Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria

Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Himno de Cantabria
Capital	Santander
Official languages	Spanish
Area  – Total  – % of Spain	Ranked 15th  5,321 km²  1. The colors of the official Flag of Cantabria ( Spain) which is the symbol of the region, are stablished in the very text of the Autonomy Statute The Coat of arms of Cantabria has a rectangular shield round in base (also called spanish shield in Heraldry) and the field is party en The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of Himno de Cantabria (or Himno a La Montaña) is the anthem of the Spanish autonomous community of Cantabria. The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west and An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Here is a list of the autonomous communities of Spain in order of Area. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 05%
Population  – Total (2006)  – % of Spain  – Density	Ranked 16th  568. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different Here is a list of the autonomous communities and autonomous cities of Spain in order of Population ( 2005) 091  1. 27%  106. 8/km²
Demonym  – English  – Spanish	Cantabrian  cántabro/a, cantábrico/a, montañés
Statute of Autonomy	January 11, 1982
Parliamentary representation  – Congress seats  – Senate seats	5  5 (4 elected, 1 appointed)
President	Miguel Ángel Revilla Roiz (PRC)
ISO 3166-2	S
Gobierno de Cantabria

Cantabria is a Spanish province and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The Cortes Generales ( Spanish for General Courts or Cortes Españolas, Spanish Courts) is the Legislature of Spain. The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain 's Legislative branch. The Spanish Senate ( Senado de España in Spanish) is the upper house of Spain 's Parliament, the Cortes Generales. The President of the Government of Cantabria, according to the Autonomy Statute of Cantabria, presides over the Government of Cantabria, directing its activities Miguel Ángel Revilla Roiz, President of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria ( Spain), was born in Polaciones on 23 January 1943 The Regionalist Party of Cantabria ( P artido R egionalista de C antabria PRC is the second oldest political party in the Spanish ISO 3166-2 is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes The section that applies to Spain codes the Provinces of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west and It is bordered on the east by the Basque Country (Biscay), on the south by Castile and León (provinces of León, Palencia and Burgos), on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay). The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain. Population Of the 1133444 people who live in Biscay about 35% live in the capital Bilbao and 88% in its metropolitan area. Castile and León (Castilla y León known formally as the Community of Castile and León is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Palencia is a province of northern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. The Principality of Asturias ( Spanish: Principado de Asturias, Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies or Asturies) is an Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay.

Cantabria belongs to the Green Spain, the name given to the strip of land between the Cantabrian Sea and the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. Green Spain (direct translation into English of the Spanish España Verde) is the name given to the Spanish northern maritime façade exposed to the Cantabrian Mountains ( Cordillera Cantábrica in Spanish) are a Mountain range which extends for more than approximately 180  Miles (300  It is called green because it has a wet and moderate oceanic climate, strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean winds that get trapped by the mountains. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes The average precipitation is about 1,200 mm, this allows the lush vegetation to grow.

Cantabria is the richest region in the world in archaeological sites from the Upper Paleolithic period. The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa The first signs of human occupation date from Lower Paleolithic, although this period is not so well represented in the region. The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. The most significant cave painting site is Altamira, dated from about 16. 000 to 9. 000 BC and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16

The modern Province of Cantabria was constituted on 28 July 1778. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1778 ( MDCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The Organic Law of the Autonomy Statute of Cantabria was approved on 30 December 1981, acquiring in that way fields, bodies and institutions of self government. An organic law or Fundamental law is a Law or system of laws which forms the foundation of a Government, Corporation or other organization's The Autonomy Statute of Cantabria is the basic institutional norm of the Autonomous community of Cantabria in Spain. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

Etymology

Topographical map of Cantabria, with municipal divisions.

Numerous authors, including Isidore of Seville, Julio Caro Baroja, Aureliano Fernández Guerra, Joaquín González Echegaray, and Adolf Schulten, have explored the etymology of the name "Cantabria", yet its origins remain uncertain. Saint Isidore of Seville ( Spanish: es ''San Isidro'' or es ''San Isidoro de Sevilla'' Latin: latin ''Isidorus Hispalensis'' (c Julio Caro Baroja ( November 13[[ 914]] &mdash August 18[[ 995]] was a Spanish Anthropologist, historian, linguist Aureliano Fernández-Guerra y Orbe ( June 16, 1816 &ndash September 7, 1894) was a Spanish historian epigrapher and antiquarian Adolf Schulten (27 May 1870 &ndash 19 March 1960 was a German Historian and Archaeologist. It is generally accepted that the root cant- comes from Celtic or Ligurian for "rock" or "stone", while -abr was a common suffix used in Celtic regions. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The Ligurian language was spoken in pre-Roman times and into the Roman era by an ancient people of north-western Italy and south-eastern France known as the Ligures Thus, "Cantabrian" would mean "people who live in the rocks" or highlanders, a reference to the steep and mountainous territory of Cantabria^[1]. The term highland is used to denote any Mountainous region or elevated mountainous Plateau.

Geography

Relief

Cantabria is a mountainous and coastal region, with important natural resources. It has two distinct areas which are well differentiated morphologically:

• Coast. A coastal strip of low, wide and gently rolling valleys some 10 kilometers in width, whose altitude does not rise above 500 meters, and which meets the ocean in a line of abrupt cliffs broken by river estuaries, creating rias and beaches. A ria is a Landform, often referred to as a drowned river valley. Santander Bay is the most prominent indentation in the coastline. The Bay of Santander is both a Comarca of Cantabria and the largest Estuary on the North coast of Spain, ( with an extension To the south, the coastal strip rises to meet the mountains.

• Mountains. This is a long barrier made up of abruptly rising mountains parallel to the sea, which are part of the Cantabrian Mountains. Cantabrian Mountains ( Cordillera Cantábrica in Spanish) are a Mountain range which extends for more than approximately 180  Miles (300  The mountains are mostly made of limestone with karst topography, and occupy most of Cantabria's area. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone They form deep valleys oriented north-south. The torrential rivers are short, fast flowing and of great eroding power, so the slopes are steep. The valleys define different natural regions, delimited physically by the intervening mountain ranges: Liébana, Saja-Nansa, Besaya, Pas-Pisueña, Miera, Asón-Gándara, Campoo. Liébana is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) It is one of the best defined comarcas of the region with an extension of 570 square The Valleys of the Saja and Nansa Rivers comprise an administrative Comarca in Cantabria, Spain. The Besaya valley (Valle del Besaya is both a Comarca located in the center of Cantabria, along the course of the Besaya River, and the natural valley The Pas River is located in the region of Cantabria in the northern part of Spain. The Pisueña River is located at northern Spain, in the area known as Green Spain. The Valleys of the Pas and Miera Rivers comprise an administrative Comarca in Cantabria, Spain. The Valley of the Asón River is the Comarca that covers the basin of said river and its tributaries The Gándara (also known as the Soba River is a River in Green Spain, at the north of the country Campoo is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1000 km² and including To the 'mountain' region belongs the Escudo Range, a mountain range of 600 to 1,000 metres high that covers 15 or 20 km in a parallel line to the coast in the West part of Cantabria. The Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga is a Mountain range located between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay, inside the Autonomous community

Towards the south are higher mountains, whose crests mark the watershed between the drainage basins of the Rivers Ebro, Duero and those that flow into the Bay of Biscay. The Douro or Duero ( Latin: Durius, Spanish: Duero, Portuguese: Douro, pron. These peaks generally exceed 1,500 m from the Pass of San Glorio in the west to the Pass of Los Tornos in the eastern part: Peña Labra, Castro Valnera and the mountain passes of Sejos, El Escudo and La Sía. Castro Valnera is a peak located in the central area of Green Spain. The great limestone masses of Picos de Europa also stand out in the southwest of the region: most of their summits exceed 2,500 m, and their topography is shaped by the former presence of glaciers. The Picos de Europa (literally "Peaks of Europe" is a range of Mountains some 20 km inland from the northern coast of Spain, located in the Autonomous "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period.

Climatology

Panorama of the gateway to Alisas, in the municipio of Riotuerto, Cantabria

Because of the gulf stream, Cantabria, as well as the rest of "Green Spain" has a climate much more temperate than might be expected for its latitude, which is comparable to that of Vermont. Municipio ( Spanish and Italian) and Município ( Portuguese) are terms used for subnational entities. Riotuerto is one of the municipalities of Cantabria, lying between the North Coast of the Cantábrican Sea and the mountains of the Cantabrian Sierra The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The region has a humid oceanic climate, with warm summers and mild winters. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Annual precipitation is around 1,200mm at the coasts and higher in the mountains. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric The mean temperature is about 14°C. Snow is frequent in higher zones of Cantabria between the months of October and March. Some zones of Picos de Europa, over 2,500 meters high, have an alpine climate with snow persisting year round. For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps. The driest months are July and August, although droughts are unknown because rain is frequent and temperatures never get particularly high.

The mountainous relief of Cantabria has a dominant effect on local microclimate in Cantabria. It is the main cause of the peculiar meteorologic situations like the so-called "suradas" (Ábrego wind), due to the foehn effect: the south wind coming down from the mountains blows strongly and dry, increasing the temperature closer to the coast. A foehn wind or föhn wind is a type of dry downslope wind which occurs in the lee of a mountain range This causes a decrease in air humidity and rainfall.

