Galicia is a Spanish autonomous community, considered a historical
nationality according to its autonomy statute, located in the
northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. It is made up of the provinces
of La Coruña, Lugo, Orense and Pontevedra, which are made up of
three hundred and thirteen municipalities grouped into fifty-three
regions. The capital since the approval of the statute of autonomy
in 1982 is the city of Santiago de Compostela. Vigo is its
municipality with the most population and La Coruña the most densely
populated municipality.
Geographically, it is bathed to the
west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north by the Cantabrian Sea.
It borders to the south with Portugal and to the east with Asturias
and Castilla y León (provinces of León and Zamora). In addition to
the continental territory, it includes the archipelagos of the Cíes
islands, Ons and Sálvora, the islands of Cortegada, Arosa, the
Sisargas, the Malveiras and other smaller ones.
Galicia has
2,695,645 inhabitants (INE 2021), with a demographic distribution
that agglomerates most of the population in the coastal strips
between Ferrol and La Coruña in the northwest and between
Villagarcía de Arosa, Pontevedra and Vigo in the southwest. Galician
and Spanish are spoken in its territory, both co-official according
to the Statute of Autonomy of Galicia, with Galician being the
community's own language.
Galicia borders the Cantabrian Sea to the north and the Atlantic
Ocean to the west. It borders Portugal to the south and the Spanish
autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile-Leon to the east. The
Autonomous Region has an area of 29,574 km², the population is
2,767,524 people (2006).
Galicia is divided into four
provinces
A Coruña (La Coruña)
Lugo
Ourense
Pontevedra
The stretch of coast with the sea arms on the north coast (Province
of A Coruña) is called Rías Altas and the region on the west coast
south of Cabo Fisterra is called Rías Baixas.
A Coruña, commercial and port city on the north coast.
Ferrol,
known for the shipyards, birthplace of Spanish dictator Francisco
Franco.
Lugo, the provincial capital, is the oldest city in Galicia,
completely surrounded by a 3rd-century Roman wall.
Ourense (Spanish:
Orense), the third largest city in Galicia with the well-known thermal
springs of As Burgas.
Pontevedra is located on the Ría de Pontevedra,
a port of strategic importance in the 16th century. The city is
internationally known for its urbanity and pedestrian-friendliness.
Santiago de Compostela, the world-famous place of pilgrimage is the
destination of the Way of St. James.
Vigo is an industrial city. It
is home to the country's largest fishing fleet.
The Cabo Fisterra, (Spanish Cabo de Finisterre, from Latin finis
terrae, "end of the earth/world") is a cape about 60km west of Santiago
de Compostela. For many pilgrims, the Cape is the actual end of the Way
of St. James. The westernmost point of mainland Spain, however, is the
tip of Punta Laxial at Cape Cabo Touriñán about 20km north.
The
northernmost of the Rías Baixas, the Ría de Muros e Noia with the town
of Noia is still in the province of A Coruña.
The Islas Cíes are a
small group of islands at the mouth of the Ría de Vigo. The archipelago
consists of the three uninhabited islands Monteagudo (North Island),
Monte Faro (Middle Island) and San Martiño (South Island). In 1980, the
Islas Cíes were declared a nature reserve. Since 2002, the archipelago
has been part of the national park Parque nacional de las Islas
Atlánticas de Galicia.
Castro de Santa Tecla Celtic Settlement
The Galician language (Galician, Galic. Galego, Spanish Gallego) has
been the official language in this region since 1982, alongside Spanish.
In Galicia it is spoken by four fifths of the population. Galician is
very similar to the Portuguese language due to its common
Galician-Portuguese origin.
Since the end of the Middle Ages,
however, both varieties have developed in parallel and relatively
independently of each other. The main differences are in pronunciation
and vocabulary. If one considers the morphosyntax of both languages
abstractly, there are certainly reasons to classify them as varieties of
one and the same language system, which is why Galician studies in
general is often still regarded as a sub-area of Lusitan studies, which
deals with the Portuguese language and culture.
Towards the end
of the 19th century, Manuel Murguía, author of a monumental Galician
history and first president of the Real Academia Gallega, cited the
similarity with Portuguese as a measure of Galician purity. At the
beginning of the 20th century, Johan Viqueira had called for the
adoption of Portuguese orthography for Galician. Again and again,
Portuguese was used as a point of orientation, leading figures of
Galician nationalism had used the affiliation to the enormous
Portuguese-Brazilian language area as an argument against Galician
feelings of inferiority and the feeling of linguistic isolation.
From the perspective of the speakers, however, there is a demand today
for Galician to be recognized as a separate standard Romance language.
By plane
The main airport in the region is Santiago de Compostela
Airport (IATA: SCQ), located 15km northeast of the city. Lufthansa flies
direct from Frankfurt (seasonally also Munich), Easyjet from Basel and
Geneva, Ryanair from "Frankfurt"-Hahn, Swiss and Vueling seasonally from
Zurich. Otherwise there are transfer connections via Madrid, Barcelona
or Palma de Mallorca.
A Coruña Airport (IATA: LCG) is
approximately 7km from the city centre. There are no direct connections
with D/A/CH here, so you always have to change trains in Madrid (Iberia,
Air Europa), Barcelona or Palma de Mallorca (Vueling).
Vigo
Airport (IATA: VGO) is located 15 km from Vigo city centre. It also
mainly has connections with Madrid (Iberia, Air Europa) and Barcelona
(Ryanair, Vueling).
Porto Airport (IATA: OPO) is 10 km north of
the Portuguese city, the Tui border is around 110 km away and Santiago
de Compostela is 200 km away. There are various direct connections with
German-speaking countries, operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP, Ryanair,
easyJet, Eurowings or Vueling. Various long-distance buses (ALSA,
Internorte) run from Porto Airport to Tui (1:50 hours), Vigo (2½ hours)
and Pontevedra (a good 3 hours). When planning your trip, note the time
difference between Portugal and Spain!
By bus
Alternatively,
you can reach almost every major city in Galicia by long-distance bus,
e.g. with the Eurolines line T118 (Touring and Eurolines), but you have
to reckon with travel times of around 30 hours (e.g. from Frankfurt/Main
with a change in Burgos). The prices are often higher than those of
cheaper plane tickets.
By train
From Madrid-Chamartín train
station you can take high-speed trains (Alvia) to Ourense (4:15-4:35
hrs), Santiago de Compostela (5-5:20 hrs), A Coruña (5½-5:50 hrs)
several times a day .) or Ferrol (about 7 hours), drive once a day to
Vigo (5:50 hours). Within Northern Spain there is one train per day from
Barcelona-Zaragoza-Pamplona or from Irun-Donostia/San Sebastián via
Vitoria/Gasteiz and from Bilbao-Burgos via León to Ourense and Vigo or
Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña. However, you are traveling quite
slowly on this route, since the high-speed network in northern Spain is
still under construction or in the planning stage (e.g. Pamplona-Ourense
in 7:50 hours, Bilbao- or Donostia-Ourense in 9½ hours; from Barcelona
or Zaragoza it is quicker to go via Madrid).
Night trains with
sleeping cars (Trenhotel) run on the one hand from Barcelona and
Zaragoza to Ourense, Vigo or A Coruña; on the other hand from Madrid to
Ourense, Vigo and Pontevedra or to A Coruña and Ferrol.
If you
want to travel the whole way from Germany or Switzerland to Galicia by
train, it is best to go to Barcelona (via Paris or Lyon) and board the
night train from there in the evening towards Vigo. In the best-case
scenario, you arrive at the destination region relatively relaxed the
next morning. It takes at least 23 hours from Basel and more than 24
hours from Cologne, Frankfurt or Stuttgart.
You are most independent when traveling within the country with your
own car or a rental car. The roads are mostly in very good condition.
The motorways (autopista) are mostly toll, they are among the most
expensive in Europe. The four-lane expressways (autovia), on the other
hand, can be driven on for free and partly run parallel (e.g. from Vigo
to the Portuguese border). Driving on normal roads is also an
alternative, especially since many bypasses have been built in recent
years.
