Gijón
Encyclopedia
Gijón officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality
in the autonomous community
of Asturias
in Spain
. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman
city, although the area has been settled since earliest history. The name was originally applied to a small peninsula presently referred to as Cimadevilla, literally "top of village," between two beaches, one of which has a recreational port today. The main port, one of the largest in the north of Spain, is called "El Musel
". Gijón has a barely growing population of approximately 277,000 (2006).
, the East by Villaviciosa
, and to the South by Siero
and Llanera
The city is situated along the Asturian coast and is distinguished by the peninsula of Cimadevilla (the original settlement) which separates the beach of San Lorenzo and adjacent neighborhoods to the east from the beaches of Poniente and Arbeyal, the shipyards, and the recreational port and the Port of El Musel
to the west. It is close to the other main Asturian cities, Oviedo
and Avilés
.
As a municipality
, Gijón / Xixón is divided in 26 districts or parishes:
1. Serín
2. San Andrés de los Tacones
3. Fresno
4. Puao
5. Veriña
6. Jove / Xove 7. Gijón / Xixón 8. Somió
9. Cabueñes
10. Deva
11. Caldones
12. Valdornón
13. Fano
14. Llavandera
15. Samartín de Güerces
16. Leorio / Llorio
17. La Pedrera
18. Ruedes
19. L'Abadía Cenero
20. Porceyo
21. Tremañes
22. Roces
23. Granda
24. Castiello Bernueces
25. Vega
26. Santurio
Gijón / Xixón city (numbered 7) is divided in four big areas (Centre, East, West and South) with several neighbourhood
s within each one (Cimadevilla / Cimavilla, La Calzada, El Natahoyo, Pumarín, Viesques, El Llano, etc.)
, Alicante
, Zaragoza
, and Barcelona
. Cruise ships call at El Musel, and the Airport of Asturias is located in the not far away municipality of Castrillón
with daily flights to major Spanish and European cities.
A subway system, called Metrotren, is currently under construction to improve the public transport in Gijón, along with a plan to redesign the railway network entering the town, so as to accommodate for the arrival of AVE
high speed rail, expected in 2015, from Madrid
.
There are 22 regular lines of bus and 4 "night lines" of bus called "Buho" and special lines in special events like the Feria Internacional de Muestras de Gijon (Gijon International Exposition Fair) or the Semana Negra (literally Black Week)http://www.semananegra.org/, the city's famous one-week Festival based on Hardboiled
literature.
team, Sporting de Gijón
, plays in the Spanish National League
and is presently in the first division. American football
and baseball
are played in Gijón at top levels, with the Gijón Mariners
and El Llano BC
competing in the most important Spanish leagues of those sports.
In women's sport, Gijón Hockey Club
is one of the most important rink hockey teams in Europe.
There is also a sports club
in Gijón with more than 28,000 members. It's Real Grupo de Cultura Covadonga
and this is the biggest club in Gijón.
Not far from Gijón, there are several ski resorts in Asturias
, the main being Valgrande-Pajares.
Gijón has 13 public sport centers (in Spanish: Centros Municipales Integrados) with swimming pools, gyms and saunas. Swimming pools are free for children up to age 14.
The city's marina
houses an important fleet of yachts and is the base for many water sports, being Royal Astur Yacht Club
the most important yacht club
in town.
era, tertiary sector employment began to expand rapidly along with the city's population which by 2007 stood officially at 277,897 for Gijón proper, and approximately 380,000 for the total Gijón agglomeration.
The port is at the centre of many of the local businesses. Apart from directly port related activities, the economy is based on tourism, steel (Arcelor
), other metallurgy, livestock rearing and fisheries.
, with mild temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. The summers are warm, with both overcast and sunny days common, whilst winters are rainy but much milder than most places so far north; frosts are very rare and never severe.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in 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 Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
in 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...
. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
city, although the area has been settled since earliest history. The name was originally applied to a small peninsula presently referred to as Cimadevilla, literally "top of village," between two beaches, one of which has a recreational port today. The main port, one of the largest in the north of Spain, is called "El Musel
El Musel
Located in Asturias, in the north of Spain, and in the middle point of the Cantabrian Sea coast, the Port of Gijón is often seen as an ideal gateway to Europe, allowing direct access to the western and centre of the Iberian Peninsula....