These conditions are more frequent in fall and winter, and the temperatures are commonly higher than 20°C. Fires are often caused by this type of wind, one example is the fire which destroyed part of the city of Santander in the winter of 1941.

In the southern part of the mountain range, conditions are different, wind there is fresher and more humid, and there is more rain. Cantabrian Mountains ( Cordillera Cantábrica in Spanish) are a Mountain range which extends for more than approximately 180  Miles (300 

Hydrology

The rivers of Cantabria are short and rapid, descending steeply because the sea is so close to their source in the Cantabrian Mountains. They flow perpendicular to the coastline, except for the Ebro. The Ebro ( Ebre) is Spain 's most voluminous river Its source is in Fontibre ( Cantabria) They also generally flow year round due to constant rainfall. In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time Nevertheless, the rate of flow is modest (20 m³/s annual average) compared to the other rivers of the Iberian peninsula. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra The rapidness of their waters, caused by their steep descents, gives them great erosive power, creating the narrow V-shaped valleys characteristic of Green Spain. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind

The environmental condition of the rivers is generally good, although increasing human activity due to rising population in the valleys continues to pose a challenge.

The source of the Asón River

The main rivers of the region, sorted by drainage basin, are:

• North Basin^[2] (flows into the Cantabrian Sea)
  • Agüera
  • Asón
  • Besaya
  • Deva
  • Miera
  • Nansa
  • Pas
  • Saja
• Ebro Basin^[3] (flows into the Mediterranean Sea)
  • Híjar
  • Ebro
• Duero Basin^[4] (flows into the Atlantic Ocean)

It is worth nothing that Cantabria is the only autonomous community whose rivers flow into every one of the seas which surround the Iberian Peninsula: The Cantabrian Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay. The Asón is a river in Northern Spain, flowing through the Autonomous Community of Cantabria and flows into the Cantabrian Sea in the town of Colindres The Deva is a river in Northern Spain, flowing through the Autonomous Communities of Cantabria and Asturias until it joins the Cares River The Pas River is located in the region of Cantabria in the northern part of Spain. The Saja River is located on the Green Spain, in the north of the country, flowing through the autonomous community of Cantabria and into the The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra

Vegetation

Grassland in Valdáliga.

The variation in the altitude of the region, which in a short distance ranges from sea level to 2,600 meters in the mountains, leads to a great deal of diversity in vegetation and a large number of biomes. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and

Cantabria has vegetation typical of the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula. It is characterized by forests of leafy deciduous trees such as oak and European beech. Botany Autumn leaf color. See --> In Botany and Horticulture, deciduous Plants, including The European Beech or Common Beech ( Fagus sylvatica) is a Deciduous Tree belonging to the Beech family Fagaceae. Nevertheless, human intervention dating back to ancient times has favored the creation of pastures, allowing the existence of large areas of grassland and prairies suitable for grazing cattle. These grasslands are mingled with plantations of eucalyptus and native oak. Eucalyptus (From Greek ευκάλυπτος meaning "well covered" is a diverse Genus of Trees (and a few shrubs the members of which

The southern part of Cantabria, including the comarca of Campoo the fringes of the Castilian plateau, is characterized by the transition to drier vegetation. A comarca (meaning Shire or County, Spanish and Portuguese plural comarcas, Catalan plural Another diversifying factor which contributes to local variation within the region is the Mediterranean ecotone, giving rise to species unique to the region, such as the Holm Oak and arbutus trees, which are found in poor limestone soils with little moisture. An ecotone is a transition area between two adjacent ecological communities ( Ecosystems. The Holm Oak ( Quercus ilex) also called Holly Oak or Evergreen Oak is a large Evergreen Oak native to the Mediterranean region. Arbutus is a Genus of at least 14 species of Flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean

In Cantabria there are several zones of plant life:

• The coastal strip, including sandy dunes with minimal vegetation. Adjacent to these are steep cliffs with plants unique to that type of terrain.
• The maritime region, near the coast and including altitudes up to 500 meters. Originally it had mixed deciduous forests containing ash, linden, bay laurel, hazel, maple, oak, poplar, birch, holm oak, and others. An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families; most commonly in a combined form (e Tilia is a Genus of about 30 species of Trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest The Bay Laurel ( Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae) also known as True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, Laurel, or The hazels ( Corylus) are a genus of Deciduous Trees and large Shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere Acer ( maple) is a Genus of Trees or Shrubs They are variously classified in a family of their own the Aceraceae, or The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Populus is a genus of between 25–35 species of Flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. Birch is the name of any Tree of the genus Betula ( Bé-tu-la) in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the The Holm Oak ( Quercus ilex) also called Holly Oak or Evergreen Oak is a large Evergreen Oak native to the Mediterranean region. The riparian parts were filled with forests of alder and willow. "Riparian" redirects here For the legal doctrine see " Riparian water rights. Alder is the common name of a Genus of Flowering plants ( Alnus) belonging to the Birch family (Family Betulaceae) Willows, sallows and osiers form the Genus Salix, around 400 species of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs found primarily Today these native forests have almost completely disappeared, leaving only reserves in area of poor arability. In their place there are grasslands which are quite productive in the temperate climate and which sustain the economy of rural Cantabria. Next to these are large monoculture plantations of eucalyptus for paper production, the appearance of which is questioned by some people. Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing one single crop over a wide area Eucalyptus (From Greek ευκάλυπτος meaning "well covered" is a diverse Genus of Trees (and a few shrubs the members of which

Panorama of the Cantabrian Mountains to the left and the port city of Santander in the distant right. The peak Alto de Brenas in Riotuerto has a height of 579 meters. Riotuerto is one of the municipalities of Cantabria, lying between the North Coast of the Cantábrican Sea and the mountains of the Cantabrian Sierra

• The foothills, from 500 to 1,100 meters altitude are colonized by monoculture forests of oak (quercus robur and quercus petraea) on the sunnier slopes. Quercus robur (sometimes considered Q pedunculata) is commonly known as the pedunculate oak or English oak. The Sessile Oak ( Quercus petraea, or Quercus sessiliflora) also known as Durmast Oak, is a species of Oak native to most of Europe In more shaded ares and especially from about 800 meters there are forests of European Beech which are the main food source in winter for many animal species. The European Beech or Common Beech ( Fagus sylvatica) is a Deciduous Tree belonging to the Beech family Fagaceae.

Brañas, or mountain prairies in the municipality of Arenas de Iguña. Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Arenas de Iguña is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. In the distance, the Picos de Europa can be seen. Tordías Peak is 968 meters high.

• The subalpine plane, in this high country, the plant life is composed of birch, scrub, and grasses which are especially important for the economy because during the summer they serve as pasture for grazing cattle and horses. Poaceae or Gramineae is a family in the Class Liliopsida of the flowering plants.

Along with these characteristics it would also be necessary to mention peculiarities of the comarca of Liébana, which has a microclimate very similar to the Mediterranean, allowing to grow cork oaks, vines and olives, and which is still very well conserved from human activity. Liébana is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) It is one of the best defined comarcas of the region with an extension of 570 square A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the Climate differs from the surrounding area A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide The Cork Oak ( Quercus suber) is a medium-sized Evergreen Oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect A vine is any plant of Genus Vitis (the Grape plants or by extension any similar climbing or trailing plant The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern

The other remarkable comarca is Campoo, at the South of Cantabria, with an optimum growth of Pyrenean Oak, now in an expansive process due to an abandonment of crops. Campoo is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1000 km² and including Moreover, big repopulations of conifers such as Scots Pines are taking place in the gentle slopes of the comarca. The Scots Pine ( Pinus sylvestris L family Pinaceae) is a species of Pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from

Natural parks

Natural and national parks in Cantabria:
1. Picos de Europa National Park
2. Collados del Asón Natural Park
3. Dunas de Liencres Natural Park
4. Macizo de Peña Cabarga Natural Park
5. Oyambre Natural Park
6. Saja-Besaya Natural Park
7. Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park

Despite its small size, there are seven natural areas of undoubtable interest in this autonomous community:

• Picos de Europa National Park
• Collados del Asón Natural Park
• Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park
• Macizo de Peña Cabarga Natural Park
• Oyambre Natural Park
• Saja-Besaya Natural Park
• Dunes of Liencres Natural Park

The most important of these is the Picos de Europa National Park, which affects Castile and León and Asturias in addition to Cantabria, the three autonomous communities sharing its management. The Picos de Europa National Park is a National Park in the Picos de Europa mountain range in northern Spain. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution The Santoña Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park is an estuary in Cantabria. Santoña, Victoria and Joyel marshes are also Special Protection Areas for the birds (ZEPA^[5]). In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds

Furthermore, nine Sites of Community Importance (LIC^[6]) have been declared: Western Mountain, Eastern Mountain, Western Rias and Oyambre Dunes, Dunes of Liencres and Estuary of the Pas, El Puntal Dunes and Estuary of the Miera, Ria de Ajo, Marshes of Noja-Santoña, Escudo de Cabuérniga Range and several caves with important bat colonies. A Site of Community Importance (SCI is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC as a site which in the biogeographical region or regions to which it Santoña is a village in the western coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. The Sierra del Escudo de Cabuérniga is a Mountain range located between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay, inside the Autonomous community

Demographics

Population pyramid for Cantabria for 2006 from the municipal planning authority. A population pyramid, also called age-sex pyramid and age structure diagram, is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a

Demographic map showing centers of population in 2005

According to the 2005 Census, the region has a population of 568,091^[7] which constitutes 1. 29% of the population of Spain, with the population density numbering 206. 8 people per kilometer. The average life expectancy for male inhabitants is 75 years whilst for female inhabitants it measures 83 years.