Because of the heavy traffic, the many one-way streets and
the few signposts, driving in the big cities (as in all of Spain) can
often be quite adventurous. Also, the parking situation is difficult,
you should be careful not to leave your car in the no-parking area, it
will be towed away! It is better to head for a paid parking lot or a
multi-storey car park (note: these are sometimes adventurously narrow
and poorly lit) just outside and walk or take the city bus to the city
center.
Within the cities, it is advisable to use the city buses
for the reasons mentioned above. The line network is z. B. in Santiago
de Compostela and A Coruña very dense and buses also run to the
surrounding area.
Traveling by bus in Spain is popular and
inexpensive, and not just for short trips. Many different companies,
often only operating locally, share the market, but there is a central
bus station in almost all cities. The connections between the cities and
to the resorts are very good, but in the countryside there are often
only one or two buses a day. As a rule, bicycles are taken along free of
charge.
There are only a few railway lines in inland Galicia:
Ferrol - A Coruña - Santiago de Compostela - Pontevedra - Vigo - (Porto)
A Coruña - Lugo - Ourense - Vigo
Santiago de Compostela - Ourense -
(Madrid)
However, traveling by train is quite cheap and fast, the
A Coruña–Santiago de Compostela route costs €7.35 (2018) with a journey
time of less than 30 minutes; Santiago–Vigo for €11.10 in 50 minutes.
The FEVE (Ferrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha) narrow-gauge
railway runs along the north coast between Ferrol and Ribadero (and on
to Oviedo in Asturias). Bicycles can also be taken here free of charge.
There are hotels and guesthouses in almost all larger and smaller
towns. The prices are quite cheap with the exception of the coast during
the Spanish holiday season and Santiago de Compostelas. Turgalicia
offers a detailed overview of hotels, guesthouses, apartments and
campsites.
The Paradores Nacional, state-run, comfortable and
stylish 3 to 5-star hotels, often in historic buildings, can be found
here.
The so-called turismo rural, a kind of bed and breakfast in
old, restored houses in the country, has become very popular in recent
years. (Reservations e.g. via Turgalicia
Galician cuisine is simple and down-to-earth, but extremely varied.
What all dishes have in common is that they are made from fresh, locally
available products. The preparation (and the ingredients) of each dish
is often different in different regions.
Fish such as cod, turbot
and grouper are caught offshore and brought fresh to markets and
restaurants. A specialty is the salted cod (bacallau). Freshwater fish
such as trout, salmon, eel and brown trout are caught inland. Seafood
also plays an important role, such as scallops (vieiras), oysters
(ostras) and clams, which are prepared in countless sauces. Crayfish,
lobster and long-tailed crabs are also caught. A well-known specialty is
the pulpo galego, finely chopped, cooked octopus dressed with paprika,
salt and oil.
The empanadas or empanadillas (filled dumplings,
span. pan bread) popular throughout Spain and Latin America originally
come from Galicia. The filling contains peppers, tomatoes and onions as
a basis and, depending on the preparation, tuna, seafood such as squid
or octopus or minced meat. The empanada is usually circular with a
diameter of approx. 30 cm or takes up an entire baking tray. Smaller,
crescent-shaped versions of the empanada, locally called empanadillas,
are also made in Galicia.
Another typical dish is the Galician
stew with ham, beef, chicken, chorizo, turnips or cabbage, potatoes and
chickpeas. A typical dish of winter is the lacón con grelos (cured
shoulder of ham with young turnip leaves).
A Coruña is home to
the Estrella Galicia brewery, founded in 1906, which produces excellent
beers.
Excellent wines are grown in Galicia, five regions bear
the title of a Denominación de Orixe (D.O.), i.e. a protected
designation of origin:
The wine region D.O. Rías Baixas is
located in the province of Pontevedra on the southwest coast. The area
is dominated by the white grape variety Albariño. According to legend,
it was brought to Galicia by monks from Germany or France between the
11th and 13th centuries via the Camino de Santiago. The Albariño is
usually drunk young, has a fine acidity and goes very well with fish and
seafood. It is considered one of the best white wines.
The
territory of the D.O. Ribeiro is located near the Portuguese border on
both sides of the Río Miño and its tributaries Avia, Arnoia and
Barbantiño in the north-west of the province of Ourense. 90% of the wine
produced is white wine, mainly from the Treixadura, Torrontés and
Albariño grape varieties.
The territory of the D.O. Monterrei is
located in the southeast of the province of Ourense.
In the D.O.
Ribeira Sacra, on the other hand, accounts for 95% of the wines
produced, with the Mencia being the dominant grape variety. The area
lies on the rivers Sil and Miño in the northwest of the province of
Ourense and in the southern part of the province of Lugo and already has
a continental climate.
The D.O. Valdeorras is located in the
north-east of the province of Ourense and is the warmest and driest area
in Galicia. Here, too, the red Mencia variety predominates.
In
addition, there are three regions that carry the designation of origin
Vino de la Tierra: Betanzos, Valle del Miño-Orense and Barbanza e Iria.
Since Galicia is in the far west of the CET time zone, the sun rises late in the morning and sets extremely late in the evening, especially in summer. Meal times and the daily routine are adapted to this, with shops often being open from 10.00-13.30 and in the evening from 16.30-20.30. Time for dinner is after 9 p.m., as it can stay light until 11 p.m. in summer.
The two official languages of Galicia are Galician and Spanish. 94.4%
of the population knows how to speak Spanish and 83.1% knows how to
speak Galician according to 2021 data from the INE.
Over the
years the use of Galician has declined in urban areas due to the
influence of Spanish. Even so, 83% of the population is able to speak
Galician, according to a survey carried out by the INE in 2021. It is
the most spoken language among the historical nationalities of Spain.
There are figures that indicate that 20% of young people between 14 and
19 years old are functionally illiterate in Galician.
On May 25,
2010, Decree 79/2010, of May 20, for multilingualism in non-university
education in Galicia, was published in the Official Gazette of Galicia,
which adjusts the hitherto current distribution of subjects They had to
be taught in Galician, balancing it with what must be taught in Spanish.
The decree was the subject of numerous protests even before its approval
(according to some data, 90% of teachers' unions did not support it, and
100% of student associations opposed it, as well as the federation of
ANPAs publics and pedagogical renewal movements).
Galician is recognized as the language of Galicia in its statute, and
has a common trunk with Portuguese (Galician-Portuguese). Portuguese
independence in the Middle Ages favored the evolution of Portuguese and
Galician into different languages, already differentiated in the 15th
century. A minority linguistic movement, reintegrationism, maintains
that Galician and Portuguese are only different varieties of the same
Galician-Portuguese language and that the current separation of
Portuguese regulations and official Galician regulations is only due to
the normative Castilianization of Galician (the only Galician-Portuguese
variety). with spelling similar to that of Spanish).
Recently,
the oldest document written in Galician that is preserved has been
found, which dates back to the year 1228, it is the "Fuero de Castro
Caldelas" (Foro do bo burgo do Castro Caldelas) granted by Alfonso IX in
April of that year to the Orense town of Allariz.
Galician has a
standard developed by the Royal Galician Academy based on its literary
tradition. Contemporary Galician, as an official language, has a
cultured variant that is used both in the Galician media and in primary,
secondary and university education. Galician is spoken by more than
three million people around the world, having 95% intelligibility with
Portuguese. In relation to the number of speakers, Galician ranks 146 on
the world list, in which they are included more than 6700 languages.
The first literary manifestations in Galician-Portuguese date from
the Middle Ages, as happens with most of the Romance languages. From the
literary tradition of this time, known as Galician-Portuguese lyric and
collected in several cancioneiros, it is worth highlighting poets such
as Bernardo de Bonaval, Airas Nunes, Pedro da Ponte, Pero Amigo, Martín
Codax and the Portuguese king Don Dinis. The literary use of
Galician-Portuguese was not limited to the west of the Iberian
Peninsula, but was also widely cultivated in the kingdoms of Castile and
León. King Alfonso
After this medieval stage, a period of three
centuries took place – known as séculos escuros or dark centuries – in
which there was an almost total abandonment of Galician as a literary
language. With the Rexurdimento, from the beginning of the 19th century,
and coinciding with the cultural current of Romanticism and a national
awareness, literature in Galician was cultivated again, with Rosalía de
Castro, Eduardo Pondal, Curros Enríquez and Manuel Murguía emerging as
fundamental figures.
