Burgos (province)
Encyclopedia
The province of Burgos is a province
of northern Spain
, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community
of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia
, Cantabria
, Vizcaya
, Álava
, La Rioja, Soria
, Segovia
, and Valladolid
. Its capital is the city of Burgos
. Since 1964, archeologists have been working at numerous areas of the Archeological Site of Atapuerca, where they have found ancient hominid and human
remains, the former dating to more than one million years ago, with artifacts
from the Paleolithic
and Bronze Age
s of man. The site has been designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
The province has an area of 14,300 km² and a population of 352,273 (2002), of whom nearly half live in the capital. The only large towns apart from Burgos are Miranda de Ebro
and Aranda de Duero
. Many of the province's 371 municipalities have fewer than 100 inhabitants. The Sierra de la Demanda
, the northwesternmost end of the Sistema Ibérico
, is located in Burgos Province.
The most important rivers in the province are the Ebro
and the Duero. The river Duero is in the south of the province and leads to the Atlantic Ocean
at Porto, Portugal. Planted near it is a notable vineyard
, Ribera de Duero. The north and south-east of the province are mountainous. The Ebro flows to the Mediterranean Sea
.
The Celtiberian
region that became Burgos was inhabited by the Morgobos, Turmodigos, Berones
and perhaps also the Pelendones, the last inhabitants of the northern part of the Celtiberian region. According to the Greek
historian
Ptolemy
, the principal cities included: Brabum, Sisara, Deobrigula, Ambisna Segiasamon and Verovesca (briviesca). Under Roman
colonization, it was part of Hispania Citerior
("Hither Spain") and then Hispania Tarraconensis
.
In the fifth century, the Visigoths drove back the Suevi. In the eighth century, the Arabs occupied all of Castile
s, although for such a brief period that they left no trace of their occupation. Alfonso III the Great
, king of León
reconquered the area around the middle of the ninth century, and built many castles for the defence of Christendom. Gradually the area was reconquered. The region came to be known as Castile (Latin castella), i.e. "land of castles". In the eleventh century, Burgos became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile
.
The province of Burgos is divided in 10 comarcas
.
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
of northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia
Palencia (province)
Palencia is a province of northern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of León, Cantabria, Burgos, and Valladolid....
, Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, Vizcaya
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
, La Rioja, Soria
Soria (province)
Soria is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Most of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico areaIt is bordered by the provinces of La Rioja, Zaragoza, Guadalajara, Segovia, and Burgos....
, Segovia
Segovia (province)
Segovia is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Burgos, Soria, Guadalajara, Madrid, Ávila, and Valladolid....
, and Valladolid
Valladolid (province)
Valladolid is a province of central/northwest Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, León, Palencia, Burgos, Segovia, Ávila, and Salamanca....
. Its capital is the city of Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
. Since 1964, archeologists have been working at numerous areas of the Archeological Site of Atapuerca, where they have found ancient hominid and human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
remains, the former dating to more than one million years ago, with artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
from the Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
s of man. The site has been designated a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
The province has an area of 14,300 km² and a population of 352,273 (2002), of whom nearly half live in the capital. The only large towns apart from Burgos are Miranda de Ebro
Miranda de Ebro
Miranda de Ebro is a city on the Ebro river in the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is located in the north-eastern part of the province, on the border with the province of Álava and the autonomous community of La Rioja...
and Aranda de Duero
Aranda de Duero
Aranda de Duero is a Spanish town and municipality in the south of the province of Burgos, autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people. The post code for the town is 09400. The closest airport is in Valladolid....
. Many of the province's 371 municipalities have fewer than 100 inhabitants. The Sierra de la Demanda
Sierra de la Demanda
Sierra de la Demanda is a mountain sub-range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula.-Geography:The Sierra de la Demanda is part of the western section of the larger Sistema Ibérico...
, the northwesternmost end of the Sistema Ibérico
Sistema Ibérico
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...