In relative contrast to other regions of Spain, Cantabria has not experienced much immigration. In 2007, only 4. 7% of the population were immigrants. The predominant countries of origin for immigrants to Cantabria are Colombia, Romania, Ecuador, Peru, Moldova, and Morocco. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova ( Republica Moldova) is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa ^[8]

The majority of the population resides in the coastal area, particularly in two cities: Santander, with 183,000 people, and Torrelavega, the second largest urban and industrial center in Cantabria, having a population of around 60,000. The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west and Torrelavega ( is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain These two cities form a conurbation known as the Santander-Torrelavega metropolitan area. A conurbation is an Urban area or Agglomeration comprising a number of Cities, large Towns and larger urban areas that through Population

An interesting case is that of Castro Urdiales. Castro Urdiales, a seaport of northern Spain, in the Autonomous community of Cantabria, situated on the Bay of Biscay. Despite the fact that it officially it has a population of 28,542^[9] making it the fourth-largest in the region, due to its proximity to the Bilbao metropolitan area, there are a large number of people not registered in Castro Urdiales and the true count may be double the official figure. Bilbao, (also Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque

Apart from the ones as mentioned, the most important municipalities of Cantabria are the following:

• Camargo (pop. Camargo is a Municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain. 32,000)
• Castro-Urdiales (pop. Castro Urdiales, a seaport of northern Spain, in the Autonomous community of Cantabria, situated on the Bay of Biscay. 28,542)
• Piélagos (pop. 17,500)
• El Astillero (pop. El Astillero (English "The Shipyard" is a town and municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain. 16,032)
• Laredo (pop. Laredo is a town in the Northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria. 13,090)
• Santoña (pop. Santoña is a village in the western coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. 11,534)
• Los Corrales de Buelna (pop. Los Corales de Buelna is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. Politics The current mayor of the municipality is Mercedes Toribio Ruiz from PP 11,091)
• Reinosa (pop. Reinosa is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. It has 10694 inhabitants 10,370)
• Santa Cruz de Bezana (pop. 10,314)

History

Roman Empire

The first written reference to the name Cantabria emerges around the year 195 BC, in which the historian Cato the Elder speaks in his book Origins about the source of the Ebro River in the country of the Cantabri:

. Events By place Carthage Because of his administrative and constitutional reforms in Carthage, Hannibal becomes unpopular with Marcus Porcius Cato ( Latin: M·PORCIVS·M·F·CATO (234 BC Tusculum &ndash149 BC was a Roman statesman surnamed the Censor The Cantabri were an ancient confederacy of eleven tribes either Celtic or pre-Indo European, that inhabited the north coast of Hispania in the whole . . fluvium Hiberum; is oritur ex Cantabris; magnus atque pulcher, pisculentus.

—Cato the Elder, Origenes: VII

From then on there are continuous references to the Cantabri and Cantabria, as the Cantabri were used as mercenaries in various conflicts, both within the Iberian Peninsula and elsewhere. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by It is certain that they participated in the war of the Carthaginians against Rome during the Second Punic War, from references by Silius Italicus (Book III) and Horace (Book IV, Ode XIV). Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The Second Punic War (referred to as "The War Against Hannibal" by the Romans lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western Silius Italicus, in full Tiberius Catius Silius Italicus (25 or 26 - 101 was a Latin epic Poet. Quintus Horatius Flaccus, ( Venosa, December 8, 65 BC - Rome, November 27, 8 BC known in the English-speaking world as Horace They are also mentioned during the siege of Numantia waged by Gaius Hostilius Mancinus, who is said to have lifted the siege of the city and fled upon being informed that Cantabri and Vaccaei were present among his auxiliaries. Numantia ( Numancia in Spanish was a town in Hispania (modern-day Spain) which for a long time resisted conquest by Romans Gaius Hostilius Mancinus was a Roman Consul in 137 BC Due to his campaign against Numantia in northern Spain Plutarch called him "not bad as a man but most The Vaccaei were an ancient tribe who settled in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania.

Cantabria during the Cantabrian Wars. This map shows the borders of the Cantabrian territory relative to modern Cantabria as well as the different tribes who inhabited it, the neighboring towns, and geographic features with their Latin names.

The majority of the references in the following period are related to the Cantabrian Wars against Rome which began in the year 29 AD. The Cantabrian Wars or Astur-Cantabrian Wars ( 29 BC - 19 BC) occurred during the Roman conquest of the ancient provinces of Cantabria Year 29 was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Roughly 150 references can be found in Greek and Latin texts, attesting to the notoriety of the Cantabri. Their territory was significantly larger than that of modern day Cantabria, bounded on the north by the Cantabrian Sea (the name used by the Romans to refer to the Bay of Biscay), and on the west by the western edge of the Sella River valley (in modern day Asturias). Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay. The Sella River, located in northwest Spain is one of the more famous rivers in that country To the south it extended as far as the hill fort of Peña Amaya, in the modern-day province of Burgos, and to the east almost up to Castro Urdiales, in the vicinity of the Aguera River. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.

Middle Ages

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Cantabria regained its independence from the rule of the Visigoths. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East In the year 574, King Liuvigild attacked Cantabria and managed to capture the south of the country, including the city of Amaya, where he established a Visigoth province called the Duchy of Cantabria (see picture), which would serve as a limes or frontier zone to contain the Cantabri as well as their neighbors the Vascones. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Emperor Justin II retires choosing Tiberius II Constantine as his heir Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or Leogild was Visigothic King of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) from 569 There are other meanings for Amaya. Amaya is the name of a Village (pop The Duchy of Cantabria was a march created by the Visigoths in northern Spain to watch their border with the Cantabrians and Basques A limes (or the Limes Romanus) was a Border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. The Vascones (Latin singular VASCO) were an ancient people who at the arrival of the Romans, inhabited the region of present day Navarre To the north of this cordon, however, the Cantabri continued to live independently until the Arab invasion.

In the year 714, a mixed Arab/Berber army of Muslim Moors invaded the upper valleys of the Ebro and succeeded in capturing Amaya, the Cantabrian capital, forcing the Cantabrians to stick to the traditional war frontiers, in order to organize their defense, and early joined the Kingdom of Asturias. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Kingdom of Asturias was the first Christian political entity to be established in the Iberian peninsula after the collapse of the Visigothic

In the first chronicles of the Reconquista, Cantabria still appears to be acknowledged as a region. The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period In the Albendense chronicle, when speaking of Alfonso I it says “iste Petri Cantabriae ducis filius fuit^[10]”, referring to the figure of Peter and the title of Duke of Cantabria, confirming the territory of his duchy. Alfonso I (more rarely Alonso) called the Catholic ( el Católico) was the King of Asturias from 739 to his death in 757 Peter or Pedro (d 730 was the Duke of Cantabria. While various writers have attempted to name his parentage (for example making him son or brother of King A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess.

Borders of the Duchy of Cantabria

From this period on, source documents barely reference Cantabria by this name, with the name Asturias predominating in mentions of the comarcas called Asturias de Santillana, Asturias de Trasmiera and Asturias de Laredo. The Duchy of Cantabria was a march created by the Visigoths in northern Spain to watch their border with the Cantabrians and Basques

From the central core formed by the Brotherhood of the Four Cities (Santander, Laredo, Castro Urdiales and San Vicente de la Barquera), the Brotherhood of the Marshes was created, thereby uniting all the important seaports to the East of Asturias. San Vicente de la Barquera is a municipality of Cantabria in northern Spain.

During the period of the Reconquista, the Four Cities actively participated in the re-settling of Andalusia, dispatching men and ships. The coastal port cities of Cádiz and El Puerto de Santa María were repopulated by families from the ports of the Bay of Biscay. Cádiz ( Spanish:) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of the same name, a province which is one of eight El Puerto de Santa María (Spanish for "The port/harbour of Saint Mary " locally known as just El Puerto) is a city located on the banks of the Guadalete Ships from the Four Cities also took part in the taking of Seville, destroying the ship bridge linking Triana and Sevilla, a war achievement that is pictured with a Carrack and the Torre del Oro of Sevilla in the coat of arms of Santander, Cantabria and Avilés (Asturias). Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Triana is a neighborhood in the city of Seville, Spain, across the river Guadalquivir from the center and in fact the majority of the city A carrack or nau was a three- or four- masted Sailing ship developed in the Atlantic Ocean in the 15th century by the Portuguese The Torre del Oro ( Spanish for "Gold Tower" is a military watchtower built in Seville, Spain during the Almohad dynasty The Coat of arms of Cantabria has a rectangular shield round in base (also called spanish shield in Heraldry) and the field is party en Avilés is the name of the third most important city of Asturias, Spain.

