Catalonia

Spain Week in July

Catalonia is a region in northwestern SPAIN, with surrounding regions being Paragon (west of Catalonia) and Valencia (SW of Catalonia); it also borders France and the tiny country Andorra. Some residents of Catalonia wish for greater political autonomy or an outright independence from Spain. Catalonia's capital is the well-known city of Barcelona, famous for its bullfighting. Other cities in Catalonia include Badalona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Lleida, Mataró, and Tarragona. That is the last post of SPAIN WEEK; thanks for reading the GeoFact of the Day Blog!

Andalusia

Spain Week in July

Andalusia is a large region and autonomous community in the southernmost area of mainland SPAIN. Andalusia is Spain's second-largest region, followed by Castile and León. Autonomous communities are first-level administrative divisions in Spain which have a sense of autonomy in Spain's decentralized unitary political structure. The capital city of Andalusia is Seville, also known as Sevilla in the Spanish language. Other cities include Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, and Jerez de la Frontera.

Castile-La Mancha

Spain Week in July

Castile-La Mancha is a region located in central SPAIN, southeast of Madrid, Spain's capital. Autonomous communities are first-level administrative divisions in Spain which have a sense of autonomy in the country's decentralized unitary political structure. The capital of Castile-La Mancha is Toledo. The largest city is Albacete, and other towns include Fuente el Fresno, Miguelturra, Tomelloso, Socuéllamos, and Mahora. Located in northeastern Castile-La Mancha, La Ciudad Encantada is an interesting geological site featuring rocks shaped like mushrooms, animals, and more.

Spain's Sierra Nevada Mountains

Spain Week in July

There is a Sierra Nevada mountain range in SPAIN, just like in the western United States. It is located in southern Spain in the region of Andalusia. Nearby cities include Granada (north of the range) and Almería (SE of the range). Mulhacén is the highest mountain on the Iberian Peninsula and is located in the Sierra Nevada range.

Extremadura

Spain Week in July

Extremadura is a region and autonomous community in west-central SPAIN, bordering Portugal. Autonomous communities are first-level administrative divisions in Spain which have a sense of autonomy in the country's decentralized unitary political structure. The capital is Mérida, and other cities include Badajoz, Cáceres, Don Benito, and Plasencia. Extremadura's total population is 1,097,744 (as of 2009), and Extremadura is the 5th largest-in-area autonomous community in Spain. Monasterio de Yusta is a famous monastery in northeast Extremadura.