, is located in Burgos Province.
The most important rivers in the province are the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
and the Duero. The river Duero is in the south of the province and leads to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at Porto, Portugal. Planted near it is a notable vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
, Ribera de Duero. The north and south-east of the province are mountainous. The Ebro flows to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
History
In the Bureba Pass area, archeologists have found evidence of occupation by hominids and humans for more than one million years. Discoveries have included the earliest hominid skull in Europe.The Celtiberian
Celtiberians
The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language.Archaeologically, the Celtiberians participated in the Hallstatt culture in what is now north-central Spain...
region that became Burgos was inhabited by the Morgobos, Turmodigos, Berones
Berones
The Berones were an pre-Roman Celtiberian people of ancient Spain who lived in the middle Ebro region between the Hion and Alhama rivers.- Origins :...
and perhaps also the Pelendones, the last inhabitants of the northern part of the Celtiberian region. According to the Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, the principal cities included: Brabum, Sisara, Deobrigula, Ambisna Segiasamon and Verovesca (briviesca). Under Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
colonization, it was part of Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
("Hither Spain") and then Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast of Spain along with the central plateau. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia, was the province of Hispania Baetica...
.
In the fifth century, the Visigoths drove back the Suevi. In the eighth century, the Arabs occupied all of Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
s, although for such a brief period that they left no trace of their occupation. Alfonso III the Great
Alfonso III of León
Alfonso III , called the Great, was the king of León, Galicia and Asturias from 866 until his death. He was the son and successor of Ordoño I. In later sources he is the earliest to be called "Emperor of Spain"...
, king of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
reconquered the area around the middle of the ninth century, and built many castles for the defence of Christendom. Gradually the area was reconquered. The region came to be known as Castile (Latin castella), i.e. "land of castles". In the eleventh century, Burgos became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
.
Comarcas
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
.
- MerindadesMerindadesLocated in the north of the province of Burgos, the Merindades are the birth place of the name "Castilla". Most of the villages of the Merindades were quoted in the "Becerro de Behetrias" at the moment of the creation of the subdivision Merindad by Pedro of Castile.-See also:* Province of Burgos*...
- Valle del Rudrón
- Ebro
- La BurebaLa BurebaLa Bureba is a comarca in the northeast of the Province of Burgos in Castilla–León, Spain. It is criss-crossed by several small rivers and arroyos that empty into the Ebro: the Homino, Oroncillo, Oca, and Tirón.-Geography:...
- Montes de OcaMontes de Oca (shire)Montes de Oca is a region located east of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castille and Leon. It is bounded on the north by La Bureba, south on Sierra de la Demanda, on the east by the province of La Rioja and west the Alfoz of Burgos....
- Alfoz de BurgosAlfoz de BurgosAlfoz de Burgos is a region located east of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castille and Leon. It is bounded on the north by La Bureba and Paramos shire, south on Arlanza shire, on the east by Odra and Pisuerga shire and west the Montes de Oca .- Administrative Entities :The...
- Sierra de la DemandaSierra de la Demanda (shire)Sierra de la Demanda is a region located east of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castille and Leon. It is bounded on the north by Montes de Oca , south on by the province of Soria, on the east by the province of La Rioja and Soria and west the shire of Arlanza...
- Odra y PisuergaOdra-PisuergaOdra-Pisuerga is a comarca located center-east of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain...
- ArlanzaArlanza (shire)Arlanza is a region located east of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castille and Leon. It is bounded on the north by the Odra-Pisuerga and Alfoz de Burgos shires, south on Ribera del Duero shire, on the east by the province of Palencia and west the Sierra de la Demanda...
- Ribera del DueroRibera del Duero (shire)Ribera del Duero is a region located east of the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bounded on the north by Arlanza shire, south on Province of Segovia, on the east by the province of Valladolid and west the Sierra de la Demanda shire and the province of...