16th to 18th centuries

In the 16th century the name La Montaña (The Mountain) was widespread in popular usage and in literature, as a designation of the Ancient Cantabria, as opposed to Castile, which referred solely to the Central Plateau. A former kingdom, Castile (Castilla kasˈt̪iʎa or) gradually merged with its neighbors to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain Spain is located in southwestern Europe and comprises about 84 percent of the Iberian Peninsula. This distinction has survived into modern times.

With the rise of the Catholic Monarchs, the Brethren of the Marshes disappeared, leaving the Coregiment of the Four Villas, which included the whole are of influence of the old Brethren of the Four Villas (almost the entire Cantabria). The Catholic Monarchs (los Reyes Católicos is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon

During the Ancien Régime the greatest jurisdictional lordships of Cantabria were mainly under the control of three of the Grandee families of Spain: that of Mendoza (Dukes of Infantado, Marquises of Santillana), of Manrique de Lara (Marquises of Aguilar de Campoo, Counts of Castañeda) and to a lesser extent that of Velasco (Dukes of Frías, Constables of Castile). Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in Grandee is a word either to render in English the Iberic high aristocratic title 'Grande' used by the Spanish Portuguese and Brazilian peerage or by analogy to refer to other The hereditary Spanish title Duke of Frías was created in 1492 by Ferdinand II of Aragon. Constable of Castile (Spanish:Condestable de Castilla was a title created by John I, King of Castile in 1382, to substitute the title Alférez Mayor

From the 16th century on, interest in studies related to Cantabria and the Cantabri reemerged, particularly around the issue of the precise location of the territory that this people occupied. It was not until the 18th century that the controversy about the location and extension of Ancient Cantabria was settled, thanks to works important for the knowledge of the history of the region such as La Cantabria^[11] by the Augustinian father and historian Enrique Flórez de Setién. Concurrent with the resurgence of this interest in the Cantabrians and the clarification of the aforementioned polemic, many institutions, organizations and jurisdictions in the mountainous territory received the name of "Cantabrian" or "of Cantabria".

In 1727 the first attempt to unify what would later become the Province of Cantabria occurred. Despite this, the high level of autonomy that the small entities of the fractured estate of Cantabria enjoyed, combined with the proverbial lack of resources, continued to be the main reason for Cantabria's weakness, aggravated by the progressive advance of the Bourbonic centralism and its administrative efficiency. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created The latter continually underlined the impossibility of the smaller entities facing by themselves the multitude of problems of all kinds: from perennially difficult communications, to troubles in the exercise of justice, from difficulties in ensuring adequate reserves for hard times, to the indiscriminate levees for soldiers, and above all the progression of fiscal impositions. Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. All of this worked toward the acceleration of contacts between villas, valleys and jurisdictions, which tended to focus on the Assemblies of the Provinces of the Nine Valleys, led by the deputies elected by the traditional entities of self-government.

There were two events that triggered the culmination of the integration process in this second attempt:

• On the one hand, the collective interest in avoiding making contributions to the reconstruction of the bridge of Miranda de Ebro, imposed by order of the Intendant of Burgos on July 11, 1775, the same year that Cantabria suffered two tremendous floods, on June 20 and November 3. Miranda de Ebro is a city in the province of Burgos, belonging to the region of the Ebro in Castile and León, Spain. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina.

• On the other hand, the necessity to face as a whole mancomunidad (commonwealth) the large number of bandits who operated with impunity in Cantabria, as a result of a judicial system made ineffectual by a lack of resources.

After the General Deputy of Nine Valleys gathered the affected jurisdictions to the Assembly that was to take place in Puente San Miguel on March 21, 1777, they sent their respective deputies with sufficient authority to join with the Nine Valleys, to "unite and associate ourselves" or "to be one with the rest", as the Council of Pie de Concha stated. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1777 ( MDCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

In this General Assembly a framework was established and formal steps began to be taken, leading to administrative and legal unity in 1778. This all culminated in the success of the Assembly held in the Assembly House of Puente San Miguel on July 28, 1778, where the Province of Cantabria was constituted. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. It was achieved by passing the common ordinances which had been developed to that end, and which had beed discussed and approved previously in councils of all the villas, valleys and subscribed jurisdictions. They were, in addition to the Nine Valleys: Rivadedeva, Peñamellera, the Province of Liébana, Peñarrubia, Lamasón, Rionansa, the Villa of San Vicente de la Barquera, Coto de Estrada, Valdáliga, the Villa of Santillana del Mar, Lugar de Viérnoles, the Villa of Cartes and environs, the Valley of Buelna, the Valley of Cieza, the Valley of Iguña with the Villas of San Vicente and Los Llares, the Villa of Pujayo, the Villa of Pie de Concha y Bárcena, the Valley of Anievas, and the Valley of Toranzo.

     Party and Baton of Laredo (Province of Cantabria)      Merindad of Campoo (Province of Toro). Laredo is a town in the Northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria. Merindad is a Castilian or Spanish Medieval administrative term that refers to a Country subdivision smaller than a Province Campoo is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1000 km² and including

Having learned a lesson from the failed attempt of 1727, the first objective of the new entity was to obtain approval from King Charles III for the union of all the Cantabrian jurisdictions into one province. Charles III ( January 20, 1716 – December 14, 1788) was King of Spain 1700–88 (as Carlos III King of Naples and The royal ratification was granted on November 22, 1779. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The twenty eight jurisdictions that initially comprised the Province of Cantabria very clearly expressed their intention that all the rest of the jurisdictions that formed the Party and Baton of the Four Villas of the Coast be included in the province. Consequently, they facilitated the integration in a variety of ways, with the aim of bringing it to fruition as soon as they requested it. They would have to abide by the ordinances, having the same rights and duties as the founders, all on an equal footing. Thus, the following joined in succession: the Abbey of Santillana, the Valleys of Tudanca, Polaciones, Herrerías, Castañeda, the Villa of Torrelavega and environs, Val de San Vicente, Valle de Carriedo, Tresviso, and the Pasiegan Villas of La Vega, San Roque and San Pedro, as well as the city of Santander with its Abbey. Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Herrerías is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. Torrelavega ( is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or

As a result of the competition between Laredo and Santander, the township of the latter, having initially allowed the name of Cantabria for the province created at the beginning of the 19th century, later reacted and demand that it bear the name of Santander, so there would be no doubt as to which was the capital. When in 1821 the Provincial Council presented before the constitutional Courts the definitive plan for the provincial borders and legal entities, they proposed the name of Province of Cantabria, to which the Township of Santander replied that "this province must retain the name of Santander". The Cortes Generales ( Spanish for General Courts or Cortes Españolas, Spanish Courts) is the Legislature of Spain. However, many newspapers still showed in their headings the name of Cantabria, or Cantabrian.

19th century

A statue in Santander erected in honor of Cantabrian artillery captain Pedro Velarde y Santillán, hero of the Spanish war of independence, who died May 2, 1808, during the uprising against the French occupation of Madrid. Pedro Velarde y Santillán ( October 25, 1779 &ndash May 2, 1808) was a Spanish Artillery Captain famous The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain.

During the War of Independence (1808–1814), the bishop Menéndez de Luarca, a strong defender of absolutism, promoted himself as the "Regent of Cantabria" and established the Cantabrian Armaments in Santander, a section of the army whose purpose was to travel to all the mountain passes from the Central Plateau to detain any French troop. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Although defeated, he managed to later reorganize in Liébana under the command of general Juan Díaz Porlier, calling it the Cantabrian Division, in which there were various regiments and battalions, such as the Hussars of Cantabria (cavalry) or the Shooters of Cantabria (infantry). Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists During the Carlist wars they formed a unit called the Cantabrian Brigade. See also Carlism The First Carlist War was a Civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1839

20th century

The marked increase of the use of terms with an ancestral resonance through the 18th century and all the 19th, continued during the 20th century, taking on a political tone that was distinctly regionalist, until 1936. In fact, the Republican Federal Party produced an autonomy statute for a Cantabrian-Castilian Federal State that year, which would include nowadays Cantabria and all the nearby areas from Castile and Asturias that would like to join in. The Autonomy Statute of Cantabria is the basic institutional norm of the Autonomous community of Cantabria in Spain. The Principality of Asturias ( Spanish: Principado de Asturias, Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies or Asturies) is an It couldn't be passed because of the Civil War. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of As a consequence of the war and the subsequent marginalization of these efforts under Franco's regime, the use of the name of Cantabria decreased, to the point that for official purposes it was relegated to sports associations, the only arena in which Cantabria was noted as a region.

In 1963 the president of the Province Council, Pedro Escalante y Huidobro, proposed reapplying the name of Cantabria to the Province of Santander, in accordance with a scholarly report written by the chronicler Tomás Maza Solano. Notwithstanding active steps taken and the affirmative vote from the townships, the petition wasn't successful, mostly due to the opposition of the City of Council of Santander.

On December 30, 1981 a process started on April 1979 by the Council of Cabezón de la Sal, under the presidency of Ambrosio Calzada Hernández, was brought to completion. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Cabezón de la Sal is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. This municipality initiated the process outlined by Article 143 of the Spanish Constitution to bring the self-rule to Cantabria. The Constitution of Spain is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. An additional 85 townships of the region and the Province Council also signed on to the proposal of the Town Council of Cabezón de la Sal.