Already in the 20th century, before the
Civil War, groups of intellectuals such as the Xeración Nós and the
Irmandades da Fala, which included writers such as Vicente Risco, Ramón
Cabanillas and Castelao, were of special importance. We can then define
two more periods that would coincide, approximately, one with the Franco
regime and the other with the period that reaches the present day, since
the advent of democracy in Spain. Famous authors of contemporary
Galician literature are Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín, Manuel Rivas, Suso de
Toro and Carlos Casares.
Regarding the literature produced by
Galician authors in the Spanish language, there are several figures of
great stature. Thus, one of the key authors of 20th century Spanish
literature is the Galician Ramón María del Valle-Inclán. He was a
Spanish playwright, poet and novelist, who was part of the literary
movement called modernism in Spain and is close, in his latest works, to
the so-called generation of '98. He is considered the father of the
literary movement of " grotesque." On the other hand, Camilo José Cela
was an academic at the Royal Spanish Academy and obtained, among others,
the Prince of Asturias Prize for Letters in 1987, the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1989 and the Cervantes Prize in 1995. For his literary
merits, In 1996, King Juan Carlos I granted him the Marquisate of Iria
Flavia, created specifically. Among his works, La familia de Pascual
Duarte and La colmena stand out.
Another notable figure in
Spanish literature from Galicia was Emilia Pardo Bazán. Belonging to a
noble Galician family, she was a Spanish novelist, journalist, essayist
and literary critic who introduced naturalism in Spain. Her most
recognized work is Los pazos de Ulloa. Within Spanish literary realism,
it is the novel that best exemplifies the naturalist current, reflecting
the acceptance of positivist theories applied to literature by the
French writer and father of naturalism Émile Zola. Another Galician
woman among the great names of Spanish literature is Concepción Arenal,
an important realist writer linked to the pioneering feminist movement
of the late 19th century.
She also highlights the Spanish
diplomat, writer, historian and pacifist Salvador de Madariaga. During
the Second Spanish Republic he was Minister of Public Instruction and
Fine Arts, and was one of the co-founders, in 1949, of the College of
Europe. In addition to his important work as a publicist, he published
notable essays on the history of Spain and its role in the world.
Ramón Menéndez Pidal was a Spanish philologist, historian,
folklorist and medievalist. Creator of the Spanish philological school,
he was a scholarly member of the generation of '98.
Benito
Jerónimo Feijoo y Montenegro was an essayist and polygrapher who,
together with the Valencian Gregorio Mayans, constitutes the most
prominent figure of the first Spanish Enlightenment.
The first artistic or symbolic manifestations preserved in the
northwest of the peninsula correspond to the Stone Age, and include
funerary structures known as dolmens, and numerous petroglyphs. Later,
the culture of the forts – fortified towns from the Iron Age – would
leave a rich Celto-Galic legacy of jewelery and gold objects (torques,
earrings, bracelets...), among other belongings. Also stone sculptures
of warriors or animals.
Important monuments of internationally
recognized value are preserved from Roman times, such as the wall of
Lugo, the Tower of Hercules in La Coruña (both World Heritage Sites), or
the Roman Bridge of Ourense. Some mosaics, sculptures, funerary steles
and votive altars have also survived to this day.
The Middle Ages
began with the presence of the Suebi and Visigoths, who left examples of
ecclesiastical architecture, among which the churches of Celanova and
Santa Comba de Bande stand out, along with monasteries such as that of
San Julián de Samos. However, it is between the 11th and 13th centuries
when there is an enormous construction boom in Galicia, in Romanesque
style, which gives rise to the five Galician cathedrals, including the
Cathedral of Santiago, one of the main monuments in Europe at the time
and final goal of the pilgrimage route that put her in contact with
European culture. Several monasteries (Sobrado, Osera...) and hundreds
of churches spread across the four provinces are also from this period,
as well as some of the characteristic cruzeiros that abound in the rural
landscape. It is worth highlighting in the sculptural field the figure
of Master Mateo, author in the 12th century of the Portico of Glory of
the Cathedral of Santiago, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture.
Reforms and extensions in later centuries caused some of the
aforementioned Romanesque buildings to incorporate elements of the
Gothic style (Tuy Cathedral), Baroque (facade of the Cathedral of
Santiago de Compostela) or Neoclassical (Lugo Cathedral).
At the
beginning of the modern era, the Renaissance left buildings such as the
Basilica of Santa María la Mayor in the capital Pontevedra, the College
of the Cardinal in Monforte de Lemos and the Hostal de los Reyes
Católicos in Compostela, as well as Mannerist painting. Later, the
Baroque brought a new period of splendor to Galician art in the 17th and
18th centuries. It is worth highlighting the façade of the Obradoiro of
the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and that of the monastery of San
Martín Pinario, as well as numerous altarpieces (that of San Martín
Pinario, that of the church of the monastery of Celanova, that of the
cathedral of Lugo ...). Civil architecture also gains relevance in the
construction of pazos, stately mansions built in the countryside by
noble or noble families of Galicia. In painting the figure of Antonio de
Puga stands out. Already in the 19th and 20th centuries, movements such
as eclecticism, regionalism and modernism had expression in Galician
urban architecture, highlighting the figure of the Porriñés architect
Antonio Palacios. In the field of painting, it is worth highlighting
artists such as Pérez Villaamil, Serafín Avendaño, Luís Seoane, Maruja
Mallo, Eugenio Granell, Manuel Colmeiro, Laxeiro and Arturo Souto.
Regarding the sculptural genre, the works of Asorey, Francisco Leiro and
Leopoldo Nóvoa stand out.
Finally, it is impossible to complete a
general overview of Galician art without mentioning minor arts such as
the well-known ceramics of Sargadelos, the lace of Camariñas, and the
goldsmithing and azabachia of Santiago.
Galicia has a wide musical tradition. Its musical richness lies in
the variety of musical rhythms as well as instruments.
The
instruments used in Galician music are mainly wind and percussion
instruments. Of all of them, the Galician bagpipe stands out as the most
widespread and well-known, although lately special attention has been
paid to the recovery of those instruments that were forgotten, mainly
the different types of Galician flutes and the hurdy-gurdy. As for
percussion, it has a great variety, including the drum, the bass drum
and the tambourine, among others. As for musical rhythms, the muñeiras
and the alalás stand out.
In the years 2010, 2011 and 2012, in a survey carried out by the
Center for Sociological Research, of a total of 4111 people (the number
refers to the people who responded to the interview), 3420 declared
themselves Catholics, 29 believers of another religion, 433 not
affiliated with a religion and 229 atheists.
Of the 4,111
interviewed, 1,756 declared themselves practitioners (42.7%). In
percentage, religious affiliation in Galicia is as follows:
83%
Catholic
0.7% other religion
10.5% unaffiliated
5.7% atheists
Offering of the cities of the ancient Kingdom of Galicia to the
Sacrament permanently displayed in the cathedral of Lugo, probably since
Roman times.
Offering to the Apostle Santiago, whose supposed
remains rest in a crypt beneath the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Holy Week in Vivero, in the town of Vivero (province of Lugo), was
declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest in 2014.
Holy
Week in Ferrol has been declared a Festival of International Tourist
Interest since 2014.
The following are some of the most popular festivals in Galicia:
Festival of the Apostle Santiago: these are the festivals in honor of
the patron saint of Galicia and last half a month. Religious events are
held there and on July 24, fireworks are launched while a pyrotechnic
castle that imitates the façade of the cathedral burns.
San Froilán
Festival: these are the festivals dedicated to the patron saint of the
city of Lugo, between October 4 and 12. These festivals of National
Tourist Interest bring together a multitude of visitors every year,
reaching 1,035,000 people in their 2008 edition. They are famous above
all for the traditional booths where the octopus á feira is tasted.
