
Guipuzcoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...
. Following the
Roman conquest of Spain
The Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula was a process by which the Roman Republic seized territories in the Iberian Peninsula that were previously under the control of native Celts, Celtic, Iberians, Iberian, Celtiberians, Celtiberian and A ...
, however, it was restricted to the area of
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
and eastern
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
, forming a part of
Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia was the ...
("
Tarragona
Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...
n Spain"). The principal tribes of the area were the
Pleutauri, the
Varduli
The Varduli were a pre-Roman tribe settled in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, in what today is the eastern region of the autonomous community of the Basque Country and western Navarre, in northern Spain. Their historical territory correspond ...
, the
Autrigones
The Autrigones were a pre-Roman tribe that settled in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, in what today is the western Basque Country (western regions of Biscay and Álava) and northern Burgos and the East of Cantabria, Spain. Their territory li ...
, the
Tuisi, and the
Conisci or
Concaui, who were known for
feeding on their horses' blood. The area was well settled, with the largest city being
Juliobriga
Juliobriga ( es, Julióbriga, la, Iuliobriga, grc, Ἰουλιόβριγα) was the most important urban centre in Roman Cantabria, as stated by numerous Latin authors including Pliny the Elder. The site has traditionally been identified with ...
, and the local mountains exploited for
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
mines.
Middle Ages
![Ducado de Cantabria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Ducado_de_Cantabria.png)
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Cantabria regained its independence from the rule of the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
. In 574, King
Liuvigild
Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or ''Leovigildo'' (Spanish and Portuguese), ( 519 – 586) was a Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania from 568 to 586. Known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovigild, a law allowing equal rights between the ...
attacked Cantabria and managed to capture the south of the country, including the city of
Amaya, where he established a Visigothic province called the
Duchy of Cantabria
The Duchy of Cantabria was created by the Visigoths in northern Spain. Its precise extension is unclear in the different periods, but it seems likely that it included Cantabria, parts of Northern Castile, La Rioja, and probably western areas ...
(see picture), which would serve as a
limes
Limes may refer to:
* the plural form of lime (disambiguation)
* the Latin word for ''limit'' which refers to:
** Limes (Roman Empire)
(Latin, singular; plural: ) is a modern term used primarily for the Germanic border defence or delimiting ...
or frontier zone to contain the Cantabri as well as their neighbors the
Vascones
The Vascones were a pre-Roman tribe who, on the arrival of the Romans in the 1st century, inhabited a territory that spanned between the upper course of the Ebro river and the southern basin of the western Pyrenees, a region that coincides wi ...
. To the north of this cordon, however, the Cantabri continued to live independently until the Arab invasion. In 714, a mixed
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
/
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
army of
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Moors invaded the upper valleys of the Ebro and succeeded in capturing Amaya, the Cantabrian capital, forcing the Cantabrians back to their traditional frontiers, where they joined forces with the
Kingdom of Asturias
The Kingdom of Asturias ( la, Asturum Regnum; ast, Reinu d'Asturies) was a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the Visigothic nobleman Pelagius. It was the first Christian political entity established after the Umayyad conquest of V ...
.
In the first chronicles of the
Reconquista
The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
, Cantabria still appears to be acknowledged as a region. In the ''Albendense Chronicle'', when speaking of
Alfonso I, it says, "This was the son of
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, the duke of Cantabria".
During the 9th century, on mentioning the monastery of Saint Zacharias, Eulogius pinpoints it in ''Seburim'' (maybe Zubiri) on the river Arga, "waters all of Cantabria", in a letter sent to the bishop of Pamplona Williesind, suggesting a region stretching out far into the east. From this period on, source documents barely reference Cantabria by name, with ''Asturias'' featuring in names of the ''comarcas'' called ''
Asturias de Santillana
Asturias de Santillana is a historical ''comarca'' whose territory in large part corresponded to the central and western part of today's autonomous community of Cantabria, as well as the extreme east of Asturias. Most of the province of Asturias ...
'', ''Asturias de Trasmiera'' and ''Asturias de Laredo''.
![Bataille de la Rochelle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Bataille_de_la_Rochelle.jpg)
From a central core formed by the ''Hermandad de las Cuatro Villas'' (''Brotherhood of the Four Cities'') (Santander, Laredo, Castro Urdiales and
San Vicente de la Barquera
San Vicente de la Barquera is a municipality of Cantabria in northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English ...
), the ''Hermandad de las Marismas'' (''Brotherhood of the Marshes'') was created, thereby uniting all the important seaports to the East of Asturias. During the period of the Reconquista, the Four Cities actively participated in the re-settling of Andalusia, dispatching men and ships. The coastal port cities of
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
and
El Puerto de Santa María
EL, El or el may refer to:
Religion
* El (deity), a Semitic word for "God"
People
* EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer
* El DeBarge, music artist
* El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...
were settled by families from the Cantabrian Sea ports. Ships from the Four Cities took part in the taking of
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, destroying the ship bridge linking
Triana and Sevilla, a victory that is represented by the
Carrack
A carrack (; ; ; ) is a three- or four- masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal. Evolved from the single-masted cog, the carrack was first used for European trade fr ...
and the
Torre del Oro
The Torre del Oro ( ar, بُرْج الذَّهَب, burj aḏẖ-ḏẖahab, lit=Tower of Gold) is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain. It was erected by the Almohad Caliphate in order to control access to Seville via th ...
of Sevilla in the coat of arms of
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
,
Coat of arms of Cantabria
The coat of arms of Cantabria has a rectangular shield, round in base (also called ''Spanish shield'' in heraldry) and the field is ''party en fess''. In field azure, a tower or crenellated and masoned, port and windows azure, to its right a shi ...
and
Avilés
Avilés (; ) is a town in Asturias, Spain. Avilés is, along with Oviedo and Gijón, one of the main cities in the Principality of Asturias.