Cantabria based its claim to autonomy on the constitutional precept that made provision for self government for "provinces with an historic regional character".

The Mixed Assembly, formed by the province deputies and the national members of parliament, initiated the tasks for the composition of the Autonomy Statute on September 10 of 1979. The Autonomy Statute of Cantabria is the basic institutional norm of the Autonomous community of Cantabria in Spain. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. After the approval of the General Courts on December 15, 1981, the King of Spain signed the corresponding Organic Law of the Autonomy Statute for Cantabria on December 30 of the same year. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Early life Juan Carlos was born in Rome, where his grandfather Alfonso XIII of Spain lived in exile after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Thus, the province of Santander broke its link to Castile, and exited the pre-autonomy regime of Castile and León to which it had belonged up to that time, together with the provinces of Ávila, Burgos, León, Logroño, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid and Zamora. Ávila is a province of central-western Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. La Rioja is a province and autonomous community of northern Spain. Palencia is a province of northern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Salamanca is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Segovia is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Soria is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Valladolid is a province of central/northwest Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Zamora is a Spanish province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.

On February 20, 1982 the first Regional Assembly (now Parliament) was formed, with provisional status. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) From then on, the former province of Santander has been known as Cantabria, and has thereby regained its historic name. The first home-rule elections were held in May 1983.

The 4th Legislature (1995–1999) brought into effect the first great reform of the Autonomy Statute of Cantabria, approved by all the parliamentary groups.

Government and administration

The Autonomy Statute of Cantabria^[12] of December 30, 1981, established that Cantabria has in its institutions the will to respect the fundamental rights and public freedom, at the same time it consolidates and stimulates regional development, based on democratic relationships. The Autonomy Statute of Cantabria is the basic institutional norm of the Autonomous community of Cantabria in Spain. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 This document gathers all competences of the Autonomous Community that were transferred from the Government of Spain. Chief of State King Juan Carlos I, since November 22 1975; Queen Sofia Prince of Asturias Felipe It must be remarked that, as in other Communities, some fields haven't been transferred, as the Justice, for instance. The Statute also defines the symbols that should represent the region: The flag, the coat of arms and the anthem of Cantabria. The colors of the official Flag of Cantabria ( Spain) which is the symbol of the region, are stablished in the very text of the Autonomy Statute The Coat of arms of Cantabria has a rectangular shield round in base (also called spanish shield in Heraldry) and the field is party en Himno de Cantabria (or Himno a La Montaña) is the anthem of the Spanish autonomous community of Cantabria.

The Parliament of Cantabria^[13] is the principal self government institution of the Autonomous Community, being the representative body of the Cantabrians. The Parliament of Cantabria is the legislative body of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. Presently it is constituted by thirty nine deputies elected by universal, equal, free, direct and secret suffrage.

The primary functions of the Parliament are: to exercise the legislative power, to approve the budgets of the Autonomous Community, to motivate and control the actions of the government, and to develop the rest of the competences that the Spanish Constitution, the Autonomy Statute and the rest of the legal order bestow on it. Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing The Constitution of Spain is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy.

The President of the Autonomous Community holds the highest representation of the Community and ordinary representation of the Country in Cantabria, and presides over the Government, coordinating its activities. The President of the Government of Cantabria, according to the Autonomy Statute of Cantabria, presides over the Government of Cantabria, directing its activities He is elected by the Parliament among its thirteen members, after query to the politic groups represented in it, and he is appointed by the King. He must present his politic program to the full chamber, and be granted absolute majority in first session or simple in subsequent.

The Government of Cantabria^[14] is the body in charge of directing the political activities and exercising the executive and regulatory powers according to the Constitution, the Statute and the laws. The Government of Cantabria is one of the statutory institutions that conform the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. The Government is made up of the President, the Vicepresident (in which the President can delegate his executive functions and representations) and the Councillors, who are appointed and ceased by the President.

After several legislatures presided by the Partido Popular or by Juan Hormaechea's UPCA, the Regional Government of Cantabria is directed by a coalition of the Regionalist Party of Cantabria and PSOE from year 2003. The People's Party ( Spanish: Partido Popular, PP) is the main right Political party in Spain. The Regionalist Party of Cantabria ( P artido R egionalista de C antabria PRC is the second oldest political party in the Spanish The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, commonly abbreviated by its Spanish initials PSOE ( P artido S ocialista O brero E spañol is The current President is Miguel Ángel Revilla of PRC, and the Vicepresident is Dolores Gorostiaga of PSOE. Miguel Ángel Revilla Roiz, President of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria ( Spain), was born in Polaciones on 23 January 1943 The Regionalist Party of Cantabria ( P artido R egionalista de C antabria PRC is the second oldest political party in the Spanish

Territorial organization

The autonomous community of Cantabria is structured in municipios (municipalities) and comarcas (regions). Municipio ( Spanish and Italian) and Município ( Portuguese) are terms used for subnational entities. A comarca (meaning Shire or County, Spanish and Portuguese plural comarcas, Catalan plural

Municipalities

Map of the municipalities and comarcas of Cantabria      Asón and Agüera valleys. The Valley of the Asón River is the Comarca that covers the basin of said river and its tributaries      Besaya Valley. The Besaya valley (Valle del Besaya is both a Comarca located in the center of Cantabria, along the course of the Besaya River, and the natural valley      Campoo. Campoo is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1000 km² and including      Western coast of Cantabria. The Western Coast of Cantabria is a Comarca of said Spanish Autonomous community which comprises the municipalities of Val de      Eastern coast of Cantabria. The Eastern Coast of Cantabria is a Comarca of said Autonomous community that comprises the municipalities of Colindres, Laredo      Liébana. Liébana is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) It is one of the best defined comarcas of the region with an extension of 570 square      Saja and Nansa valleys. The Valleys of the Saja and Nansa Rivers comprise an administrative Comarca in Cantabria, Spain.      Santander. The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west and      Trasmiera. Trasmiera is a historic Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located to the east of the Miera River ( tras Miera meaning      Pas and Miera valleys. The Valleys of the Pas and Miera Rivers comprise an administrative Comarca in Cantabria, Spain.

There are currently 102 municipalities in Cantabria generally comprising of several townships, and from these, several districts. A number of municipalities bear the name of one of their townships (be it its capital or not), but not all them do. Each municipality is governed by its own city or municipal council, and two of them, Tresviso and Pesquera, do it by Concejo abierto (Open council), having less than 250 inhabitants. A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. A municipal council is the Local government of a Municipality.

It should be noted that the Mancomunidad Campoo-Cabuérniga isn't a municipality as such, despite its extension. It is a communal property, singular for its size and characteristics, of shared management between the municipalities of Hermandad de Campoo de Suso, Cabuérniga, Los Tojos and Ruente. Hermandad de Campoo de Suso is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. Cabuérniga is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. This mountain estate is used as a grazing ground for Tudanca cattle and also for horses in less amount, in its brañas or grass prairies, and even nowadays transhumant cattle farming traditions survive in this region. Transhumance is a term with two accepted usages Older sources use transhumance for vertical seasonal Livestock movement typically to higher

See also:

• List of municipalities in Cantabria

Comarcas (regions)

The Cantabrian legislation divides the autonomous community in administrative regions called comarcas, but traditionally, other subdivisions of the territory have been used. This is a list of the municipalities in the province and Autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain.

• Administrative regions

The Law 8/1999 of Comarcas of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria of April 28, 1999 establishes that the comarca is a necessary entity, integral in the territorial organization of the region. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) This law opens the development of the comarcalization in Cantabria promoting the creation of comarcal entities, which have barely begun to appear. The law also establishes that the creation of comarcas won't be mandatory for the whole territory until at least the 70% of it hadn't been comarcalized by its own will. Likewise it states that the city of Santander won't be ruled by said law of comarcalization, as it should establish its own metropolitan area instead. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central

Currently, comarcas in Cantabria have not reached administrative nature and barely have definite borders. Only Liébana for its geographic position in Picos de Europa, Trasmiera and Campoo, in the Ebro basin are established are clearly defined comarcas in the region. Nevertheless, functional differences in the territory can be distinguished, dividing it in the following areas: Santander Bay, of industrial and urban nature; Besaya, also industrial; Saja-Nansa, eminently rural; Western Coast, which has urban character; Eastern Coast, vacational; the traditionally renown Trasmiera; rural Pas-Miera; Asón-Agüera, also mainly rural; the very well defined Liébana, and Campoo-Los Valles, rural and industrial by regions. The Bay of Santander is both a Comarca of Cantabria and the largest Estuary on the North coast of Spain, ( with an extension The Besaya valley (Valle del Besaya is both a Comarca located in the center of Cantabria, along the course of the Besaya River, and the natural valley The Valleys of the Saja and Nansa Rivers comprise an administrative Comarca in Cantabria, Spain. The Western Coast of Cantabria is a Comarca of said Spanish Autonomous community which comprises the municipalities of Val de The Eastern Coast of Cantabria is a Comarca of said Autonomous community that comprises the municipalities of Colindres, Laredo Trasmiera is a historic Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located to the east of the Miera River ( tras Miera meaning The Valleys of the Pas and Miera Rivers comprise an administrative Comarca in Cantabria, Spain. The Valley of the Asón River is the Comarca that covers the basin of said river and its tributaries Liébana is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) It is one of the best defined comarcas of the region with an extension of 570 square Campoo is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1000 km² and including