Arde Lucus: it is one of the most popular festivals in Galicia, where
the inhabitants of the city of Lugo celebrate their Roman and Celtic
past, dressing up as them, decorating the city and carrying out multiple
activities such as Roman circuses, slave sales or Celtic weddings.
Seafood Festival: It has been celebrated every October since 1963 in El
Grove. In the 1980s it was declared a Festival of National Tourist
Interest. Tasting fresh seafood at popular prices is, without a doubt,
the biggest attraction of this event.
San Pelayo Festival: celebrated
in La Estrada in June. It lasts three days and consists of religious
services, processions, fireworks and dances. It is the patron saint's
day of La Estrada.
Dorna Festival: it is celebrated on July 24 in
Riveira and was declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Galicia in
2005. It was born in 1948, originally as a joke that a group of friends
wanted to play on their neighbors, and since then it has been It is
celebrated every year around July 24. Some activities carried out are
the Carrilanas Grand Prix, a regatta of handmade boats, the Icaro Prize
for Non-Motorized Flight, or the Canción de Tasca.
Feira Franca: it
is held in Pontevedra on the first weekend of September, it is the
recreation of an open market that began to be held in 1467, the fair
commemorates the most prosperous periods in the history of the city of
Pontevedra since the 15th century until the end of the 16th century and
historical activities, theater, animation, or demonstration of artisan
trades are recreated. The first edition was celebrated in 2000 and is
one of the most important historical festivals in Galicia and northwest
Spain.
Rapa das Bestas de Sabucedo: celebrated on the first weekend
of July, it is an event of ancient tradition, declared of National
Tourist Interest in 1963. It is the most famous rapa in Galicia, it
consists of bringing wild horses down from the mountains and taking them
to a A closed area called "curro", where the manes are cut and the foals
are branded. It is different from the other rapas in Galicia, since in
it the "aloitadores", in charge of immobilizing the animals so that they
can cut their manes and mark them, do not use any help.
Ortigueira
Celtic World Festival: it is celebrated annually in the town of
Ortigueira (La Coruña) for several days in mid-July. It was first
celebrated from 1978 to 1987, and has currently been celebrated since
1995. The festival is based on Celtic culture, folk music and encounters
with different peoples, which makes this festival important for the
knowledge of other cultures or peoples from many parts of Spain and the
world. It usually brings together a significant number of people. It is
considered a Festival of International Tourist Interest.
Reconquista
of Vigo: it is celebrated in Vigo, it is remembered when the French were
driven out of the Vigo estuary, the people of Vigo dress up as Frenchmen
or citizens of Vigo of the time, they set up fairs and food stalls from
that time.
Catoira Viking Pilgrimage: it is a secular festival that
is celebrated in the town of Catoira on the first Sunday in August. It
has been celebrated since 1960 and commemorates historical events in
defense of Galicia from the attacks of Norman and Saracen pirates who
were searching for the treasure of the Compostela Church. In 2002 it was
declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest.
Puenteareas
Corpus Christi Festival: it has been celebrated since 1857. On the
weekend following Corpus Christi, the most representative festival is
celebrated, the floral carpets. Declared a Festival of Tourist Interest
in 1968 and of National Tourist Interest in 1980.
Celebration of the
Reconquista: it is celebrated every March 28 in Vigo. A festival
declared of Galician tourist interest, which commemorates the expulsion
of the French from the city in the framework of the War of Independence,
on the same day in 1809. Citizens are very involved in this festival,
participating in a large number of Activities: recreation of the popular
uprising, market set in the period, street food stalls, etc.
María
Pita Festivals: in La Coruña, they are one of the most popular and
massive festivals in all of Galicia, celebrated in honor of the figure
of María Pita, a heroine who with great courage led the defense of the
city in 1589 against the siege of the Navy. English. Throughout the
month of August, locals and tourists enjoy a wide variety of events and
celebrations, including, among others, the Noroeste Pop-Rock music
festival, the Viñetas desde el Atlántico comic festival, the most
important in its category within of the national territory and the
Teresa Herrera Soccer Trophy, the oldest and most prestigious summer
tournament on the European continent.
Octopus Festival: in
Carballino, this festival of National Tourist Interest is celebrated on
the second Sunday of August each year in the municipal park of the
Ourense town of Carballino. The origin of this tradition is that it was
the payment in kind that was made in the Middle Ages to the monastic
orders of Osera for the exploitation of their port possessions in the
Rías Baixas. The people of Carballino, specifically those of the
parishes of San Xoán de Arcos and Santa María de Arcos, also properties
of the Osera monastery, were in charge of its transportation,
preparation and sale in the market. The pulpeiras of Arcos embody the
centuries-old tradition of preparing octopus, and cook around 100,000
kilos of this cephalopod, including making the largest octopus tapa in
the world.
Night of San Juan: in the city of La Coruña, the festival
has achieved the merit of being considered a Festival of International
Tourist Interest. The entire city takes to the streets to celebrate its
most magical night, and bonfires can be found in all the neighborhoods
of La Coruña, with special relevance being the large concentration of
people on the beaches of Riazor and Orzán, in the heart of the city.
This tradition has its roots in the ancient Celtic celebration of
Beltaine, Christianized in recent centuries as the festival of Saint
John, with which the arrival of summer was celebrated, which will extend
until the beginning of the new year, according to the Celtic calendar,
with the celebration of Samhain, another deeply rooted festival in the
city.
Wheelbarrow Rally: original competition held in the Pontevedra
municipality of Villa de Cruces. It consists of decorating and tuning
forklifts that will later be used in different sections of a Rally. It
is a sport in pairs in which one pushes and the other sits in the
wheelbarrow. This competition is organized on the first weekend of
August, coinciding with the patron saint festivities of the
aforementioned municipality. The last edition marked the tenth
anniversary of an event that has gained enormously in public and
visibility in recent years.
Carnivals: known as Entroidos. They have
great relevance throughout the community, with costumes, troupes and
typical gastronomy. They have special roots in the province of Orense,
where the Ginzo de Limia, Laza and Verín carnivals stand out for their
long duration and elaborate traditional costumes.
The gastronomy of Galicia stands out for its variety and the quality
of its products, demonstrated in many cases by the thirty Galician
products with Designation of Origin, some of them with Protected
Designation of Origin (DOP).
Fish and seafood are often used in
Galician cuisine. The Galician empanada is a typical Galician food,
filled with meat or fish. Galician broth is a hearty soup whose main
ingredients are potatoes and turnip tops. Turnip greens are also used in
lacón con grelos, a typical Carnival dish, which consists of pork lacón
cooked with turnip greens, potatoes and chorizo. Crab is very typical in
Galician gastronomy, and is prepared to be cooked alive, having its main
body open like a shell, and then its insides are vigorously mixed.
Another popular dish is Galician-style octopus, cooked (traditionally in
a copper pot) and served on a wooden plate, cut into small pieces and
drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and paprika.
There are several
regional varieties of cheese. The best known is the so-called tetilla
cheese, named for its shape, similar to a woman's breast. Other famous
varieties include the San Simón de Villalba cheese and the Arzúa-Ulloa
denomination cheese. This latter area also produces high quality beef. A
classic dessert is pancakes, a crepe-like food made with flour, milk and
eggs. When cooked at the time of pig slaughter, they may also contain
the animal's blood. In Santiago de Compostela, a famous almond cake is
made, the Tarta de Santiago.
Galicia produces a number of high
quality wines, among which it is worth highlighting the five
denominations of origin existing in the community: El Ribeiro, Rías
Bajas, Ribeira Sacra, Monterrey and Valdeorras. The grape varieties used
are local and rarely found outside of Galicia and northern Portugal.
In ancient times, the Greeks called the northwestern area of the Iberian Peninsula (an area larger than current Galicia) kalaikói (καλλαικoί), which was the name by which its inhabitants knew themselves. The toponym comes from the name of the Celtic settlers who arrived in two successive waves, the first around the 18th century BC and the second around the 4th century BC. (Hallstatt Celts). The toponym evolved to Gallaecia under Roman administration. In the transitional period between the Ancient Age and the Middle Ages, the area was occasionally called Swabia because this territory was the center in which the invading ethnic groups of the Swabian Germans (or Swabians) settled. In medieval times it was established as an independent kingdom, with the name of Reyno de Galicia, later forming part of the Kingdom of León, although the territory of the current autonomous community maintained its formal character as a kingdom (Reyno de Galicia) until the territorial division of 1833, at which time the current Galician provinces were created, and the old kingdoms formally disappeared.