". Gijón has a barely growing population of approximately 277,000 (2006).
Geography
The city is situated on the coast of central Asturias, from sea level to an altitude of 513 metres at Picu Samartín and 672 metres at Peña de los Cuatro Jueces, bordered on the West by CarreñoCarreño
Carreño is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered by Corvera de Asturias on the west, Gozón on the north, the Cantabrian Sea on the north and east, and Gijón on the east and south. Its capital is Candás.- History :Almost everywhere in...
, the East by Villaviciosa
Villaviciosa, Asturias
Villaviciosa is a town and in the autonomous community of Asturias, Spain. It is situated on the central eastern coastline, and borders the Asturian municipalities of Gijón and Siero to the west, Sariego, Nava, Cabranes and Piloña to the south and to Colunga to the east. The total area is 271 km²...
, and to the South by Siero
Siero
Siero is a municipality of the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. Its capital is Pola de Siero.-Parishes:...
and Llanera
Llanera, Asturias
Llanera is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by Gijón and Corvera de Asturias, on the south by Oviedo, on the east by Gijón and Siero, and on the west by Illas and Las Regueras...
The city is situated along the Asturian coast and is distinguished by the peninsula of Cimadevilla (the original settlement) which separates the beach of San Lorenzo and adjacent neighborhoods to the east from the beaches of Poniente and Arbeyal, the shipyards, and the recreational port and the Port of El Musel
El Musel
Located in Asturias, in the north of Spain, and in the middle point of the Cantabrian Sea coast, the Port of Gijón is often seen as an ideal gateway to Europe, allowing direct access to the western and centre of the Iberian Peninsula....
to the west. It is close to the other main Asturian cities, Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
and Avilés
Avilés
Avilés is a city in Asturias, Spain. Avilés is with Oviedo and Gijón, one of the main towns in the Principality of Asturias.The town occupies the flattest land in the municipality, in a land that belonged to the sea, surrounded by small promontories, all of them having an altitude of less than...
.
Districts
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, Gijón / Xixón is divided in 26 districts or parishes:
1. Serín
Serín
Serín is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Serín was 309 in 2004Serín is located on the western area of Gijón / Xixón, and borders the Asturian municipalities of Llanera, Corvera and Carreño.Barrios & Places:-External links:* - Gijón / Xixón...
2. San Andrés de los Tacones
San Andrés de los Tacones
San Andrés de los Tacones is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Serín was 191 in 2003...
3. Fresno
Fresno (Gijón)
Fresno is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Fresno was 712 in 2003Fresno is a heavily industrialized area of Gijón / Xixón.Barrios & Places:*Montiana*Fresno*Somonte*Villar...
4. Puao
Puao
Puao is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Fresno was 243 in 2003Fresno is one of the smallest districts of Gijón / Xixón...
5. Veriña
Veriña
Veriña is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Veriña was 194 in 2005Veriña is located in the west of Gijón / Xixón, being an important industrial and railway axis.Barrios & Places:...
6. Jove / Xove 7. Gijón / Xixón 8. Somió
Somió
Somió is a civil parish of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain. Civil parishes are the legal subdivisions of the municipalities under the current statute of autonomy of Asturias ....
9. Cabueñes
Cabueñes
Cabueñes is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 1.053 in 2003.Cabueñes is a residential area and a public services district which borders the municipality of Villaviciosa in the east.Barrios...
10. Deva
Deva (Gijón)
Deva is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain. The toponym itself comes from an ancient pre-roman/astur deity.Its population was 597 in 2003....
11. Caldones
Caldones
Caldones is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 403 in 2003.Located in the east of the municipality, Caldones is a rural area which borders the municipality of Villaviciosa in the east, vith the districts of Vega and Llavandera in the west, and...
12. Valdornón
Valdornón
Valdornón is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 193 in 2006.Valdornón is located on the southeastern area of Gijón / Xixón...
13. Fano
Fano (Gijón)
Fano is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 217 in 2003.Located in the south-east of the municipality, Fano is a rural area which borders the municipality of Siero in the south, and with the district of Valdornón in the east.Toponym comes from...
14. Llavandera
Llavandera
Llavandera is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.The population of Llavandera was 333 in 2003...
15. Samartín de Güerces
Samartín de Güerces
Samartín de Güerces is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 293 in 2003....