• Natural regions (regarding geographical features)
  • Coastal strip
  • Central strip (Cantabrian valleys perpendicular to the coast): Liébana, Saja and Nansa, Besaya, Pas and Miera, and Asón-Gándara valleys.
  • Southern strip (Rivers Ebro and Duero's basins): Campoo and Southern valleys

• Historic regions

Until the 13th century, Cantabria was organized in valleys, as was typical in all of northern Spain. From then on, it was substituted by the organization in cities, towns or historic comarcas that grouped several valleys. The most remarkable were Liébana, Asturias de Santillana, Trasmiera, Campoo and Valderredible

Economy

Banco Santander headquarters, in Paseo de Pereda, Santander

The economy of Cantabria has primary industry, now in decline, employing 5. Grupo Santander (,;;) is a banking group centered on Banco Santander, the largest bank in Spain, which originated in Santander, Cantabria An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area 8% of the active population in the sectors of cattle farming, traditional dairy farming, and meat production; agriculture, especially corn, potatoes, vegetables, and roughage; maritime fishing; and the mining of zinc and quarries. Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or Minerals are extracted

The secondary industry which employs 30. 3% of the active population is the sector with the most productivity in recent years due to construction; that of ironworking, food service, chemistry, paper production, textile fabrication, pharmacy, industrial groups and transport, etc. Ironwork is any Weapon, artwork, Utensil or architectural feature made of Iron especially used for decoration The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Pharmacy (from the Greek φάρμακον 'pharmakon' = drug is the Health profession that links the Health sciences with the chemical sciences .

The service sector employs 63. 8% of the active population and is increasing, given that large concentrations of the population live in the urban centers and the importance that tourism has acquired in the recent years. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel

The unemployment rate in Cantabria, as of March 2007 is 8. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 11%, compared to 9. 44% in Spain; while its purchasing power parity is 21. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 897€, compared to 22. 152€ in Spain and 24. 500€ in the EU25. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in In 2007 Cantabria's growth of real GDP was 4. 1%, compared to a 3. 9% average for Spain.

Transportation and communications

The most significant consequence of the strong relief of the Cantabrian territory is the existence of topographic barriers that condition decisively the courses of the linking infrastructures, as much in the north-south orientation in the accesses to the Castillian Mesa, as in the east-west in the communication between valleys. Spain is located in southwestern Europe and comprises about 84 percent of the Iberian Peninsula. Moreover, the cost of their construction and maintenance is much higher than average. This fact is specially remarkable in the Mountain, with roads and railways with slow and winding courses in order to avoid the greater slopes, that being the most problematic and distinct characteristic of the communication network of Cantabria.

Parayas airport, located in the munipality of Camargo, 5 km from Santander

An interesting case is the Cantabrian village of Tresviso. Camargo is a Municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain. To access it by road you have to go via the neighbouring province of Asturias. The only way in or out of the village, famous for its blue cheese, from Cantabria is on foot.

The main communications infrastructures of the region are:

• Santander Airport
• Cantabrian Motorway (Autovía A-8, European route E-70)
• Cantabria-Meseta Motorway (Autovía A-67) (in construction)
• Narrow-gauge railway Santander-Oviedo (FEVE)
• Narrow-gauge railway Santander-Bilbao (FEVE)
• Broad-gauge railway Santander-Palencia- Valladolid - Ávila - Madrid (RENFE)
• Ferry line Santander-Plymouth
• Port of Santander

Mass media and public opinion

In Cantabria there are two daily regional newspapers in addition to the national ones: El Diario Montañés and Alerta, as well as many weekly, fortnightly and monthly publications. Santander Airport (Parayas is an International airport near Santander, Spain and the only airport of Cantabria The Autovía A-8 is a highway ( Autovía) in the north west of Spain. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain between Asturias (to the west and Oviedo ( Asturian: Uviéu is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. FEVE ( Ferrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha, meaning "Narrow-Gauge Spanish Railways" is a state-owned Spanish Railway company which operates Bilbao, (also Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque Other use Palencia Guatemala. Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of ||-||} is an industrial city and it is a Municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region This article is about the Spanish city For other uses see Avila Ávila de los Caballeros ( Latin: Abila and Óbila Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Renfe Operadora is the State-owned company which operates freight and passenger Trains on the 1668-mm " Iberian gauge " and 1435-mm " See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London.

The main national radio stations have transmitter stations in places like Santander, Torrelavega, Castro-Urdiales, or Reinosa. There are also numerous local and regional stations. For the moment there is no Cantabrian autonomic television with public financing, although some local channels exist (including Canal 8 DM, TeleBahía, Telecabarga, Localia TV Cantabria, etc. ).

In recent years, the Internet has allowed new informative proposals to emerge in the shape of digital diaries or blogs, which contribute to enrich the mediatic panorama of the region.

Culture

Language

Spanish is the official language of Cantabria. The eastern part of Cantabria contributed to the language's origins in a significant way. Cantabrian language, or Mountain language, is hardly preserved in the West of Cantabria and some zones of the Pas Valley and the Valley of Soba, in its Eastern zone. Cantabrian language or Mountain language is the name received the language used in the West of Cantabria and some zones of the Valley of Pas and the This language has neither regulation nor official recognition.

Monuments and museums

• Caves: Altamira Cave, El Soplao, Del Valle, El Pendo, La Pasiega cave, Las Monedas, El Castillo, Morín, and others. Cueva de La Pasiega, or Cave of La Pasiega, situated in the Spanish municipality of Puente Viesgo, is one of the most important monuments of Paleolithic

• Civil arquitecture: Magdalena palace, Capricho de Gaudí, Pontifical University of Comillas, Sobrellano palace, Bárcena palace, Castle of Argüeso, and others. The Comillas Pontifical University (Universidad Pontificia Comillas is an academic institution in Spain.

• Religious arquitecture: Collegiate of Santillana del Mar, Collegiate of Santa Cruz de Castañeda, Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery, Santa María de Lebeña, Santa María de Piasca, Santa María del Puerto, and others. Santo Toribio de Liébana is a Monastery located in the district of Liébana, near Potes in Cantabria, Spain.

• Museums: Bay of Biscay Maritime Museum, Ethnographic Museum of Cantabria, Santander Museum of Fine Arts, Regional Museum of Prehistory and Arqueology of Cantabria, Cantabrian Museum of Nature, Altamira National Museum and Investigation Centre, and others.

Universities

International University Menéndez Pelayo. Palace of the Magdalena. Venue for the summer courses of the UIMP (Santander).

• University of Cantabria (UC, UNICAN)
• International University Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP)
• Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)
• Campus Comillas (CIESE-CC)

Fairs and festivals

La Vijanera carnival in Silió. The University of Cantabria ( Spanish Universidad de Cantabria, UC) is a university located in Santander and Torrelavega in The Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED, is the public Spanish Open University

Regarding the fairs, understood as big markets of products periodically celebrated, it is remarkable the Livestock Fair of Torrelavega taking place in the National Livestock Market "Jesús Collado Soto", the third biggest of Spain, that groups the buy and sell of all kinds of cattle in the region itself and the adjacent ones, being the bovine the main product. A fair is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated Carnival or Funfair entertainment All over the region cattle and typical products fairs are celebrated weekly, monthly, or annually to gather the neighbours of the land.

There are many different festivities in Cantabria, some of them limited just to small villages, but there are also festivals that attract tourism from all the country. The most important are the following:

• Carnaval marinero (Sailor Carnival), in February in Santoña. Santoña is a village in the western coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. Commonly known as "the carnivals of the North", in this carnival, started in 1934, many people of the town participate dressing themselves up as fish. The main event is the "Trial at the bottom of the ocean", where the "besugo" is judged before the last act, "The burning of the besugo". Bream is a general term for a number of species of Freshwater and marine Fish, mainly but not exhaustively drawn from the genera (A besugo is a foolish person besides a type of fish).
• La Folía, April in San Vicente de la Barquera, a parade of local fishing boats following one with a statue of the Virgin. San Vicente de la Barquera is a municipality of Cantabria in northern Spain.
• Coso Blanco, first Friday in July in Castro Urdiales. Colorful parade with carts.
• Cantabria Day, second Sunday of August in Cabezón de la Sal. Cabezón de la Sal is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. Traditional Cantabrian music, ceramics fair, local foods, bowling championships, ox dragging contests and public speeches. Bowling is a Game / Sport in which players attempt to score points by rolling a Bowling ball along a flat surface either into objects called pins
• SAUGA folk music festival, celebrated the third weekend of August in Colindres. Colindres is a town in the northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria.
• Floral Gala, August en Torrelavega. Torrelavega ( is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain A festival of international touristic importance with carts decorated with flowers.
• Battle of Flowers, August, in Laredo. Carts decorated with flowers and fruit. Fireworks in the evening. A firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes
• Campoo Day, September in Reinosa. Reinosa is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. It has 10694 inhabitants Tourist fair of regional importance since 1977 and celebrated since the 19th century, it shows customs and traditions of the Campurrians in their capital. Campoo is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) located in the High Ebro, with a surface little bigger than 1000 km² and including Cattle shows, local products market and regional costumes are the items in this festival. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family

The following festivals are also remarkable in modern Cantabrian culture: Santander International Festival^[15] (Arts festival), Santander Summer Festival^[16] (Music festival), Sotocine^[17] (Film festival)

Mythology

Main article: Cantabrian mythology

Northern Spain is a rich area for mythology. A festival is an event usually and ordinarily staged by a local community which centers on some unique aspect of that community The Festival Internacional de Santander (FIS is one of Spain 's oldest music festivals It seems that the native Cantabrian Mythology connected from the beginning and with the passing of the years with Celtic and Roman mythology The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" In the whole Green Spain, from Galicia to the Basque Country, passing by Asturias and Cantabria, there are rites, stories and imaginary or impossible beings (or maybe not so). Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.