The predominant way, both in Galician and Spanish, to refer to this
community is that of Galicia, although there is the Galiza version,
which is a minority and used in Galician.
The official
orthographic and morphological norms of the Galician language accept
Galicia and Galiza as legitimate forms. The only official form to
designate the autonomous community is Galicia, which is the predominant
one in the Galician language, both oral and written.
The place
name Galiza was used in medieval Galician along with the place name
Galicia. However, the form Galiza fell into disuse during the "Séculos
Escuros", while the form Galicia was the only one that continued to be
used uninterruptedly throughout of history in the spoken language. In
the 19th century, during the "Rexurdimento" of the Galician language,
the use of Galiza by intellectuals and writers would be recovered.
The name Galiza has been used by a broad sector of Galician
nationalism, although there are also sectors that have been using the
form Galicia. The use of "Galiza" has been related to Galicianism,
cultural activism, the BNG and , in general, the Galician nationalist
left.
The lyrics of the Galician anthem, Os Pinos, consist of the first two parts of the poem Queixumes dos pinos by Eduardo Pondal, prepared expressly to become a Galician anthem, and the music was composed by Pascual Veiga, the most important musician in Galicia at that time. . The lyrics refer to Galicia as the nation of Breogán, a Celtic mythological hero. It was performed for the first time in Havana (Cuba), on December 20, 1907.
Although for centuries, the old Galician flag had a blue background with golden crosses, and a ciborium in the center as a shield, the current flag of Galicia was created at the end of the 19th century by the historical Galicians of the Rexurdimento, as a national insignia, Flying since at least 1891. It has a white background and has a blue stripe from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.
The chalice, a heraldic figure that represents Galicia, was
documented for the first time in the shield of the kings of Galicia
(roys of Galyce) in the Armorial Segar of England in the year 1282. It
has undergone different changes throughout history. The current coat of
arms of Galicia is described in article number 3 of the Law of Symbols
of Galicia:
The coat of arms of Galicia has, in an azure field, a
gold chalice added to a silver host, and accompanied by seven crosses
cut out of the same metal, three on each side and one in the center of
the head. The bell, royal crown, closed, which is a circle of gold, set
with precious stones, composed of eight florets of acanthus leaves, five
visible, interpolated with pearls, and from its leaves emerge two crowns
of pearls that converge in a world of azure, with a golden semimeridian
and equator, added to a golden cross. The crown covered of gules or red.
Paleolithic
The first evidence of human presence in Galicia are
stone instruments that date back to 300,000 years ago, in the Lower
Paleolithic. From the Paleolithic period, which in this area lasts until
approximately 5000 BC. C., there are various sites, such as Camposancos
(La Guardia), Gándaras de Budiño (Porriño), Monte del Castro (Vigo) and
Pena Grande (Villalba). Also notable are the discoveries in the
Portuguese part of the Miño River —from Caminha to Melgazo—, and the
Eirós cave, located in the municipality of Triacastela (province of
Lugo), in which Neanderthal animal and lithic remains from up to the
Middle Paleolithic, thanks to its basic environment.
Megalithic
culture
Typical of the Neolithic period (5000 to 2000 BC), it was
characterized by its construction and architectural capacity, along with
its religious meaning, based on the cult of the dead as mediators
between humans and the gods. This religious sense extends its importance
to the present day.
It is said that the society was organized in
a type of clan structure. Thousands of mounds spread throughout the
territory, generally referred to in Galician as mámoas, bear witness to
the megalithic era. Inside these mounds hid a funerary chamber of larger
or smaller dimensions, built with stone slabs, what is known as a
dolmen.
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age takes place in Europe
between 2250 BC. C. and 700 BC. C. It was in the Bronze Age when
metallurgical development was achieved, driven by mining wealth.
It was a time of production of various gold or bronze utensils and
jewelry, which were even taken beyond the Pyrenees. Most of the
petroglyphs (inscriptions on open-air granite rocks) that are preserved
in the Galician mountains, mainly in the province of Pontevedra, also
date from this time. Those of Campo Lameiro are very well known. Their
origin and meaning are still unknown, although it is thought that they
were part of some type of ritual or religious language.
In the
last centuries of this era, in what is known as the Late Atlantic Bronze
Age, Galicia was part of a cultural complex of frequent commercial
exchanges by sea with other lands on the European Atlantic coast, such
as the British Isles, Portugal and Brittany.
Castro stage
The fortified period developed approximately between
the year 700 BC. C. and the year 1 of our era. Its greatest development
occurred in the second half of the Iron Age, the result of the fusion of
the culture of the Bronze Age and other later contributions, coexisting
in part with the Roman era.
Some historical studies suggest the
arrival of Celtic peoples who brought new varieties of livestock, the
domesticated horse and probably rye. These Celts, also called sefes or
saefes, or even Hallstatt Celts, found themselves in a fairly populated
region. According to the most accepted theories, they superimposed
themselves on the native population as warrior elites, nobles and tribal
chiefs, maintaining a status of superiority. or a certain social
stratification, as would happen later with the invasions of the Suebi
and the Alans.
Research from 2006 has suggested a Celtic genetic
link between the population of the north and northwest of the Iberian
Peninsula and those of Brittany, Wales and Ireland.
It is at this
time, when the Roman province of Gallaecia (Galicians) was not yet
politically and administratively constituted, when the forts appeared.
These constructions were circular fortified enclosures provided with one
or several concentric walls, generally preceded by their corresponding
moat and mostly located at the top of hills and mountains.
Among
the coastal type forts, Fazouro, Santa Tecla, Baroña and O Neixón stand
out. Inside you can mention the Castromao, Santomé or Villadonga forts.
As for the temples, the only construction found is that of Elviña. A
necropolis is preserved in the Meiras fort. In other forts, cists (small
box-shaped stone constructions) with ashes of the deceased have been
found. There are also other constructions that are partially underground
and have a water tank, in which traces of fire indicate that they must
have been used to incinerate corpses.
The economy of the
castreños was based on agriculture, livestock and grazing.
The
romanization
The Romans, already settled in most of the Iberian
Peninsula (Hispania), arrived in what is now Galicia, attracted by the
mining resources of the area. The submission to Rome of the Galicians,
along with that of the Asturians and Cantabrians, occurred late (23 BC)
compared to the rest of the peninsula, due largely to the strong
resistance and social and territorial cohesion that characterized to
these peoples of the Atlantic area.
Three cities, founded by
Augustus, headed the three conventus or Roman subprovinces that made up
the region: Lucus Augusti (Lugo), Bracara Augusta (Braga) and Asturica
Augusta (Astorga). With Diocletian's reform in the year 298, these
convents would be unified under a single province segregated from
Tarraconensis: Gallaecia.
With Romanization, the forts lost their
old defensive value, although many of them continued to be inhabited for
centuries. The Romans brought new techniques, new means of
communication, new ways of organizing property and a new language,
Latin.
Later Christianity arrived in Galicia, still under Roman
domination, gradually replacing paganism. The Catholic Church, with
growing influence in the empire after its officialization, had to
confront Priscillianism in 4th century Gallaecia, a Christian doctrine
based on the ideals of austerity and poverty, which had great popular
roots and was later condemned. as heresy.
Finally, the arrival of
the Suebi in the 5th century, from northern Europe, put an end to Roman
rule in the region.
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, the Suebi, a Germanic people who
followed Arianism, established a dependent kingdom in Gallaecia that
they would maintain for one hundred and seventy years.
In the
year 585, the Visigoths, who already dominated the rest of the
peninsula, consolidated this territory into their kingdom.