The town occupies the flattest land in the municipality, partially in a land that belonged to the sea, ...
(Asturias).
16th to 18th centuries
In the 16th century, the name ''La Montaña'' (''The Mountain'') was widespread in popular usage and in literature, as a designation of the Ancient Cantabria, as opposed to
Castile, which referred solely to the
Central Plateau. This distinction has survived into modern times.
![Hermandad de las Cuatro Villas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Hermandad_de_las_Cuatro_Villas.svg)
With the rise of the
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being bot ...
, the Brethren of the Marshes disappeared, leaving the Coregiment of the Four Villas, which included the whole area of influence of the old Brethren of the Four Villas (almost all of Cantabria). During the ''
ancien régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
'', the greatest jurisdictional lordships of Cantabria were mainly under the control of three of the
Grandee families of Spain: that of Mendoza (
Dukes of Infantado, Marquises of Santillana), of Manrique de Lara (Marquises of Aguilar de Campoo, Counts of Castañeda), and to a lesser extent that of Velasco (
Dukes of Frías
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
,
Constables of Castile
Constable of Castile ( es, Condestable de Castilla) was a title created by John I, King of Castile in 1382, to substitute the title ''Alférez Mayor del Reino''. The constable was the second person in power in the kingdom, after the King, and h ...
).
From the 16th century on, there was renewed interest in studying Cantabria and the Cantabri, particularly concerning the precise location of the territory that this people had occupied. It was not until the 18th century that the debate about the location and size of Ancient Cantabria was settled in a series of works which described the history of the history of the region such as ''La Cantabria'' by the Augustinian father and historian Enrique Flórez de Setién. Concurrent with the resurgence of this interest in the Cantabrians and the clarification of the aforementioned polemic, many institutions, organizations and jurisdictions in the mountainous territory received the name of "Cantabrian" or "of Cantabria".
In 1727, the first attempt to unify what would later become the Province of Cantabria occurred. Despite this, the high level of autonomy that the small entities of the fractured estate of Cantabria enjoyed, combined with a lack of resources, continued to be the main reason for Cantabria's weakness, aggravated by the progressive advance of the
Bourbonic centralism
Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a particu ...
and its administrative efficiency. The latter continually emphasised the impossibility of the smaller territories facing a multitude of problems on their own: from communications to the exercise of justice, from putting aside adequate reserves for hard times to the indiscriminate
levees
A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually earthen and that often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlin ...
for soldiers, and above all the progression of fiscal impositions. All of this led to an acceleration of contact between villas, valleys and jurisdictions, which tended to focus on the Assemblies of the Provinces of the Nine Valleys, led by the deputies elected by the traditional entities of self-government.
There were two events that triggered the culmination of the integration process in this second attempt:
*On the one hand, the collective interest in avoiding making contributions to the reconstruction of the bridge of
Miranda de Ebro
Miranda de Ebro (Spanish: iˈɾan̪da ðe ˈeβɾo is a city on the Ebro river in the Burgos (province), province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is located in the north-eastern part of the province, on th ...
, imposed by order of the Intendant of
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
on 11 July 1775, the same year that Cantabria suffered two tremendous floods, on 20 June and on 3 November. There was a need to face as the banditry that operated with impunity in Cantabria as a result of a lack of local juridical resources. After the General Deputy of Nine Valleys gathered the affected jurisdictions to the assembly that was to take place in Puente San Miguel on 21 March 1777, they sent their respective deputies with sufficient authority to join with the Nine Valleys.
In this General Assembly a framework was established and formal steps began to be taken, leading to administrative and legal unity in 1778. This all culminated in the success of the Assembly held in the Assembly House of ''Puente San Miguel'' on July 28, 1778, where the Province of Cantabria was constituted. It was achieved by passing the common ordinances which had been developed to that end, and which had been discussed and approved previously in councils of all the villas, valleys and subscribed jurisdictions. They were, in addition to the Nine Valleys: Rivadedeva, Peñamellera, the Province of Liébana, Peñarrubia, Lamasón, Rionansa, the Villa of San Vicente de la Barquera, Coto de Estrada, Valdáliga, the Villa of Santillana del Mar, Lugar de Viérnoles, the Villa of Cartes and environs, the Valley of Buelna, the Valley of Cieza, the Valley of Iguña with the Villas of San Vicente and Los Llares, the Villa of Pujayo, the Villa of Pie de Concha y Bárcena, the Valley of Anievas, and the Valley of Toranzo.
![Cnt-baston](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Cnt-baston.PNG)
Having learned lessons from the failed attempt of 1727, the first objective of the new entity was to obtain approval from King
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
for the union of all the Cantabrian jurisdictions into one province. The royal ratification was granted on 22 November 1779.
The 28 jurisdictions that initially comprised the Province of Cantabria were clear in their intention that all the other jurisdictions that formed the ''Party and Baton of the Four Villas of the Coast'' should be included in the new province. To this end they set out the steps needed for this to happen as soon as those jurisdictions should request it. They would have to abide by the ordinances, having the same rights and duties as the founders, all on an equal footing. Thus, the following joined in quick succession: the Abbey of
Santillana, the Valleys of
Tudanca
Tudanca is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, natio ...
