Huesca ( an, Uesca, ca, Osca), officially Huesca/Uesca, is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division Administrative division, administrative unitArticle 3(1). , country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, first-level subdivision, as well as many similar terms, are g ...

of northeastern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = , national_anthem = , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 ...

Spain

, in northern

Aragon Aragon ( or , Spanish and an, Aragón , ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community In Spain, an autonomous community ( es, comunidad autónoma) is a first-level political divisions of Spain, political and administrative division, created in acc ...

Aragon

. The capital is

Huesca Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = , national_anthem = , image_map ...

Huesca

. Positioned just south of the central

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineus ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

, Huesca borders

France France (), officially the French Republic (french: link=no, République française), is a transcontinental country This is a list of countries located on more than one continent A continent is one of several large landmasses ...

France

and the French

Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (country subdivision), a geographical and administrative division within a country, for e ...

s of

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ,), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, is a Romance language The Romance languages, less commonly Latin or Neo-Latin ...

and

Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/Occitan Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ,), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, is a Romance language The Romance languages, less commonly Latin or Neo-Latin langu ...

. Within Spain, Huesca's neighboring provinces are

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a Fuero, foral autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous co ...

Navarre

Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa, is the capital city of the Province of Zaragoza, Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

and

Lleida Lleida (, ; es, Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese, Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in the northeastern corner o ...

Geography

Covering a primarily mountainous area of km², the province of Huesca has a total population of in 2018, with almost a quarter of its people living in the capital city of

. The low population density, 14.62/km², has meant that Huesca's lush valleys, rivers, and lofty mountain ranges have remained relatively pristine and unspoiled by progress. Home to majestic scenery, the tallest mountain in the

, the

Aneto Aneto (''Pic de Néthou'' in French language, French) is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees and in Aragon, and Spain's third-highest mountain, reaching a height of . It stands in the Spanish province of Huesca (province), Huesca, the northern ...

Aneto

; eternal glaciers, such as at Monte Perdido; and the National Park of Ordesa and Monte Perdido, rich in flora and protected fauna. Popular with

mountaineers Mountaineering, or alpinism, is the set of outdoor activities Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is a ...

spelunkers in California, alt=A man caving in muddy passage with helictite formations on the walls and ceiling Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pa ...

paragliders

, and

white water Whitewater forms in a rapid Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep stream gradient, gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrology, hydrological features between a ...

rafters

it is also a popular snow

skiing Skiing is the use of ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boot Ski boots are used in to p ...

skiing

destination with notable resorts in Candanchú,

Formigal Formigal, officially ''Aramón Formigal'', is a ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous are ...

, Astún,

Panticosa Panticosa (in Aragonese: ''Pandicosa'') is a municipality located in the province of Huesca Huesca ( an, Uesca, ca, Osca), officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or stat ...

and

Cerler Cerler, officially called ''Aramón Cerler'', is a ski resort situated above the village of Cerler in the high Benasque Valley, near the town of Benasque in the central Pyrenees (province of Huesca (province), Huesca, Spain). Near Cerler are ...

History

The Romans colonised the province of Huesca, which formed the northern part of

Hispania Tarraconensis Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman R ...

, and continued to live there well into the 5th century until the arrival of the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people The Germanic peoples were a historical group of people living in Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe a ...

. As a mountainous frontier region, it was difficult to dominate. The northern counties had at one time belonged to the

Kingdom of Navarre ) , religion = , common_languages = , title_leader = Monarch A monarch is a head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity) ...

but split off and managed to stem early

Moorish invasions

in the Middle Ages by forming alliances between themselves and with the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the and the , on the edge of the . Later the term was associated with Germanic dynasties within the ...

Franks

, to become Frankish

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, and cultural customs that flourished in Medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society ...

marches In medieval Europe In the history of Europe The history of Europe concerns itself with the discovery and collection, the study, organization and presentation and the interpretation of past events and affairs of the people of Europe s ...