Around
the year 715, Islam would reach the south of Galicia, which is called
Al-Jalalika. Their presence there would not last more than a few decades
before the advance of the Reconquista. The Galician territory, initially
incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias, soon formed its own political
entity known for several centuries as the Kingdom of Galicia, whose
crown was shared almost uninterruptedly with the kingdoms of Asturias
first and León later. The Galician region located south of the Miño
River deserves special mention, which in 1139 became independent under
the name of Portugal.
It is worth highlighting since the 9th
century the cult of the figure of the apostle Santiago in Santiago de
Compostela, which gave Galicia a key importance within the ideological
strengthening of the Iberian Christian kingdoms during the Reconquista,
establishing itself as a religious center and destination for pilgrims
who strengthened the links with Europe. The Camino de Santiago became a
cultural axis along which, among others, Romanesque art and the lyrics
of the troubadours spread.
With these precedents, and after a
difficult 10th century (with violent raids by Vikings and Arabs),
Galicia experienced a time of political, religious and cultural splendor
in the 11th and 12th centuries. The construction of several large
monasteries (Osera, Sobrado de los Monjes...), next to the beginning of
the Compostela cathedral, dates back to this time. This splendor began
to decline in the 13th century when the center of power moved to Castile
with Ferdinand III.
The Middle Ages conclude in Galicia with the
Irmandiña Revolt, an uprising of the popular classes against lordly
oppression. Although the revolt was finally defeated thanks to the
support of the Castilian monarchy, it caused a significant weakening of
the feudal lords in favor of monarchical power.
After the unification of the peninsular kingdoms in the Hispanic
Monarchy, the governing body of the kingdom of Galicia was the Junta do
Reyno, created in 1528. Until its dissolution, this body constituted the
political expression of the kingdom, although its existence was of
little significance. throughout the Old Regime. During this period, the
demand for the vote in the Cortes of Castile was a constant, since the
Kingdom of Galicia was represented there by the city of Zamora.
At a socioeconomic level, political stability and the beheading of the
nobility give rise to three features typical of this period, such as the
prosperity of the fidalgos (who live in the manors collecting money from
the forums to the peasants), the rise of the monasteries , and an
unprecedented demographic expansion, supported by the cultivation of
corn and potatoes from America.
Economic growth was, however,
interrupted in some periods, as occurred with the Anglo-Spanish War
(1585-1604, with episodes such as the Battle of Rande or the Siege of
Coruña), or the War with Portugal (1640-1688).
In the cultural
sphere, the creation of the University of Santiago (1495) and the
artistic splendor of the Galician baroque in architecture and sculpture
are also two milestones of this period. In contrast, from the normative
writing in Castilian begun some time ago by Alfonso the survival of the
language was only oral.
At the end of the 18th century it was
still known as the "kingdom of Galicia", its political and military
governors being, for example, Captains General Zermeño or the
illustrious Luis de Unzaga y Amézaga "le Conciliateur", one of the
architects of the birth of the USA, who was assigned for his diplomatic
skills by Charles III in the face of possible English attacks and their
Portuguese allies.
XIX century
After the Napoleonic invasion,
the popular guerrillas managed to make Galicia the first Spanish
territory liberated from the French army (year 1809). This does not
prevent the liberal impulse inherited from the French Revolution from
being present throughout the entire 19th century against the policies
and values of the Old Regime. Manifestations of this new climate are the
Constitution of 1812 and the disappearance of monarchical absolutism
after the death of Ferdinand VII (1833).
The elimination of the
manorial regime and the ecclesiastical confiscation are two fundamental
reforms of the reign of Elizabeth II. At a social level, we must
highlight phenomena in Galicia such as the appearance of local caciquism
(especially in the rural world), the exodus to the cities as a
consequence of the Industrial Revolution, and emigration to America
starting in the second half of the century, all This in a context of
serious economic backwardness and little modernization of productive
techniques.
At the same time, Galicia lost its representativeness
as an administrative unit and the Junta of the Kingdom of Galicia
disappeared (1833). It is here that the current four Galician provinces
are born that structure the territory under the administration of the
central government. Later reforms that accentuated this centralizing
turn incited the emergence of the first political movements that
defended Galicia against this loss of power (Carlism, provincialism,
federalism, regionalism...). A dramatic episode related to this struggle
was the pronouncement of Miguel Solís, who took up arms against the
authoritarian regime of Narváez. They were defeated in the battle of
Cacheiras, on April 23, 1846, and the survivors, known from then on as
the Martyrs for Freedom or Martyrs of Carral, were shot.
In the
second half of the century, the Rexurdimento represented a culturalist
attempt to defend Galician identity after the political attempt, the
strengthening of the consciousness of cultural differentiation linked to
a political ideal. This meant the recovery of the Galician language as a
vehicle of social and cultural expression. Writers such as Rosalía de
Castro, Manuel Murguía, Manuel Leiras Pulpeiro and Eduardo Pondal, among
others, come from this era.
20th and 21st centuries
After the
Galician and liberal movements of the 19th century, the stage of
Galician Solidarity arose, from 1907 until the First World War, with the
aim of achieving a united electoral front to eliminate caciquism and
achieve Galician representation (which ended in failure).
A first
stage, until Primo de Rivera, is marked by the Irmandades da Fala, with
a fundamental concern for the defense of the Galician language. As it
spreads, the political idea of Galicianism takes shape again. Thus,
Vicente Risco and Otero Pedrayo worked on the cultural aspect and had
counterparts on the political aspect Porteira and Lois Peña Novo. The
replacement was constituted by the so-called Xeración Nós, around the
magazine of the same name, accompanied from 1920 to the Second Republic
by a concern for the creation of a Galicianism controlled and
instrumental from the central political power.
In the Second
Republic there were two fundamental tendencies: that corresponding to
the Autonomous Galician Republican Organization (ORGA) and the
counterpart in the Galician Party (PG). The PG arises from the union of
several tendencies represented in figures such as Vicente Risco, Ramón
Otero Pedrayo, Ramón Cabanillas, Ramón Suárez Picallo and Castelao. In
1936 the PG, to achieve the statute for Galicia, allied itself with the
Popular Front, and as a result of that alliance it suffered a split.
However, the Statute was achieved and Castelao was presented to the
Cortes shortly before the Spanish civil war.
Galicia was one of the regions, along with Old Castile, León,
Navarra, two thirds of Zaragoza and Cáceres, where the coup d'état that
triggered the civil war triumphed. The Franco repression that followed
destroyed the parties, the unions and the republican democratic order.
Galicia, which was never a war front, with an important influence of
the clergy on the depressed rural areas and little resistance to the
coup d'état, suffered the repression of the rebels, increasing the
number of murdered and executed after very summary trials for crimes of
"treason" and "aid to repression" to 4,560, of which 836 occurred on the
basis of a trial, the rest being extrajudicial. People of all social
conditions or ideology were victims of repression: the four civil
governors at the time of the uprising, the wife of the governor of La
Coruña, Juana Capdevielle, a prominent feminist intellectual who was
pregnant at the time of her execution, Galician mayors such as Ángel
Casal in Santiago de Compostela, socialists such as Jaime Quintanilla in
Ferrol, or Emilio Martínez Garrido in Vigo, deputies of the Popular
Front (Antonio Bilbatúa, José Miñones, Díaz Villaamil, Ignacio Seoane,
or former deputies like Heraclio Botana), soldiers who remained loyal to
the Republic, such as generals Rogelio Caridad Pita, Enrique Salcedo
Molinuevo, and Rear Admiral Antonio Azarola, or the founders of the
Galeguista Party, the Catholic and conservative, Alexandre Bóveda
Iglesias and Víctor Casas. In parallel, for many people linked to the
Republic, the stage of exile began.
Some resistant left movements
created small guerrilla groups with leaders such as El Piloto (José
Castro Veiga) or Foucellas (Benigno Andrade), who ended up being
arrested and executed.
Franco's dictatorial regime banned
parties, ended freedom of the press and persecuted and "purified"
republican initiatives to modernize institutions and infrastructure and
to dignify the Galician language and culture, reducing the latter to
simple folkloric manifestations. The autarky of the regime after the
Civil War, together with the poor harvests of those years, caused great
famines in the 1950s. The lack of its own industry meant that the only
way out for the Galician population was, as in previous crises,
emigration, either to industrial areas of the country, such as the
Basque Country and Catalonia, or to South America, highlighting Brazil
and Argentina as recipient countries and, starting in the 1960s, to
Western Europe, especially the former Federal Republic of Germany,
Switzerland and Holland.