,
Polaciones
Polaciones is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a hi ...
,
Herrerías,
Castañeda, the Villa of
Torrelavega
Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria, northern Spain.
It is situated roughly 8 kilometres from the Cantabrian Coast and 27.5 ...
and environs,
Val de San Vicente,
Valle de Carriedo,
Tresviso
Tresviso is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. :es:Anexo:Municipios de Cantabria The municipality is located above sea level within the Picos de Europa of the Cantabrian Mountains. The village is located o ...
, and the Pasiegan Villas of
La Vega,
San Roque and
San Pedro, as well as the city of Santander with its abbey.
Competition between the townships of Laredo and Santander led to the latter, having initially allowed the name of Cantabria for the province created at the beginning of the 19th century, later retracting its consent and demanding that it bear the name of Santander, so there would be no doubt as to which was the capital. When in 1821 the Provincial Council presented before the constitutional
Courts
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
its definitive plan for the provincial borders and legal entities, it proposed the name of Province of Cantabria, to which the Township of Santander replied that "''this province must retain the name of Santander''". However, many newspapers still showed in their headings the name of Cantabria, or Cantabrian.
19th century
![Estatua de Pedro Velarde - Santander](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Estatua_de_Pedro_Velarde_-_Santander.jpg)
During the
War of Independence
This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence.
List
See also
* Lists of active separatist movements
* List of civil wars
* List of o ...
(1808–1814), Bishop Rafael Tomás Menéndez de Luarca, a strong defender of absolutism, promoted himself as the "Regent of Cantabria" and established the ''Cantabrian Armaments'' in Santander, a section of the army whose purpose was to travel to all the mountain passes from the Central Plateau to detain any French troop.
Although defeated, he managed later to regroup in Liébana under the command of General Juan Díaz Porlier, calling his forces the ''Cantabrian Division'', in which there were various regiments and battalions, such as the ''
Hussar
A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...
s of Cantabria'' (
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
) or the ''Shooters of Cantabria'' (
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
). During the
Carlist wars
The Carlist Wars () were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 187 ...
they formed a unit called the ''Cantabrian Brigade''.
20th century
The use of terms with ancestral resonance through the 18th and 19th centuries continued during the 20th century, taking on a political tone that was distinctly regionalist, until 1936. In fact, the ''Republican Federal Party'' produced an autonomy statute for a Cantabrian-Castilian Federal State that year, which would include present-day Cantabria and any neighbouring areas from
Castile and
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
willing to join it. It could not be passed because of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. Following the war and the subsequent marginalization of such efforts under the
Francoists regime, the use of the name of Cantabria decreased, to the point that for official purposes it was relegated to sports associations, the only arena in which Cantabria was noted as a region.
In 1963, the president of the Provincial Council, Pedro Escalante y Huidobro, proposed reapplying the name of Cantabria to the
Province of Santander
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...
, as suggested in an academic report written by the historian Tomás Maza Solano. Although further steps were taken and many of the townships were in favour of the move, the petition did not succeed, mostly due to the opposition of Santander City Council. On 30 December 1981, a process that had been started in April 1979 by the Council of
Cabezón de la Sal
Cabezón de la Sal is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the town has a population of 7,971 inhabitants.
Festivals
* 2 February: Las Candelas in Casar de Periedo
* 9 March: La ...
, under the presidency of Ambrosio Calzada Hernández, culminated in the granting of self-rule to Cantabria, outlined in Article 143 of the
Spanish Constitution
The Spanish Constitution (Spanish, Asturleonese language, Asturleonese, and gl, Constitución Española; eu, Espainiako Konstituzioa; ca, Constitució Espanyola; oc, Constitucion espanhòla) is the Democracy, democratic law that is supreme l ...
.
Cantabria based its claim to autonomy on the constitutional precept that made provision for self-government for "''provinces with a historic regional character''".
A Mixed Assembly formed out of provincial deputies and national members of parliament began the task of drawing up an
Autonomy Statute on 10 September 1979. Following the approval of the General Courts on 15 December 1981, the
King of Spain
, coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg
, coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain
, image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg
, incumbent = Felipe VI
, incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...
signed the corresponding Organic Law of Autonomy Statute for Cantabria on December 30 of the same year. Thus, the province of Santander broke its link to Castile, and left the former region of Castile and León to which it had belonged up to that time, together with the provinces of
Ávila
Ávila (, , ) is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila.
It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m abov ...
,
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
,
León,
Logroño
Logroño () is the capital of the province of La Rioja, situated in northern Spain. Traversed in its northern part by the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of passage, such as the Camino de Santiago. Its borders were disputed b ...
,
Palencia
Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia.
Located in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half o ...
,
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...
,
Segovia
Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia.
Segovia is in the Inner Plateau (''Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of th ...
,
Soria
Soria () is a municipality and a Spanish city, located on the Douro river in the east of the autonomous community of Castile and León and capital of the province of Soria. Its population is 38,881 (INE, 2017), 43.7% of the provincial population. ...
,
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
and
Zamora.
On 20 February 1982, the first Regional Assembly (now Parliament) was formed, with provisional status. From this time, the former province of Santander has been known as Cantabria and has thereby regained its historic name. The first home-rule elections were held in May 1983. The 4th Legislature (1995–1999) brought into effect the first great reform of the Autonomy Statute of Cantabria, approved by all the parliamentary groups.