16. Leorio / Llorio
Leorio / Llorio
Leorio / Llorio is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 349 in 2003....
17. La Pedrera
La Pedrera (Gijón)
La Pedrera is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 660 in 2003.La pedrera borders the district of Ruedes in the south, Leorio / Llorio in the east and L'Abadía Cenero in the west....
18. Ruedes
Ruedes
Ruedes is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 111 in 2003.Located in the south area of the municipality, Ruedes borders the districts of La Pedrera and L'Abadía Cenero in the north, and with the municipality of Siero in the south.There was a...
19. L'Abadía Cenero
L'Abadía Cenero
L'Abadía Cenero is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 1,388 in 2003.L'Abadía Cenero is the biggest district of Gijón / Xixón...
20. Porceyo
Porceyo
Porceyo is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 624 in 2003.Porceyo borders the districts of Tremañes and Roces in the north, and combines rural, industrial and roadway system areas....
21. Tremañes
Tremañes
Tremañes is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 3.411 in 1994.An important industrial axis, the district included the Natahoyo area until 20th century,...
22. Roces
Roces (Gijón)
Roces is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 2.858 in 1994.A traditionally rural area, the district included the El Coto, L'Arena and Contrueces barrios until 20th century.Barrios & Places:*El Barrio la Iglesia*La Braña*Los Caleros*La Fana*La...
23. Granda
Granda (Gijón)
Granda is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 622 in 2003.Granda is a residential and rural area, bordering with the city district in the north and with Vega in the south....
24. Castiello Bernueces
Castiello Bernueces
Castiello Bernueces is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 740 in 2003....
25. Vega
Vega (Gijón)
Vega is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 3.213 in 2003.Vega is a residential and rural area, bordering with the districts of Granda, Castiello Bernueces, Santurio, Caldones, Llavandera y Samartín de Güerces.The famous La Camocha coal mine was...
26. Santurio
Santurio
Santurio is a district of the municipality of Gijón / Xixón, in Asturias, Spain.Its population was 199 in 2003.Santurio is a residential and rural area, bordering with the districts of Deva in the east and Castiello Bernueces in the west.Barrios & Places:*L'Aldea*Carceo*La Cuesta*Bermuria*Les...
Gijón / Xixón city (numbered 7) is divided in four big areas (Centre, East, West and South) with several neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
s within each one (Cimadevilla / Cimavilla, La Calzada, El Natahoyo, Pumarín, Viesques, El Llano, etc.)
Transport
The A-66 motorway (Ruta de La Plata), A-8 (Autopista del Cantábrico) and the AS-1 (Autovía Minera) are the main highway accesses. By train, Gijón has daily service to MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. Cruise ships call at El Musel, and the Airport of Asturias is located in the not far away municipality of Castrillón
Castrillón
Castrillón is a concejo in Asturias, located on the central coast. It has an area of 56.70 km² and a population of 22,361 inhabitants . The most important population centres are the capital Piedras Blancas, Salinas, and Raíces....
with daily flights to major Spanish and European cities.
A subway system, called Metrotren, is currently under construction to improve the public transport in Gijón, along with a plan to redesign the railway network entering the town, so as to accommodate for the arrival of AVE
AVE
Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...
high speed rail, expected in 2015, from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
There are 22 regular lines of bus and 4 "night lines" of bus called "Buho" and special lines in special events like the Feria Internacional de Muestras de Gijon (Gijon International Exposition Fair) or the Semana Negra (literally Black Week)http://www.semananegra.org/, the city's famous one-week Festival based on Hardboiled
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
literature.
Culture
- During the early years of the 19th century the, then very small, town of Gijón was best known for its college or high-school known as the "Real Instituto Asturiano" founded by JovellanosGaspar Melchor de JovellanosGaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was an Asturian-born Spanish neoclassical statesman, author, philosopher and a major figure of the Age of Enlightenment in Spain.-Life:...
.
- Gijón has a wide range of museum options. The Museo Internacional de la Gaita (International Bagpipe MuseumInternational Bagpipe MuseumThe International Bagpipe Museum is located in Gijon, Asturias, Spain. The museum was founded in 1965, and moved to its current location in 1975....