In the 1960s, ministers such as Manuel
Fraga Iribarne introduced certain opening reforms while the technocrats
of Opus Dei modernized the administration and opened the Spanish economy
to capitalism (Spanish economic miracle (1959-1973)). Galicia provided
raw materials and hydroelectric energy, playing an important role in the
industrialization policies of the State that led to the so-called
"Spanish economic miracle." Invigorating initiatives appeared, such as
the installation of Citroën in Vigo, the modernization of the canning
industry and the high-altitude fishing fleet, and an effort by the
peasantry to modernize their small farms, focusing especially on the
production of beef milk. In the province of Orense, the businessman and
politician Eulogio Gómez Franqueira energized the agricultural sector
with a cooperative experience that catapulted agri-food production and
marketing (Coren).
The seventies entered a phase of university,
agrarian and worker agitation. In 1972, there were general strikes in
Vigo and Ferrol, industrial centers with abundant union activity. In
Ferrol, in a demonstration, the police killed two workers from the Bazán
shipyard. About these events the bishop of Mondoñedo-Ferrol, Miguel
Ángel Araújo Iglesias, wrote a pastoral that was not well received by
the Franco regime.
The death of General Franco in 1975 gave way to a process of
transition to democracy, in which Galicia recovered its status as an
autonomous region within Spain with the autonomy statute of 1981. The
new political status represents a compromise between the centralist
State previous and a greater degree of independence claimed by
nationalist forces such as the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG). The new
autonomous government, the Junta de Galicia, has since been led by both
the Popular Party of Galicia (with Manuel Fraga as the most notable
figure, president between 1990 and 2005), and by the PSdeG-PSOE in
coalition with the nationalists of the BNG. In 2009 the Popular Party
returned to government, in the figure of Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
Political chronology since 1975:
1975: constitution of the Democratic
Junta of Galicia.
1976: constitution of the Democratic Table of
Galicia.
1977: constitution of the Assembly of Parliamentarians of
Galicia.
1978: Pre-autonomous meeting chaired by Antonio Rosón Pérez.
1979: Pre-autonomous meeting chaired by José Quiroga Suárez.
1980:
referendum on the autonomy statute. Approved with reference to the
historical Nationality.
1981: first regional elections.
1982:
president of the Government of Galicia: Gerardo Fernández Albor.
1987: president of the Government of Galicia: Fernando González Laxe.
1990: president of the Government of Galicia: Manuel Fraga Iribarne.
2005: president of the Government of Galicia: Emilio Pérez Touriño.
2009: president of the Government of Galicia: Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
2012: president of the Government of Galicia: Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
2016: president of the Government of Galicia: Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
2020: president of the Government of Galicia: Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
The Statute of Autonomy of Galicia establishes that the powers of the
community are exercised through Parliament, the Board and the
Presidency:
The Parliament of Galicia is the highest representative
of Galicia, and upon which legislative power rests. It is made up of 75
deputies elected by universal suffrage through proportional
representation for a period of four years. The possibility of voting for
Galicians residing abroad is guaranteed by law.
The Junta de Galicia
is the collegiate body upon which the executive and administrative power
of the government rests. It is made up of the president, the vice
president and ten advisors (conselleiros). The community exercises its
administrative functions through the Board and its dependent entities
and bodies. The Board also coordinates the activities of the Provincial
Councils.
The president of the Board directs and coordinates the
actions of the Board and represents the autonomous and ordinary
communities of Spain in Galicia. He is a member of Parliament and is
elected by the deputies and appointed by the king of Spain.
Likewise, Galicia also has numerous regions. Each region includes
several municipalities that in turn comprise various parishes. At the
local level, current Galicia is structured into fifty-three regions,
subdivided into three hundred and thirteen municipalities (councils in
Galician), which are subdivided into three thousand seven hundred and
seventy-eight parishes. The parish is the traditional territorial
division of the municipalities and each parish comprises one or several
population entities, called places. During 2016, the metropolitan area
of Vigo was legally formed, the only one of its kind in Galicia.
In Galicia there are forty-five judicial districts, of which fourteen
belong to the province of La Coruña, nine to Lugo, nine to Orense and
thirteen to the province of Pontevedra.
According to the 2021 municipal register published by the National Institute of Statistics, Galicia has 2,695,645 registered inhabitants, after losing 6,174 inhabitants compared to the previous year. It is estimated that nearly three million Galicians have emigrated, mostly to the other Spanish autonomous communities, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. There are also important colonies of Galicians in Uruguay, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and in several European countries (Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland and the United Kingdom were important destinations for Galician emigration in the 60s and 70s).
Galicia is the fifth autonomous community in Spain in number of
inhabitants and its population density, of 92.35 inhabitants/km², is
slightly lower than the Spanish average.
The traditional
organization of the population is substantially different from that of
the rest of Spain, with the exception of Asturias. Thus, the territory
of each municipality was divided into parishes, which in turn included
several localities. Galicia is characterized by its high rate of
demographic dispersion, which, together with a high number of
populations, means that 50% of the population entities of Spain are
located in Galicia, occupying only 5.8% of the total surface. . Thus, it
is estimated that in Galicia there are one million toponyms and
microtoponyms.
The population of Galicia is mainly concentrated
in the coastal areas, with the areas of the Rías Bajas and the Ártabro
Gulf (metropolitan areas of La Coruña and Ferrol) being the areas with
the highest population density. According to 2018 data from the INE,
Vigo is the municipality with the largest number of inhabitants in the
entire autonomous community, and La Coruña is the most densely
populated.
The demographic history of Galicia has been one of continuous loss of
weight compared to the rest of Spain, the result of emigration to Latin
America or other parts of Spain. Thus, in 1857 the population density in
Galicia was the highest of all regions of Spain, and Galicia represented
11.49% of the Spanish population. However, in 2018, only 5.78% of
Spaniards resided in this autonomous community.
The proportion of
foreigners in its census is 2.9%, the lowest percentage in Spain after
Extremadura. The national average of registered foreigners is 10.0%,
three and a half times more than in Galicia. The predominant foreign
colonies are the Portuguese (with 17.93% of the total foreigners), the
Colombian (10.93% ) and Brazilian (8.74%).49 The immigration that has
grown the most in recent years is that from the American continent,
especially the arrival of countries to which many thousands of Galicians
left in the past (case of Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Uruguay) and
from those who now come descendants of those former emigrants who no
longer retain their nationality. To them we must add those from
Colombia, who are more numerous, despite the fact that the departures of
Galicians to that country in the past were quite modest, and who share
the characteristics of the current arrival to Spain with a strong female
component (the Colombians have already surpassed the Portuguese in
absolute numbers) to work in many cases in domestic service. The
presence of Africans is moderate, a group with a markedly masculine
character, who work in construction and in some activities in the
tertiary sector, and the numbers from other continents are very weak.
According to the 2006 census, the fertility level of Galician women
was 1.03 children per woman compared to the national 1.38 and lower than
the figure of 2.1 children per woman necessary for generational
replacement of the population to occur. . Among the Galician women,
those from Lugo and those from Orense are the ones that have the fewest
children, with 0.88 and 0.93, being the former the ones that have the
fewest children in Spain.
In 2006, a total of 21,392 births were
registered in Galicia, which is almost 300 more than in 2005, according
to the Galician Institute of Statistics.
In fact, Galicia is
currently experiencing a recovery in the absolute number of births that
began in 1999 and has been sustained in recent years. Since 1981, the
life expectancy of Galicians has grown by 5 years, thanks to the
improvement in the quality of life.