Government and administration
The
Autonomy Statute of Cantabria of 30 December 1981, established that Cantabria has in its institutions the desire to respect fundamental rights and public freedom, at the same time as consolidating and stimulating regional development through democratic channels. This document gathers all competences of the Autonomous Community that were transferred from the
Government of Spain
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
. As in other Autonomous Communities, some competences were not transferred, for example, Justice. The Statute also defines the symbols that should represent the region: The
flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
, the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
and the
anthem of Cantabria.
The
Parliament of Cantabria
The Parliament of Cantabria, is the unicameral legislature of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. It consists of 35 members called "deputies" which are freely elected by the citizens of the region. The Parliament convenes at the Saint Raphael ...
is the principal self-government institution of the Autonomous Community, being the representative body of the Cantabrians. Presently it is constituted by thirty-nine deputies elected by universal, equal, free, direct and secret suffrage. The primary functions of the Parliament are: to exercise the
legislative power
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...
, to approve the budgets of the Autonomous Community, to motivate and control the actions of the government, and to develop the rest of the competences that the
Spanish Constitution
The Spanish Constitution (Spanish, Asturleonese language, Asturleonese, and gl, Constitución Española; eu, Espainiako Konstituzioa; ca, Constitució Espanyola; oc, Constitucion espanhòla) is the Democracy, democratic law that is supreme l ...
, the Autonomy Statute and the rest of the legal order bestow on it. The
President of the Autonomous Community holds the highest representation of the Community and ordinary representation of the Country in Cantabria, and presides over the Government, coordinating its activities.
The
Government of Cantabria
, border = Autonomous government
, image =
, caption= Logo of the Government of Cantabria
, date =
, state =
, address = C/ Peña Herbosa, 29, Santander
, appointed = Monarch
, leader_title ...
is the body in charge of directing the political activities and exercising the executive and regulatory powers according to the Constitution, the Statute and the laws. The Government is made up of the President, the Vicepresident (in which the President can delegate his executive functions and representations) and the Councillors, who are appointed and ceased by the President.
After several legislatures presided by the
Partido Popular or by Juan Hormaechea's UPCA, the Regional Government of Cantabria was directed by a coalition of the
Regionalist Party of Cantabria
The Regionalist Party of Cantabria ( es, Partido Regionalista de Cantabria, PRC) is the second oldest political party in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Cantabria. The PRC originated in the Association in Defense of the Interests of Cantabr ...
and
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources:
*
*
*
* political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gov ...
(PSOE) from year 2003 until 2011. The President was
Miguel Ángel Revilla
Miguel Ángel Revilla Roiz (born 23 January 1943 in Polaciones) is a Spanish politician, economist and bank employee serving as the 9th President of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. Before this, Revilla has served as the 7th President bet ...
of
Partido Regionalista de Cantabria (PRC), and the Vice President was Dolores Gorostiaga of the PSOE. As a result of the absolute majority of the
Partido Popular in the regional elections of 2011, the president from 2011 to 2015 was
Ignacio Diego Palacios, and the Vice President was also the healthcare Councillor, Maria José Sáenz de Buruaga. After the 2015 regional elections, Miguel Ángel Revilla of Partido Regionalista de Cantabria (PRC) was invested president for a third tenure with the support of PSOE.
Territorial organization
The autonomous community of Cantabria is structured in ''
municipio
' (, ) and ' () are country subdivisions in Italy and several Hispanophone and Lusophone nations, respectively. They are often translated as "municipality". In the English language, a municipality often is defined as relating to a single city or t ...
s'' (municipalities) and ''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
s'' (regions).
Municipalities
![Comarcas administrativas de Cantabria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Comarcas_administrativas_de_Cantabria.svg)
There are 102 municipalities in Cantabria generally comprising several townships, and from these, several districts. A number of municipalities bear the name of one of their townships (be it its capital or not), but not all them do. Each municipality is governed by its own
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
or
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...
, and two of them,
Tresviso
Tresviso is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. :es:Anexo:Municipios de Cantabria The municipality is located above sea level within the Picos de Europa of the Cantabrian Mountains. The village is located o ...
and
Pesquera, do it by ''concejo abierto'' (''open council''), having fewer than 250 inhabitants.
The Mancomunidad Campoo-Cabuérniga is not a municipality, but a communal property, singular for its size and characteristics, of shared management between the municipalities of
Hermandad de Campoo de Suso
Hermandad de Campoo de Suso is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. The municipality's seat is in Espinilla.
The Ebro River rises in this municipality, in the town of Fontibre.
Towns
* Abiada
* Argüeso
* Bar ...
,
Cabuérniga,
Los Tojos and
Ruente. This mountain estate is used as a grazing ground for
Tudanca cattle
The Tudanca is a traditional Spanish breed of cattle from Cantabria, in northern Spain. It takes its name from the village of Tudanca in the in western Cantabria.http://www.iberianature.com/material/cows.html Spanish cows and beefs In the pas ...
and also for horses in less amount, in its ''brañas'' or grass prairies, and even nowadays
transhumant
Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower vall ...
cattle farming traditions survive in this region.
See also:
*
List of municipalities in Cantabria
Cantabria is one of the sixteen autonomous communities of Spain. It is divided into 102 Municipality, municipalities, in accordance with the organizations of territories put forth in Article 137 of the Constitution of Spain, 1978 Constitution of S ...
''Comarcas'' (regions)
The Cantabrian legislation divides the autonomous community in administrative regions called ''comarcas'', but traditionally, other subdivisions of the territory have been used.