The mythology of Cantabria turns the Cantabrian forests and mountains into magical places where the myths, beliefs and legends have been present as an essential part of the Cantabrian culture, either because they have been living in the popular heritage through the oral tradition transmitted from father to son, or because they have been recovered by scholars (Manuel Llano and others) who have worried about preserving the cultural heritage. See also Mythology Myth is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos, which simply means 'story' Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a Proposition or Premise to be true A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Oral tradition, oral culture and oral lore is a way for a society to transmit history, literature, law and other Knowledges Its mythology and superstitions present a great Celtic influence that has diluted with the pass of time, being romanized or christianized in many cases. Superstition ( Latin superstitio, literally "standing over" derived perhaps from standing in awe used in Latin as a unreasonable or excessive belief Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings It is remarkable, as in many other cultures, the presence of faboulous beings of giant proportions and cyclopean features (the ojáncanos), fantastic animals (culebres, caballucos del diablo (lit. The Mythology and Legends of many different Cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops (ˈsaɪklɒps or kyklops ( Greek) is a member of a primordial race of Cuélebre, or Culebre, is a giant winged serpent (a Dragon) of the Asturian and Cantabrian mythology that lives in a cave guards treasures horses of the devil, damselflies), ramidrejus, etc. Insecta {Taxobox | name = Damselflies| regnum = Animalia | phylum = Arthropoda | classis | ordo = Odonata | subordo = Zygoptera | subordo_authority ), færies (anjanas, ijanas of Aras), duendes (nuberos, ventolines, trentis, trasgus, trastolillos, musgosu, tentirujo), anthropomorphic characters (the sirenuca (little mermaid), the fish-man, the cuegle, the wife-bear of Andara, the guajona), etc. A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair A duende is a Fairy - or Goblin -like mythological character While its nature varies throughout Spain, Portugal and Spanish-speaking America The Trenti comes from the folklore of Cantabria, Spain. It is an Imp -like creature that is annoying but not malicious Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects The fish-man or hombre pez of Lierganes belongs to the Mythology of Cantabria, located in the north of Spain. The cuegle is a monster in Cantabrian folklore. Walking on two legs and roughly humanoid in shape it has black skin three arms without hands or fingers five rows of teeth

Cuisine

Main article: Spanish Cuisine

• Typical dishes: cocido montañés (Highlander stew) made with beans and collard greens, cocido lebaniego (Liébanan stew) made from chickpeas, marmita or sorropotún (similar to marmitako), and olla ferroviaria (Railway pot), as main courses. Spanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes which stem from differences in geography culture and climate Collards, also called borekale (from the Dutch boerenkool (farmers' kale are various loose-leafed Cultivars of Brassica oleracea ( Acephala Liébana is a Comarca of Cantabria ( Spain) It is one of the best defined comarcas of the region with an extension of 570 square The chickpea ( Cicer arietinum) (also garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, chana, kadale kaalu, Marmitako in Basque Country and Marmita or Sorropotún in Cantabria is a Fish Stew that was eaten on Tuna fishing Marmitako in Basque Country and Marmita or Sorropotún in Cantabria is a Fish Stew that was eaten on Tuna fishing

• Meat dishes: Beef, ox, deer, roe deer or boar. Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Oxen (singular ox) are Cattle trained as draft animals. Often they are adult castrated males A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The European Roe Deer ( Capreolus capreolus) is a Deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. Cooked to the grill, stewed or with vegetables.

The livestock farming reputation of the region and its climatologic conditions in favour for cattle breeding allowed the European Union to pass the "Meats of Cantabria" denomination as a Protected Geographic Denomination for the beef of certain kinds of native races (Tudanca, Monchina, Asturian of the valleys and Asturian of the mountain), and other adapted to the environment (Limusina) or integrated by assimilation (Brown alpine). Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows

• Fish and seafood: Anchovies of Santoña, Colindres, Laredo and Castro Urdiales, angler, hake, Sea bass, sole, mackerel, sardine, European anchovies, bonito of the North (of Spain), gilt-head bream, sea bream, scorpionfish, red mullet, as well as some river fish as trout and salmon. The anchovies are a family ( Engraulidae) of small common salt-water fish Santoña is a village in the western coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. Colindres is a town in the northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria. The term hake refers to Fish in either of family Gadidae (subfamily Phycinae family Merlucciidae (both For other fish called "seabass" see Sea bass. The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, also known as Morone labrax The true soles are a family Soleidae, of Flatfishes and include species that live in salt water and Fresh water. The Atlantic horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus is a species of Mackerel in the family Carangidae. For the hide and seek-like game see Hide and seek. Sardines, or pilchards, are a group of several types of small Oily The European anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicolus) is a Fish somewhat related to the Herring. Bonito (Spanish and Portuguese for "beautiful" is a name given to various species of medium-sized Predatory fish of the genus Sarda, in the Mackerel The gilt-head (sea bream Sparus aurata (Linn is a fish of the bream family Sparidae found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern coastal regions The Sparidae is a family of Fish, included in the order Perciformes. The red mullets or surmullets are two species of goatfish, Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus, found in the Trout is the common name given to a number of Species of Freshwater Fish belonging to the Salmonidae family Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Rabas (fried calamari) and cachón en su tinta (cuttlefish cooked in its own ink). Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world In many of the languages around the Mediterranean sea, squid are called 'calamari' (singular 'calamaro' Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida belonging to the Cephalopoda class (which also includes Squid, Octopuses Regarding seafood, it can be remarked: clam, mussel, muergos (jackknife), cockle, velvet crab, spider crab, barnacle, lobster, Norway lobster, periwinkle or European lobster. Clam is a word which can be used for all some or only a few Species of Bivalve Mollusks the word is a Common name which has The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is a medium-sized edible marine Bivalve Mollusc in the family Mytilidae. ---- Ensis is a Genus of medium-sized edible saltwater Clams littoral Bivalve Mollusks in the family Cockle is the common name for edible Bivalve Mollusks of the family Cardiidae. The velvet crab (alternatively velvet swimming crab or devil crab) is the largest swimming Crab found in British coastal waters with a Maja squinado (the European spider crab, spiny spider crab or spinous spider crab) is a species of migratory Crab found in the Goose barnacles (suborder Lepadomorpha) sometimes Gooseneck barnacles, are filter-feeding Crustaceans that live attached to hard surfaces of Clawed lobsters compose a family ( Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine Crustaceans Lobsters are economically important as The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, (also called Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine or scampo) is a slim orange-pink Lobster "Winkle" redirects here For the contract bridge play see Winkle squeeze. The European lobster ( Homarus gammarus) (possibly referred as Crayfish) is a large European clawed Lobster.

• Desserts: Quesadas and sobaos of the Pas valley, frisuelos from Liébana (similar to crêpes), Unquera's corbatas (neckties) and Torrelavega's polkas (both basically puff pastry), sacristanes in Liérganes, Palucos de Cabezón de la Sal and pantortillas of Reinosa. A crêpe (kreɪp French kʀɛp is a type of very thin cooked Pancake usually made from Wheat Flour. Unquera is a Village with 803 inhabitants ( INE 2005 in the Municipality of Val de San Vicente, in the west of the Province of Torrelavega ( is a municipality and important industrial and commercial hub in the single province Autonomous Community of Cantabria in northern Spain Baking, a puff pastry (pâte feuilletée Spanish: hojaldre; German: Blätterteig) is a light flaky unleavened Pastry Liérganes is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. Reinosa is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. It has 10694 inhabitants

• Cheeses: Spicy cheese of Bejes-Tresviso, quesucos (little cheeses) of Liébana, cream cheese, etc. Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation. (many of them with PDO).

• Drinks: apple cider and orujo (liquor made from pomace) from Liébana, with its variations: (orujo cream, orujo with honey, herbal orujo, etc. For the alcoholic beverage known in the US as hard apple cider see Cider. Orujo as liquour distilled from wine grapes ("Augardente" Orujo is a liquor obtained from the distillation of the Pomace (solid remains Pomace (pronounced /PUHM-is/ is the solid remains of Grapes Olives or other Fruit after pressing for juice or oil ); chacolí, and tostadillo of Potes. Txakoli (tʃako'li is a slightly sparkling very dry white Wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain

Sports

Trainera regatta at the Santander bay

The traditional sport par excellence in Cantabria is the game of bolos^[18] (skittles) in its four forms: Bolo Palma, pasabolo tablón, pasabolo losa and bolo pasiego. The Bay of Santander is both a Comarca of Cantabria and the largest Estuary on the North coast of Spain, ( with an extension Skittles is an old European target sport, a variety of Bowling, from which Ten-pin bowling, Duckpin bowling, and Candlepin bowling The first one is the most extended, exceeding regional nature and reaching the eastern zone of Asturias and also being the most complex in its game rules. The existence of boleras or skittle rings is important in every Cantabrian township, often being near the church or the village pub.

From the late 1980s, skittle play has consolidated with the reinforcement of skittle schools, revamped by the different town councils and Cantabrian institutions, the various competitions (League, Cup championships, Regional and National Circuits, etc), or the expansion in the media due to the social interest. Sometimes bolos can also refer to the American bowling, which can also be played at malls and similar in the cities. Bowling is a Game / Sport in which players attempt to score points by rolling a Bowling ball along a flat surface either into objects called pins

As in the whole North coast of Spain, particularly in Cantabria and the Basque Country, the remo (rowing) is a very traditional sport in the coastal towns. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 The origins of rowing in Cantabria go back many centuries, when several traineras (traditional fishing longboats) competed for the selling of the caught fish, which was reserved for the first ship to arrive to the fish market. Not to be confused with Vikings ' Longships In the days of sailing ships a vessel would carry several boats for various uses For the Sydney railway station see Fish Market MLR station Sydney. At the end the 19th century work became sport and people started to celebrate regattas between Cantabrian townships. A regatta is a term used to describe either a Boat race or series of boat races The sport clubs of Cantabria, specially the Astillero, Castro Urdiales, and the Pedreña belong to the most prize-winning teams of the history of this sport, and nowadays they are having on of the best moments after a decades-long period of trophy draught.

Santander Sports Palace: a basketball game featuring the local team, the Cantabria Lobos (wolves).

The Pasiegan jump is another of the outstanding rural sports of the region and a clear example of how the use of a work skill that disappears with the pass of time, gives rise to games and competition. Similar to other forms, like the Canarian shepherd jump, in the beginning this technique was used in the Pasiegan valleys to cross the stone walls, the fences, the creeks or the ravines that bordered the fields and obstructed the pass in the abrupt geography of the highland areas of Cantabria. Salto del pastor ( English: the Shepherd's Leap is a spectacular folk Sport practiced throughout the Canary Islands.

Referring to mass sports, Cantabria is present in national and international competitions through teams such as the Racing de Santander, the RS Gimnástica de Torrelavega and the Cantabria autonomous football team in football; the Club Balonmano Cantabria that has won several Leagues and King's Cups as well as international titles in handball; or the Cantabria Lobos that has played in the ACB in basketball. Real Racing Club de Santander, sometimes abbreviated to Racing or Racing Santander, is a Spanish La Liga football club Real Sociedad Gimnástica de Torrelavega is a football team based in Torrelavega in the autonomous community of Cantabria. The Cantabria autonomous football team is the regional football team for Cantabria, Spain. Fútbol is the most popular sport in Spain. The Real Federación Española de Fútbol is the national governing body and it organizes La Liga, the History Trophies EHF Champions League: 1 1993-94 EHF Cup: 1 Liga Asobal, is the premier professional Handball league in Spain. The Copa del Rey de Balonmano is an annual cup competition for Spanish Handball teams Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six Cantabria Baloncesto is a professional Basketball team based in Santander, Cantabria that will play the season 2008-09 in LEB Bronce. The ACB ( Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto) is the premier professional Basketball league in Spain. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m

Notable Cantabrians

Cantabria has been the birthplace of exceptional and notable individuals in fields such as literature, arts, sciences, etc. Many of them have played a decisive role, not only in the history and events of the region, but also on the national and international levels. These include:

• Military: Laro, Corocotta, Pedro Velarde. Corocotta was a Cantabrian warrior ( Greek: tína lestén én Ibería leader during the 1st century BC. Pedro Velarde y Santillán ( October 25, 1779 &ndash May 2, 1808) was a Spanish Artillery Captain famous
• Religion: San Emeterio, San Celedonio, Beatus of Liébana. Another Saint Emeterius is associated with the legend of Saint Severus of Barcelona. Saint Beatus of Liébana (c 730 - c 800 was a Monk, Theologian and Geographer from the Kingdom of Asturias, in northern Spain who worked
• Explorers: Juan de la Cosa, Vital Alsar, José de Bustamante y Guerra. Juan de la Cosa (c 1460 &ndash February 28, 1510) was a Spanish cartographer, Conquistador and explorer. José de Bustamante y Guerra (1759 – 1825 sometimes referred to simply as Bustamante, was a Spanish naval officer explorer and politician
• Literature: José María de Pereda, Concha Espina, Gerardo Diego, Manuel Llano, Álvaro Pombo, Amós de Escalante. José María de Pereda ( February 6 1833, Polanco &mdash March 1 1906, Polanco was one of the most distinguished of modern Spanish Concha María de la Concepción Jesusa Basilisa Espina, short form Concha Espina, was a Spanish writer born in Santander, Cantabria, Spain Gerardo Diego ( 3 October 1896 &ndash 8 July 1987) was a Spanish Poet and member of the Generation of '27. Álvaro Pombo García de los Ríos (born June 23, 1939) is a Spanish poet novelist and activist
• Painting: María Blanchard, Casimiro Sáinz, José de Madrazo. José de Madrazo y Agudo ( Santander, 22 April, 1781 - Madrid, 8 May, 1859) was a Spanish
• Science and technology: Leonardo Torres Quevedo, Augusto González Linares, Juan de Herrera. Leonardo Torres y Quevedo ( 28 December 1852 &ndash 18 December 1936) usually Leonardo Torres Quevedo in Spanish -speaking Juan de Herrera (b Movellán ( Cantabria) Spain 1530 - d Madrid, Spain 1593 was a Spanish Architect, mathematician
• Politics: Luis Carrero Blanco, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Joaquín Leguina, Miguel Ángel Revilla. Luis Carrero Blanco 1st Duke of Carrero-Blanco ( March 4, 1903, Santoña, Cantabria &ndash December 20, 1973, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (born 1951 in Solares, Cantabria, Spain) is the present Interior minister within the present Spanish government led Miguel Ángel Revilla Roiz, President of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria ( Spain), was born in Polaciones on 23 January 1943
• Music: Jesús de Monasterio, Ataúlfo Argenta, David Bustamante, La Fuga. Ataúlfo Exuperio Martin de Argenta Maza ( November 19, 1913 - January 21, 1958) was a distinguished Spanish conductor. David Bustamante (born 25 March 1982 in San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria) is a Spanish Singer. La Fuga ( English: The Escape) is an Argentine 2001 Film directed by Eduardo Mignogna.
• Sports: Francisco Gento, "Santillana", José Manuel Abascal, Severiano Ballesteros, Óscar Freire. Francisco "Paco" Gento López (born October 21, 1933in Guarnizo Cantabria) is a former Spanish football player Carlos Alonso González "Santillana" (born August 23, 1952) is a former football player for Real Madrid and the Spanish national José Manuel Abascal (born March 17, 1958 in Alceda, Cantabria) was a Spanish 1500 metres runner who won the bronze Career outline Early life and career Ballesteros was born in Pedreña, Cantabria, Spain. Óscar Freire Gómez (born February 15, 1976 in Torrelavega, Cantabria) is a Spanish professional Road bicycle racer for
• Film, radio, and TV: Juan Manuel Gozalo, Mario Camus, Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, Eduardo Noriega, Antonio Resines, Nacho Vigalondo. Mario Camus ( Santander, April 20, 1935) is a Spanish Screenwriter and Film director. Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón ( Torrelavega, Cantabria January 2,1940 is an award-winning Spanish screenwriter and film director Antonio Fernández Resines (born August 7, 1954) is an award-winning Spanish film and television Actor. Nacho Vigalondo (born 1977 Cabezón de la Sal Cantabria, Spain) is an Oscar-nominated Spanish filmmaker
• Other: Emilio Botín, Jesús de Polanco, Ángel Schlesser. Emilio Botín, marques of O'Shea was born in Santander, Cantabria, on the North coast of Spain in 1934 Jesús Polanco Gutiérrez, also known as Jesús de Polanco ( November 7, 1929 &ndash July 21, 2007) was a businessman from Spain

See also Category:Cantabrian people

References

• This article draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, which was accessed in the version of March 31, 2007. Cantabria is a Spanish province and Autonomous community with Santander as its capital city Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Bibliography

• Echegaray González, J. (1993). Los cántabros. Santander: Estvdio, 1993. ISBN 84-87934-23-4.
• VV. AA. :Guía de la naturaleza de Cantabria. Santander: Estvdio, 1993. ISBN 84-87934-21-8
• VV. AA. : Gran Enciclopedia de Cantabria. Santander: Cantabria, 1985 (8 tomos) y 2002 (tomos 9, 10 y 11). ISBN 84-86420-00-8
• VV. AA. : Cantabria 1898-1998. Un siglo de imágenes. Santander: Caja Cantabria, 1999.

External links

• Camara de Comercio de Cantabria

Coordinates: 43°20′N 4°00′W / 43.333, -4