Galicia

Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is a historical autonomous community in northwest Spain, with the status of a historical nationality, and was one of the first kingdoms of Europe (Kingdom of Galicia). Its component provinces are A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. It borders Portugal to the south, the Spanish regions of Castile and León and Asturias to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Bay of Biscay to the north. Geographically, ... more

Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is a historical autonomous community in northwest Spain, with the status of a historical nationality, and was one of the first kingdoms of Europe (Kingdom of Galicia). Its component provinces are A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. It borders Portugal to the south, the Spanish regions of Castile and León and Asturias to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Bay of Biscay to the north. Geographically, a remarkable feature of Galicia is the presence of many fjord-like inlets along the coast, estuaries that were drowned with rising sea levels after the ice age. These are called rías and are divided into the Rías Altas, and the Rías Baixas. The rias are important for fishing, and make the coast an important fishing area. The spectacular landscapes and wildness of the coast attract great numbers of tourists. The coast of this green corner of the Iberian Peninsula is also known as the "A Costa do Marisco" (i.e., "The Seafood Coast" in Galician).... less