*Administrative regions
''Law 8/1999 of ''Comarcas'' of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria'' of 28 April 1999 establishes that the comarca is a necessary entity, integral in the territorial organization of the region. This law opens the development of the ''comarcalization'' in Cantabria promoting the creation of ''comarcal'' entities, which have barely begun to appear. The law establishes that the creation of comarcas will not become mandatory for the whole territory until at least the 70% of it had not been ''comarcalized'' by its own will. It also adds that Santander will not ruled by comarcalization and should establish its own
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
instead.
''Comarcas'' in Cantabria have not reached administrative nature and barely have definite borders. Only Liébana for its geographic position in Picos de Europa, Trasmiera and Campoo, in the Ebro basin are established are clearly defined ''comarcas'' in the region. Nevertheless, functional differences in the territory can be distinguished, dividing it in the following areas:
Santander Bay
The Bay of Santander is both a ''comarca'' of Cantabria and the largest estuary on the North coast of Spain, with an extension of 22.42 km (9 km long and 5 km wide). Due to the influence of Santander and its metropolitan area, nea ...
, of industrial and urban nature;
Besaya, also industrial;
Saja-Nansa
The Valleys of the Saja and Nansa Rivers comprise an administrative ''comarca'' in Cantabria, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of said rivers, each one being a natural ''comarca'' of its own.
Saja valley
The valley of the Saja River, located ...
, eminently rural;
Western Coast, which has urban character;
Eastern Coast, vacational; the traditionally renowned
Trasmiera
Trasmiera (Spanish: ''Trasmiera''; Cantabrian and historically: ''Tresmiera'') is a historic ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain), located to the east of the Miera River (''tras'' Miera, meaning behind Miera, from the point of view of Asturias de Sa ...
; rural
Pas-Miera;
Asón-Agüera
The Asón-Agüera comarca is a historical region of Cantabria, Spain. It is located in the upper courses of the Asón and Agüera rivers, near the border with Vizcaya in the Basque Country. The comarca encompasses the basin of the Asón river ...
, also mainly rural; the very well defined
Liébana
Liébana is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain). It covers 575 square kilometres and is located in the far southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia. It is made up of the municipalities of: Cabezón de Liébana, Camaleño, Cil ...
, and
Campoo-Los Valles, rural and industrial by regions.
*Natural regions (regarding geographical features)
**Coastal strip
**Central strip (Cantabrian valleys perpendicular to the coast): Liébana, Saja and Nansa, Besaya, Pas and Miera (or Valles Pasiegos), and Asón-Gándara valleys.
**Southern strip (Rivers Ebro and Duero's basins): Campoo and Southern valleys
*Historic regions
Until the 13th century, Cantabria was organized in valleys, as was typical in all of northern Spain. From then on, it was substituted by the organization in cities, towns or historic ''comarcas'' that grouped several valleys.
Economy
![Santander](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Santander.Banco.Santander.jpg)
The
economy
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...
of Cantabria has a
primary sector
The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining.
The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy in de ...
, now in decline, employing 5.8% of the active population in the
industries of cattle farming, traditional dairy farming, and meat production; agriculture, especially corn, potatoes, vegetables, and roughage; maritime fishing; and the mining of
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
and
quarries
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their environ ...
.
The
secondary sector
In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construction. ...
which employs 30.3% of the active population is the sector with the most productivity in recent years due to construction; that of
ironwork
Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil, or architectural feature made of iron, especially one used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork: wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was th ...
ing (Reinosa being the most important city), food service (milk, meat, vegetables and seafood),
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
(Solvay, Sniace), paper production (Sinace, Papelera del Besaya),
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
fabrication (Textil Santanderina in Cabezón de la Sal),
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
(Moehs in Requejada), industrial groups and transport, etc. The
service sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
employs 63.8% of the active population and is increasing, given that large concentrations of the population live in the urban centers and the importance that
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
has acquired in the recent years. As of July 2014, the
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...
rate in Cantabria is 19.3%, compared to 24.47% in Spain; while as of April 2010 its
purchasing power parity
Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the measurement of prices in different countries that uses the prices of specific goods to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries' currency, currencies. PPP is effectively the ratio of the price of ...
was €25,326, compared to €26,100 in Spain and €25,100 in the
EU25. In 2007, Cantabria's growth of real
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is often ...
was 4.1%, compared to a 3.9% average for Spain. The
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
(GDP) of the region was 13.8 billion € in 2018. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,500 € or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year.
Transportation and communications
![Santander](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Santander.Airport.jpg)
The most significant consequence of the strong relief of the Cantabrian territory is the existence of topographic barriers that condition decisively the courses of the linking infrastructures, as much in the north–south orientation in the accesses to the
Castilian Mesa, as in the east–west in the communication between valleys. Moreover, the cost of their construction and maintenance is much higher than average.
The main communications infrastructures of the region are:
*
Santander Airport
Santander Airport , officially Seve Ballesteros–Santander Airport, is an international airport near Santander, Spain and the only airport in Cantabria. In 2018 the airport handled 1,103,353 passengers and 11,258 flights, far more than in 1995 ...
* Cantabrian Motorway (
Autovía A-8
The Autovía A-8 is a highway (autovía) that connects all the regions on the Northern Coast of Spain. It is known as the Autovía del Cantábrico (also known as "Transcantábrica") and connects Baamonde ( Begonte, Galicia) and Bilbao, where it ...
