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Galicia (A Galiza) Galicia (A Galiza), an autonomous community within the Kingdom of Spain, is situated on the coast at the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula at the very western end of the European Continent. It is bordered by the Cantabric Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Portugal lies to the south where the Minho River forms the border. The Spanish autonomous communities of Asturias and Castilla-León lie to the east. Its climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream and like the other Celtic lands the climate is temperate and often wet especially in winter. Average temperatures range from about 45 degrees in winter to about 72 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. A Galiza is known in Spain as the ‘land of the 1000 rivers’ because the region is crossed by rivers running from the mountainous inland to the coasts where they from the characteristic rías or estuaries which are like wider, elongated and somewhat flattened fjords. Twenty three of these rivers once were breeding areas for salmon. This number has been drastically reduced due to the development of hydroelectric plants. The main rivers are Anllons, Xallas, and the Grande e Castro. The land area of Galicia is roughly 18250 square miles or about the size of Belgium, Israel or the state of Massachusetts. It is about three hours by car from the north coast to the border with Portugal. As mentioned above the topography of the country is a sequence of hills and valleys cut by streams and rivers. Most of the population of A Galiza lives in villages that are surrounded by woods where birch, oaks, pines and chestnut trees predominate. There are only a few isolated houses and villages are within walking distance, around 2 or 3 miles. All the houses are made up of stone primarily as a result of Galiza having an abundance of granite and slate. This granite and slate is exported all over the world. When you see a pink granite building, the building material is undoubtedly from Galicia. Wine is grown in the southern and some inland areas of the region. Few coastlines in the world have such contrasting features as that of A Galiza from the smooth beeches of As Mariñas, the rías and the cliffs. The north coast, from Estaca de Bares to El Ferrol and A Coruña, and from there to Fisterra is known as Costa da Morte, (shore of death). The land is abrupt, foggy and full of cliffs. Cape Fisterra, Cape Tourinan, Cape Vilan, Cape Roncudo and Cape Santo Hadrian are the prominent capes along this coast. In the Rías Altas area, magnificent beaches, impressive towns and beautiful fishing villages are found. South of the Rías Altas are the Rías Baixas, where the sea cuts deeply into the softly ascending land. The scenery is beyond comparison with beautiful landscapes. The mountains, rivers and valleys of Rías Baixas are known for their natural preserves and balnearies (hot springs ponds and bathing spots), as A Toxa. The inland has green landscapes and romantic villages. A Galiza's environment, with a range of mountains, including the Macizo Galaico, separating it from the rest of Spain, helped to preserve the traditions developed through the ages. These natural features caused a relative isolation from the rest of the peninsula. The highest summits are: Montes da Runa (2119.42 ft.); Monte Pindo (2063.65 ft.); Monte Santa Barbara (1765.09 ft.); and Monte Neme (1266.4 ft.).
This isolation is one of the main reasons why A Galiza has kept its particular character, inherited from the Celtic people who inhabited A Galiza thousands of years ago. The impact of Romanization in A Galiza was relatively low when compared to the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, and the influence from the Moorish culture was, also, not as intense as in other parts of Spain. A Galiza has four provinces: Lugo, with its capital Lugo; A Coruña, with its capital Santiago de Compostela; Pontevedra, with its capital Pontevedra; and Ourense, with its capital Ourense. Each of these provinces is divided into regions. Lugo is divided into: A Mariña Occidental; A Mariña Central; A Mariña Oriental; Terra Chá; A Fonsegrada; Meira; Lugo; A Ulloa; Sarria; Os Ancares; Quiroga; Terra de Lemos; and Chantada. A Coruña is divided into: Ortegal; Ferrol; O Eume; Betanzos; A Coruña; Bergantiños; Ordes; Arzúa; Terra Melide; Terra Sonería; Xallas; Fisterra; Barcala; Muros; Santiago; Noia; O Sar; and A Barbanza. Ourense is divided into: Ourense; O Ribeiro; O Carballiño; Terra de Celanova; Allariz-Meleda; Terra de Caldelas; Terra se Trives; Valdeorras; Viana; Verin; A Limia; and A Baxia Limia. Pontevedra is divided into: Pontevedra; Dela; Tabeirós-Terra; De Montes; Caldas; O Salnés; O Morrazo; Vigo; O Baixo Miño; O Cantado; and A Paradanta. There are seven major cities of A Galiza that exceed 50,000 inhabitants. They are: Vigo; A Coruña; Santiago; Ourense; Pontevedra; Lugo and Ferrol. The heaviest population concentration of A Galiza is in the industrial city of Vigo, founded some 4,000 years ago as a maritime settlement. The present population exceeds 300,000 inhabitants, and the population of the Vigo Bay area exceeds 500,000. There is a beautiful view overlooking Vigo and its bay from Castillo do Castro. Vigo is known as The City of the Olive Tree. This tree which is its emblem. In the 14th century the religious warrior Order of the Knight-Templar seized the cathedral of Santa María which is no longer standing. In its atrium, they planted an olive tree, the symbol of peace, and a reminder of Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem. In the nineteenth century the old church of Santa María was torn down and the olive tree disappeared. Manuel Ángel Pereyra, however, had taken a cutting of the tree and his descendants planted it in the Paseo de Alfonso XII, where it stands today. On its bronze plaque there is an inscription expressing the promise made by the people of Vigo to give "love, loyalty and self-sacrifice to the city". The Atlantic Ocean has been and continues to be a very important factor in the history of Vigo which has been a center of trade since prehistoric times. From sixteenth century the port of O Berbés has seen considerable important traffic. In 1585 the city was plundered by the pirate Sir Francis Drake before he crossed the Atlantic during a cruise meant to punish Spain for an embargo it had imposed on English ships. In 1702 the battle of Rande took place in the Vigo Bay. During this battle the Spanish fleet was sunk by the combined English and Dutch navies. Much of the treasure that was being shipped as cargo on the Spanish ships was lost in the bay and never recovered. In the early nineteenth century, the Armies of Napoleon came to Spain. Vigo was the last city in A Galiza to surrender to the French invader and the first to be liberated. The Reconquest of Vigo started as a small guerrilla war which eventually developed into a true popular war of liberation ultimately leading to the defeat and capture the entire French garrison. There is a monument commemorating this victory, over Napoleon’s armies, which took place on March 27, 1809. In the nineteenth century Vigo became capital of its province and the industrial and commercial development began making the city the most important in A Galiza. The second-largest port in Spain, A Coruña is a popular vacation resort situated on a small peninsula at the mouth of the A Coruña estuary. The city, with population of 255,000, is one of the oldest harbor cities in Europe. A Coruña is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians and it is from here that the Armada set sail in 1588. A marine promenade surrounds the waterfront of the city and from it there are extraordinary views. Plaza de María Pita divides the old town (Ciudad Vega) from the new. María Pita, a local housewife, was said to have spotted the approach of Drake's troops. Risking her own life, she fired a cannon shot to alert the citizens to an imminent invasion. For that act of heroism, she is revered to this day. Continued |