. The imperative of

sovereignty Sovereignty is the supreme authority within a territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body, or institution that has the ultimate a ...

, or independence, for the northern border counts, gave rise to the

Kingdom of Aragon The Kingdom of Aragon ( an, Reino d'Aragón, ca, Regne d'Aragó, la, Regnum Aragoniae, es, Reino de Aragón) was a medieval In the history of Europe The history of Europe concerns itself with the discovery and collection, the stu ...

, which was the precursor to the Empire or

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (; an, Corona d'Aragón; ca, Corona d'Aragó; es, Corona de Aragón)' ()' (, , )' ()' (). was a composite monarchy A composite monarchy (or composite state) is a historical category, introduced by H. G. Koenigsberger ...

, and ultimately the

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = , national_anthem = , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 ...

Administrative divisions

The modern day province comprises 10

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division Administrative division, administrative unitArticle 3(1). , country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, first-level subdivision, as well as ...

s and 202 municipalities. The following comarcas having their capital in Huesca Province include municipal terms within

Zaragoza Province Zaragoza (), also called Saragossa in English language, English,''Encyclopædia Britannica''Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)/ref> is a Provinces of Spain, province of northern Spain, in the central part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, auto ...

: *

Bajo Cinca

Mequinenza Mequinenza (Aragonese and ) or Mequinensa () is a town and municipality of the province of Zaragoza Zaragoza (), also called Saragossa in English,''Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging ...

. *

Hoya de Huesca Hoya de Huesca/Plana de Uesca is a comarcas of Aragon, comarca (county) in the Huesca (province), province of Huesca (Spain). * Capital city: Huesca, also the biggest of the 40 municipality, municipalities of the comarca. * Surface: 2,525.60 ...

Murillo de Gállego

and

Santa Eulalia de Gállego

. *

Jacetania La Jacetania ( an, A Chacetania; french: Jacétanie) is a Comarcas of Aragon, comarca in northern Aragon, Spain. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Huesca (province), Huesca and Zaragoza (province), Zaragoza provinces. The administr ...

Artieda

, Mianos, Salvatierra de Esca and

Sigüés Sigüés is a municipality located in the Zaragoza (province), province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain), INE), the municipality has a population of 172 inhabitants. Villages *As ...

. *

Monegros Los Monegros is a comarca A ''comarca'' (, or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain , * gl, Reino de España, * oc, Reiaume d'Espanha, , , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , imag ...

La Almolda La Almolda is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain , * gl, Reino de España, * oc, Reiaume d'Espanha, , , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , nationa ...

Bujaraloz Bujaraloz is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza Zaragoza (), also called Saragossa in English language, English,''Encyclopædia Britannica''Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)/ref> is a Provinces of Spain, province of northern Spai ...

, Farlete, Leciñena,

Monegrillo

and

Perdiguera

Language

Spanish is the primary language in the province. However, the local linguistic varieties in the center and north of the province (often called fabla) belong to the

Aragonese language Aragonese (; ''aragonés'' in Aragonese) is a Romance language The Romance languages, less commonly Latin or Neo-Latin languages, are the modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial L ...

, which now survives mainly in the northernmost

comarcas A ''comarca'' (, 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 (territo ...

, such as the Aragon Valley in

, the Alto Gallego,

Sobrarbe Sobrarbe is one of the comarcas of Aragon, Spain. It is located in the northern part of the province of Huesca (province), Huesca, part of the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain. Many of its people speak the Aragonese language locally known ...

, and Ribagorza, where hitherto landlocked and isolated villages have helped the language to thrive into the 21st century. In the easternmost areas of the province, varieties of the

Catalan language Catalan (; autonym Autonym may refer to: * Autonym, the name used by a person to refer to themselves or their language; see Exonym and endonym * Autonym (botany), an automatically created infrageneric or infraspecific name See also * Nomin ...

are spoken, with a few transitional dialects difficult to classify as Aragonese or Catalan.

Notes and references

External links

Diputación Provincial de Huesca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huesca, Province of