, European route E-70)
* Cantabria-Meseta Motorway (
Autovía A-67)
* Narrow-gauge
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
-
Oviedo
Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...
(
Renfe Feve
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of ...
)
* Narrow-gauge railway Santander-
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
(Renfe Feve)
* Broad-gauge railway Santander-
Palencia
Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia.
Located in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half o ...
-
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
-
Ávila
Ávila (, , ) is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila.
It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m abov ...
-
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
(
Renfe)
* Broad-gauge high-speed railway Santander-
Torrelavega
Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria, northern Spain.
It is situated roughly 8 kilometres from the Cantabrian Coast and 27.5 ...
-
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
-
Segovia
Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia.
Segovia is in the Inner Plateau (''Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of th ...
-
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
(
Renfe)
*
Ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
line Santander-
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
Mass media and public opinion
In Cantabria, there are two daily regional newspapers in addition to the national ones: ''El Diario Montañés'' and ''Alerta'', as well as many weekly, fortnightly and monthly publications. The main national radio stations have transmitter stations in places like Santander, Torrelavega, Castro-Urdiales, or Reinosa. There are also numerous local and regional stations. For the moment, there is no Cantabrian autonomic television with public financing, although some local channels exist (including Canal 8 DM, TeleBahía, Telecabarga, Localia TV Cantabria, etc.). In recent years, the Internet has allowed new informative proposals to emerge in the shape of digital diaries or blogs, which contribute to enrich the mediatic panorama of the region.
Culture
Language
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
is the official language of Cantabria. The eastern part of Cantabria contributed to the origins of
Medieval Spanish
Old Spanish, also known as Old Castilian ( es, castellano antiguo; osp, romance castellano ), or Medieval Spanish ( es, español medieval), was originally a dialect of Vulgar Latin spoken in the former provinces of the Roman Empire that provided ...
in a significant way. In western areas, there are remnants of the
Cantabrian language, also called ''"montañés"'', and it is also somewhat preserved in parts of the Pas and Soba valleys in its eastern zone. Cantabrian can be viewed as a dialect of the wider
Astur-Leonese language
Asturleonese ( ast, Asturlleonés; es, Asturleonés; pt, Asturo-leonês; mwl, Asturlhionés) is a Romance language spoken primarily in northwestern Spain, namely in the historical regions and Spain's modern-day autonomous communities of Asturi ...
continuum, and is
mutually intelligible
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. It is sometimes used as an ...
with varieties in neighbouring
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
.
Monuments and museums
![La Pasiega-Galeria C-panel 77](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/La_Pasiega-Galeria_C-panel_77.png)
*Caves:
Altamira Cave,
El Soplao,
Del Valle, El Pendo,
La Pasiega Cave, Las Monedas, El Castillo, Morín, and others.
*Civil architecture: Palacio de la Magdalena, Magdalena palace in Santander; Capricho de Gaudí, Comillas Pontifical University, Pontifical University of Comillas and Sobrellano palace in Comillas; Bárcena palace in Ampuero; Castle of Argüeso in Campoo; Hornillos palace in Las Fraguas del Besaya; etc.
*Religious architecture: Collegiate of Santillana del Mar, Collegiate of Santa Cruz de Castañeda, Santo Toribio de Liébana, Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery, Santa María de Lebeña, Santa María de Piasca, Santa María del Puerto, San Román del Moroso, Santa Catalina del Cintul, Santuario de Virgen de la Peña, ermita de San Cipriano, ermita de Monte Corona, etc.
*Museums: Cantabrian Sea Maritime Museum, Ethnographic Museum of Cantabria, Santander Museum of Fine Arts, Regional Museum of Prehistory and Arqueology of Cantabria, Cantabrian Museum of Nature, Altamira National Museum and Investigation Centre, and others.
Universities
![Palacio de la Magdalena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Palacio_de_la_Magdalena.jpg)
*University of Cantabria
*International University Menéndez Pelayo
*Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
*Campus Comillas
*CESINE
*European University of the Atlantic, Universidad Europea del Atlántico
Fairs and festivals
![La Vijanera](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/La_Vijanera.jpg)
Regarding the fairs, understood as big markets of products periodically celebrated, it is remarkable the ''Livestock Fair of Torrelavega'' taking place in the National Livestock Market "Jesús Collado Soto", the third biggest of Spain, that groups the buy and sell of all kinds of cattle in the region itself and the adjacent ones, being the bovine the main product. All over the region cattle and typical products fairs are celebrated weekly, monthly, or annually to gather the neighbours of the land. There are many different festivities in Cantabria, some of them limited just to small villages, but there are also festivals that attract tourism from all over the country. The most important are the following:
*''La Vijanera'' (Winter Carnival), celebrated during the first Sunday of the year in Silió. It celebrates the end of the short winter days and the arrival of the sun. The representation of a white bear hunt takes place all over this little village. The traditional dressing of the characters in the play, the trapajones and the zarramacos, is one of its main features.
*''Carnaval marinero'' (Sailor Carnival), in February in
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a ...
. Commonly known as "the carnivals of the North", in this carnival, started in 1934, many people of the town participate dressing themselves up as fish. The main event is the "Trial at the bottom of the ocean", where the "''Bream, besugo''" is judged before the last act, "The burning of the ''besugo''". (A ''besugo'' is a foolish person besides a type of fish).
*''La Folía'', April in
San Vicente de la Barquera
San Vicente de la Barquera is a municipality of Cantabria in northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English ...