) contains bagpipes from around the world, focusing on the AsturianAsturian languageAsturian is a Romance language of the West Iberian group, Astur-Leonese Subgroup, spoken in the Spanish Region of Asturias by the Asturian people...
musical heritage and bagpipes. There are also several other museums: - Revillagigedo Palace and Museum (At Marqués square, near the City Hall)
- Nicanor Piñole Museum (An art museum)
- Evaristo Valle Museum (Local painter museum placed in a mansion at the outskirts)
- Museo del Ferrocarril (Railroad Museum, near Poniente Beach)
- Juan Barjola Museum (A museum about a local painter, also interested in avant-gardeAvant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
art) - LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación IndustrialLABoral Centro de Arte y Creación IndustrialLABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial is an exhibition centre in Gijón, Spain, for art, science, technology and advanced visual industries...
(An exhibition centre for contemporary art, science, technology and advanced visual industries)
- The City Hall's sports and culture programs for citizens is wide, including the innovative Abierto Hasta el Amanecer (literally Open Till Dawn) nocturnal program, which tries to involve teens in cultural and sporting activities as an alternative to weekend nightlife.
- Gijon has 13 libraries in its Cultural City Centers, which feature a wide network of swimming pools and gyms.
Sports
Gijón's professional soccerFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
, plays in the Spanish National League
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
and is presently in the first division. American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
are played in Gijón at top levels, with the Gijón Mariners
Gijón Mariners
Gijón Mariners is an American football team based in Gijón, Asturias .-History:The team was established in 2001 by a group of players of flag football at the beach. They joined the Spanish league for the 2006 season, and got included on the Western Conference of the LNFA 2...
and El Llano BC
El Llano BC
El Llano Béisbol Club is a baseball team in the Spanish baseball league. Founded in 1986, the club is based in Gijón, Asturias...
competing in the most important Spanish leagues of those sports.
In women's sport, Gijón Hockey Club
Gijón Hockey Club
Gijón Hockey Club is a Spanish Rink hockey club based in Gijón, city in the autonomous community of Asturias .The club was established in 1995. Their commercial name is Biesca Gijón HC because "Biesca" is their sponsor at the time....
is one of the most important rink hockey teams in Europe.
There is also a sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
in Gijón with more than 28,000 members. It's Real Grupo de Cultura Covadonga
Real Grupo de Cultura Covadonga
Real Grupo de Cultura Covadonga is a multisport club based in Gijón, Spain. The club was founded in 1938 and is the biggest sports club in Asturias...
and this is the biggest club in Gijón.
Not far from Gijón, there are several ski resorts in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, the main being Valgrande-Pajares.
Gijón has 13 public sport centers (in Spanish: Centros Municipales Integrados) with swimming pools, gyms and saunas. Swimming pools are free for children up to age 14.
The city's marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
houses an important fleet of yachts and is the base for many water sports, being Royal Astur Yacht Club
Royal Astur Yacht Club
The Royal Astur Yacht Club is located in Gijón, Asturias . It is the oldest and most important yacht club in Asturias....
the most important yacht club
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
in town.
Economy
For much of the twentieth century the town was heavily dependent on mature heavy industries, but at the end of the FrancoFrancisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
era, tertiary sector employment began to expand rapidly along with the city's population which by 2007 stood officially at 277,897 for Gijón proper, and approximately 380,000 for the total Gijón agglomeration.
The port is at the centre of many of the local businesses. Apart from directly port related activities, the economy is based on tourism, steel (Arcelor
Arcelor
Arcelor S.A. was the world's largest steel producer in terms of turnover and the second largest in terms of steel output, with a turnover of €30.2 billion and shipments of 45 million metric tons of steel in 2004...
), other metallurgy, livestock rearing and fisheries.
Climate
Gijón has an humid oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
, with mild temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. The summers are warm, with both overcast and sunny days common, whilst winters are rainy but much milder than most places so far north; frosts are very rare and never severe.
External links
- Gijon Municipality
- Official Touristic website of Gijón
- Non-official Website of Gijón Basket (professional basketball team)
- Official Toponyms – At City Council official website.
- Official Toponyms: Laws – BOPA Nº 229 – Martes, 3 de octubre de 2006 & DECRETO 105/2006, de 20 de septiembre (BOPA Errata corrections)
- Official site Sporting de Gijon
- LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial