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The
autonomous region of Castile and Leon includes much of northern Spain.
Castile and Leon borders Asturias and Cantabria in the north, the Basque
Country, La Rioja, Aragon, Castile-La Mancha and Madrid in the east,
Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha in the south; and Portugal and Galicia
in the west.
Castile
and Leon belong to the lower northern plateau with the exception of the
north eastern province of Burgos that is lies in the Ebro depression. The
whole area is surrounded by mountains. There are notable foothills arising
from the Cantabrian mountain range in the north. The Leon mountains, also
in the north, lie in the shadow of these mountains. The Iberian mountain
range rises from the northeast, with numerous sierras crossing over into
the region. The Sistema Central range appears in the south, and includes
both the sierras of Gredos and Guadarrama. The high plateau plain, lies in
the middle of these mountains encircled by lesser mountain ranges. These
mountain peaks reach up to 500 and 1000 metres in height. The most
important waterway is the river Duero that begins in the province of
Soria, crosses the region and then heads into Portugal where it finally
flows into the Atlantic. Two other important tributaries from the Tagus,
the Tietar and the Alberche also begin their life in the province.
Population
The
population of this autonomous region according to figures from the Spanish
National Statistics Institute (INE) as of the 1st of January 2001, after
having reviewed the Inhabitants register is 2,479,425.
The
population density through the provinces is as follows: Avila: 163,885,
Burgos: 349,810, Leon: 499,517, Palencia: 177,345, Salamanca: 350,209,
Valladolid: 497,961, Zamora: 202,356, Segovia: 147,028 and Soria: 91,314.
Administration
The
region is made up of the following provinces: Avila, Burgos, Leon,
Palencia, Salamanca, Valladolid, Zamora, Segovia and Soria.
The
Autonomy Statute for Castile and Leon was approved in 1983. The ninth
article of the statute states: 'the main regional departments are: the
Regional Council of Castile and Leon, the Assembly President, and the
Regional Assembly of Castile and Leon'. Castile and Leon has 83
parliamentary members in its Assembly. The delegates are known as
procuradores' (solicitors), and follow an ancient tradition.
Weather
The
continental climate in the autonomous region of Castile and Leon is
notable for its long winters and short summers.
The
mountainous terrain dictates the weather patterns in the region. The high
average altitude, and the encircling mountain perimeter, define its
continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Rainfall on the
central flat lands varies between 600mm and 400mm. These figures are
higher in the mountain areas, and take the form of snow in the winter. In
the mountainous areas above 2,000 m, the snow can be permanent.
Infrastructures
It
has been said on many occasions that Castile and Leon is the 'geographical
heart' of Spain, which is one of the reasons why so many of the country's
transport routes cross through the region.
The
transport networks in the region of Castile and Leon are based around
rail, road and air transport connections. The roads in the region have
improved, linking the cities inside the region as well as with the rest of
Spain and Portugal. All the region's towns are connected by road and rail.
High-speed train links are planned, with the high-speed train (AVE)
linking the Spanish capital with various cities in Castile and Leon, such
as Valladolid and Segovia. The road network has vastly improved over the
last few years, especially in the connections with Madrid, Galicia,
Cantabria, Asturias and Catalonia. New roads have been planned as well as
rail links and airports, all of which are included in the Government's
Infrastructure plans for 2000-2007, as well as in the Transport and
Infrastructures Plan for Castile and Leon 2002-2011.
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