, a parade of local fishing boats following one with a statue of the Virgin.
*''Coso Blanco'', first Friday in July in Castro Urdiales. Colorful parade with carts.
*''Cantabria Day'', second Sunday of August in
Cabezón de la Sal
Cabezón de la Sal is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the town has a population of 7,971 inhabitants.
Festivals
* 2 February: Las Candelas in Casar de Periedo
* 9 March: La ...
. Traditional Cantabrian music, ceramics fair, local foods, bolo palma championships, ox dragging contests and public speeches.
*SAUGA folk music festival, celebrated the third weekend of August in Colindres.
*''Floral Gala'', August en
Torrelavega
Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria, northern Spain.
It is situated roughly 8 kilometres from the Cantabrian Coast and 27.5 ...
. A festival of international touristic importance with carts decorated with flowers.
*''Battle of Flowers'', August, in Laredo. Carts decorated with flowers and fruit. Fireworks in the evening.
*''Campoo Day'', September in
Reinosa
Reinosa is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. , it has 10,307 inhabitants. The municipality, one of the smallest by land area in Cantabria, is notable for being one of the nearest towns to the headwaters of the Ebro River. It is surrounded by th ...
. Tourist fair of regional importance since 1977 and celebrated since the 19th century, it shows customs and traditions of the Campoo, Campurrians in their capital. Cattle shows, local products market and regional costumes are the items in this festival.
The following festivals are also remarkable in modern Cantabrian culture: Santander International Festival (Arts festival), Santander Summer Festival (Music festival), Sotocine (Film festival)
Mythology
The north of the Spanish state is a rich area for mythology. From Galicia, Spain, Galicia to the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, passing by Asturias and Cantabria, there are rites, stories and imaginary or impossible beings (or maybe not so).
Cantabrian lore turns its forests and mountains into magical places where the myths, beliefs and legends have been present as an essential part of the Cantabrian culture, either because they have been living in the popular heritage through the oral tradition transmitted from father to son, or because they have been recovered by scholars (Manuel Llano (scholar), Manuel Llano and others) who have worried about preserving the cultural heritage.
Its mythology and superstitions present a great Celtic influence that has diluted with the pass of time, being Religion in ancient Rome, romanized or Christianity, Christianized in many cases.
There is a heavy presence of fabulous beings of giant (mythology), giant proportions and Cyclopean features (the ''ojáncanu, ojáncanos''), fantastic animals (''cuélebre, culebres'', ''caballucos del diablu'' (lit. horses of the devil, damselfly, damselflies), ''ramidrejus'', etc.), Fairy, færies (''anjanas'', ''ijanas'' of Aras), duende (mythology), duendes (''nuberos, ventolines, trentis, trasgus, trastolillos, musgosu, tentiruju''), anthropomorphic characters (the ''sirenuca'' (little mermaid), the fish-man, the cuegle, the wife-bear of Andara, the ''guajona''), etc.
Cuisine
*Typical dishes: ''Cocido montañés'' (''Highlander stew'') made with common bean, beans and collard greens; ''cocido lebaniego'' (''
Liébana
Liébana is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain). It covers 575 square kilometres and is located in the far southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia. It is made up of the municipalities of: Cabezón de Liébana, Camaleño, Cil ...
n stew'') made from chickpeas and marmita).
*Meat dishes: Beef, ox, deer, roe deer or boar. Cooked on the grill, stewed or with vegetables.
:The livestock farming reputation of the region and its climatological conditions favouring cattle breeding allowed the European Union to pass the "Meats of Cantabria" denomination as a ''Protected geographical indications in the European Union, Protected Geographic Denomination'' for the beef of certain kinds of native races (''Tudanca'', ''Monchina'') and others adapted to the environment or integrated by assimilation (''Brown Alpine'').
*Fish and seafood: anchovy, Anchovies, Lophius piscatorius, angler, hake, European seabass, sea bass, Soleidae, sole, Atlantic horse mackerel, mackerel, sardine, European anchovy, European anchovies, bonito of the North (of Spain), gilt-head bream, sea bream, red mullet, and Scorpaenidae, scorpionfish, as well as some river fish such as trout and salmon. ''Rabas'' (fried calamari) and ''cachón en su tinta'' (cuttlefish cooked in its own ink) are local specialties. Clam, blue mussel, mussel, Ensis, muergos (jackknife), cockle (bivalve), cockle, velvet crab, Maja squinado, spider crab, pollicipes pollicipes, goose barnacle, Common periwinkle, periwinkle, Norway lobster and European lobster are available.
*Desserts: ''Quesada Pasiega, Quesadas'' and ''sobaos'' of the Pas valley; Unquera's Corbatas and
Torrelavega
Torrelavega ( Cantabrian: ''Torlavega'') is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria, northern Spain.
It is situated roughly 8 kilometres from the Cantabrian Coast and 27.5 ...
's polkas both basically puff pastry); Palucos de Cabezón de la Sal; and Pantortillas of Reinosa.
*Cheeses: Quesucos de Liébana.
*Drinks: txakoli, Chacolí; apple cider and orujo (liquor made from pomace) from
Liébana
Liébana is a ''comarca'' of Cantabria (Spain). It covers 575 square kilometres and is located in the far southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia. It is made up of the municipalities of: Cabezón de Liébana, Camaleño, Cil ...
; and tostadillo from Potes.
Sports
![Regata Pedreña](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Regata_Pedre%C3%B1a.JPG)
The traditional sport of Cantabria is the game of ''bolos''
[History of the ''Bolos'' in Cantabria.]
Selaya Township website. Retrieved on 5 August 2007. (skittles (sport), skittles) in its four forms: ''bolo palma'', ''pasabolo tablón'', ''pasabolo losa'' and ''bolo pasiego''. The first one is the most widespread, exceeding regional nature and reaching the eastern zone of Asturias and also being the most complex in its game rules. The existence of ''boleras'' or skittle rings is important in every Cantabrian township, often being near the church or the village pub. Since the late 1980s, skittle play has consolidated with the reinforcement of skittle schools, revamped by different town councils and Cantabrian institutions, various competitions, and media coverage.
The remo (rowing (sport), rowing) is a very traditional sport in the coastal towns. The origins of rowing in Cantabria go back many centuries, when several ''traineras'' (traditional fishing longboats) competed for the selling of the caught fish, which was reserved for the first ship to arrive to the fish market. At the end of the 19th century, work became sport and people started to celebrate regattas between Cantabrian townships. The sport clubs of Cantabria, especially the Sociedad Deportiva de Remo Astillero, Astillero, Sociedad Deportiva de Remo Castro Urdiales, Castro Urdiales, and the Sociedad Deportiva de Remo Pedreña, Pedreña belong to the most prize-winning teams of the history of this sport, and nowadays they are having one of the best moments after a decades-long period of trophy drought.
![Palacio de los Deportes de Santander](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Palacio_de_los_Deportes_de_Santander.jpg)
The Pasiegan jump is another of the outstanding rural sports of the region and a clear example of how the use of a work skill that disappears with the pass of time, gives rise to games and competition. Similar to other forms, like the Salto del pastor, Canarian shepherd jump, in the beginning this technique was used in the Pasiegan valleys to cross the stone walls, the fences, the creeks or the ravines that bordered the fields and obstructed the pass in the abrupt geography of the highland areas of Cantabria.
Referring to mass sports, Cantabria is present in national and international competitions through teams such as the ''Racing de Santander'', the ''RS Gimnástica de Torrelavega'' and the Cantabria autonomous football team in Football in Spain, football or the ''Independiente RC'' in División de Honor de Rugby, rugby union. The ''CB Cantabria, Club Balonmano Cantabria'' that won Liga ASOBAL, Leagues and Copa del Rey de Balonmano, King's Cups as well as IHF Super Globe, EHF Champions League, EHF Cup Winners' Cup and EHF Cup in team handball, handball or the Cantabria Baloncesto, Cantabria Lobos that played in the Liga ACB, ACB in basketball represented the highest level of the Cantabrian sport in the recent past.
Notable Cantabrians
![Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, por Kaulak](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Marcelino_Men%C3%A9ndez_Pelayo%2C_por_Kaulak.jpg)
Cantabria has been the birthplace of exceptional and notable individuals in fields such as literature, arts, sciences, etc. Many of them have played a decisive role, not only in the history and events of the region, but also on the national and international levels. These include:
*Business: Jesús de Polanco, Emilio Botín, Ana Patricia Botín, Ana Patricia Botin, Vicente Calderón, Vicente Calderon
*Sports: Francisco Gento, Santillana (footballer), "Santillana", José Manuel Abascal, Seve Ballesteros, Óscar Freire, Juan José Cobo, Cecilio Lastra, Francisco Ventoso, Ruth Beitia, Sergio Canales, Athenea del Castillo
*Music: Ataúlfo Argenta, David Bustamante, La Fuga (band), La Fuga
*Film, radio, and TV: Mario Camus, Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, Eduardo Noriega (Spanish actor), Eduardo Noriega, Antonio Resines, Nacho Vigalondo, Ricardo Palacios.
*Military: Corocotta, Pedro Velarde
*Religion: Emeterius and Celedonius, San Emeterio, San Celedonio, Beatus of Liébana
*Explorers: Juan de la Cosa, Vital Alsar, José de Bustamante y Guerra
*Literature: José María de Pereda, Concha Espina, Gerardo Diego, Álvaro Pombo, Luys Santa Marina.
*Painting: María Blanchard, José de Madrazo, Francisco González Gómez
*Science and technology: Leonardo Torres Quevedo, Juan de Herrera
*Politics: Luis Carrero Blanco, José Luis Zamanillo González-Camino, José Luis Zamanillo, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Joaquín Leguina,
Miguel Ángel Revilla
Miguel Ángel Revilla Roiz (born 23 January 1943 in Polaciones) is a Spanish politician, economist and bank employee serving as the 9th President of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. Before this, Revilla has served as the 7th President bet ...
, Antonio Valverde y Cosío
*Sociology: Rosa Cobo Bedía
See also
*Architecture of Cantabria
*Caves in Cantabria
*Lábaru
*
Duchy of Cantabria
The Duchy of Cantabria was created by the Visigoths in northern Spain. Its precise extension is unclear in the different periods, but it seems likely that it included Cantabria, parts of Northern Castile, La Rioja, and probably western areas ...
*
List of municipalities in Cantabria
Cantabria is one of the sixteen autonomous communities of Spain. It is divided into 102 Municipality, municipalities, in accordance with the organizations of territories put forth in Article 137 of the Constitution of Spain, 1978 Constitution of S ...
*Nine Valleys lawsuit
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Camara de Comercio de Cantabria
{{Authority control
Cantabria,
Green Spain
NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union
States and territories established in 1982
Autonomous communities of Spain