Birth rate (2013): 7.2 per 1000
(Spain as a whole: 9.1 per 1000)
Crude mortality rate (2013): 11.1
per 1000 (Spain as a whole: 8.3 per 1000)
Life expectancy at birth
(2013): 82.6 years (Spain as a whole: 80.2 years)
Men: 79.5 years
(Spain as a whole: 80.0 years)
Women: 85.6 years (Spain as a whole:
85.6 years)
The territory of Galicia has a total area of 29,574 km². It is
located between 43º 47' N (Estaca de Bares) and 41 ° 49' N (border with
Portugal in the Xurés Park) in latitude. In length, between 6º 42' W
(limit between Orense and Zamora, specifically in the Trevinca Winter
Station) and 9º 18' W (obtained in practically two places: Cabo de la
Nave in Finisterre and Cabo Touriñán).
The geographical center of
Galicia is located in a forest in the village of A Vila, parish of
Borrajeiros, in the municipality of Golada (Pontevedra). It is obtained
as the average of the maximum and minimum values of latitude and
longitude:
North 43.7924041112 Estaca de Bares (La Coruña)
South
41.8072541522 Feces de Abaixo (Orense)
East -6.734324529 Trevinca
Winter Station (Orense)
West -9.29885967 Cabo de la Nave (La Coruña)
In Galician geography, the contrast between the coastal relief and
that of the interior, which is higher than the former, stands out. The
morphology also contrasts between the northern elevated plains and the
southern mountain ranges and depressions.
The orographic aspect
that Galicia presents in its interior is low and blunt mountains, with a
multitude of rivers, structured as tributaries of the Miño River in the
interior, and in the Atlantic and Cantabrian basins, shorter rivers
(particularly those that go to the sea Cantabrian). Gentle slopes
sometimes give way to rugged slopes, as occurs in the Sil canyons. In
other areas, wide valleys appear, although they are a minority.
The Galician coast has 1,500 kilometers and is characterized by the
presence of estuaries. The estuaries are traditionally divided into Rías
Altas (Ribadeo, Foz, Vivero, Barquero, Ortigueira, Cedeira, Ferrol,
Betanzos, La Coruña, Corme and Lage and Camariñas) and larger Rías
Bajas, located south of Finisterre as the most western Galicia
(Corcubión, Muros y Noya, Arosa, Pontevedra and Vigo). Among the Rías
Altas, a division is continually made between the so-called Rías Altas
(east of Estaca de Bares) and the Rías Medias.
The estuaries
stand out for their important contribution to fishing in Galicia,
contributing to the Galician coast being one of the most important
fishing areas in the world. The erosion of the Atlantic Ocean on the
Galician coast also contributed to the presence of a multitude of capes,
among which Estaca de Bares stands out (the northernmost point of
Galicia and the separation between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian
Sea), Cape Ortegal, Cape Prior , Punta Santo Adrao, Cape Vilán, Cape
Touriñán (westernmost point of Galicia), Cape Finisterre, considered by
the Romans as the end of the known world, and Cape Silleiro which closes
the Vigo estuary to the south.
Along the Galician coast there are
a large number of archipelagos closing the estuaries that stand out both
for their seabed and for their colonies of seabirds. It is estimated
that on the coast of Galicia there are 316 archipelagos, islets and
rocks, according to an inventory carried out in 2007. The main groups of
islands are the archipelagos of Cíes, Ons, Sálvora as well as the
islands of Cortegada (along with the Three previous archipelagos form
the national park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia), Arosa, Sisargas
and Malveiras.
The Galician orographic aspect in its interior is
low and blunt mountains. Gentle slopes sometimes give way to rugged
slopes, as happens in the canyons of the Sil River. In other areas, wide
valleys appear, although they are a minority.
Galicia is crossed
from north to southeast by two tectonic faults, dividing the
characteristics of the Galician soil through these places. One of these
faults forms the rectilinear step that is found on the southwestern
Galician coast between Cape Silleiro and the mouth of the Miño, where
triangular facets can be seen that clearly mark the coastal separation
between the continent and the sea. On the other hand, the thermal
springs present in various parts of Galicia (for example, in Ourense)
mark the layout of the faults that cross the Galician territory. Thus,
granite quarries are found in the Porriño area, a very abundant rock in
much of Galicia, but absent in the extreme northeast, which is
noticeable in the dominant architecture: the defensive constructions
(forts, walls), bridges and Both civil and religious works traditionally
used granite blocks in most of Galicia, while in the northeast other
construction materials have been used, as can be seen in the Roman wall
of Lugo, built with slate slabs. The main mountain ranges of Galicia are
the mountains of Gistral (north of Lugo), Ancares (border with León and
Asturias), Caurel (border with León), Eje (border between Orense and
Zamora; at 2124 meters is Peña Trevinca , the roof of Galicia),
Manzaneda (heart of the province of Ourense), Faro (border between Lugo
and Pontevedra), Cova de la Serpiente (border Lugo and La Coruña),
Montemayor (province of La Coruña), Montes del Testeiro (between
Pontevedra and Ourense), A Peneda, and those of Baja Limia-Sierra de O
Xurés and Larouco (border between Ourense and Portugal).
The main
peaks of Galicia are Peña Trevinca (2127 m), Peña Negra (2121 m), Peña
Surbia (2095 m) (the first three are in the Sierra del Eje, Macizo de
Peña Trevinca), Alto del Torno (1944 m) (Sierra Segundeira, Peña
Trevinca Massif), Mustallar (1935 m) (Sierra de Ancares), Maluro (1925
m) (Peña Trevinca Massif), Penalonga (1896 m), Lagos (1867 m), Cuerno
Maldito (1858 m ), Peña Rubia (1822 m), Tres Obispos (1798 m) (these
five located in the Sierra de Ancares) and Cabeza de Manzaneda (1778 m).
Galicia maintains a good number of river courses. In general, and due
to their smallness, except for the Miño at its mouth or in the many
reservoirs, the rivers are not navigable (with the exception of small
boats in the final stretch without slope of some, which encourages the
celebration of semi-aquatic festivals such as the called "shepherds").
Linked to its hydrography, the Tierras del Miño Biosphere Reserve
stands out, which extends through the upper basin of the Miño River, in
the province of Lugo and includes the territories belonging to the
municipalities of Orol, Valle de Oro, Muras, Alfoz, Mondoñedo, Abadín,
Germade, Villalba, Pastoriza, Riotorto, Guitiriz, Cospeito, Meira,
Begonte, Rábade, Castro de Rey, Otero de Rey, Pol, Lugo, Friol,
Castroverde, Guntín, Corgo, Baralla, Páramo and Láncara.
They are
very short rivers on the Cantabrian slope and somewhat longer on the
Atlantic side, with the exceptions again of the Miño and Sil, which have
a length of several hundred kilometers.
In Galicia there are many
reservoirs for the production of electrical energy, due to the flow,
slope and narrowness, which also produces the phenomenon of canyons,
such as the famous Sil canyons (many of them used for reservoirs).
In general, Galicia has a mild climate similar to other areas of the
Atlantic framework such as French Brittany or south-central Ireland, all
of which have oceanic influence. Even so, the irregular orography
results in the existence of multiple microclimates, with strong
variations in areas with just over 200 km².
Broadly speaking, the
following areas can be distinguished:
The Rías Altas and the interior
of the province of La Coruña, with a humid oceanic climate. It registers
the highest rainfall rate in Galicia.
La Mariña, Lugo, with a mild
oceanic climate with low temperatures all year round.
The interior,
with an almost continental oceanic climate.
The Rías Bajas, with a
mild oceanic climate.
The border course of the Miño River, with a
climate very close to the mild Mediterranean.
The Ribeira Sacra, with
a very warm continental climate fostered by the Miño River valley and
the various mountains that surround the city of Ourense. In summer there
are often records with temperatures among the maximum of the entire
Iberian Peninsula, which can exceed 40 °C.
The Galician territory
has a weighted average annual temperature of 13.3 °C. During winter the
average temperature reaches 8.5 °C, in spring it reaches 15 °C, in
summer it reaches 19 °C. C and during the autumn at 11 °C. It is,
therefore, in the first third of the year (months from January to March)
when the lowest temperature values occur for most of Galicia. It is in
the Atlantic zone of Galicia – provinces of La Coruña and Pontevedra –
where the highest average annual temperatures are recorded, slightly
exceeding 14 °C and being 1 to 2 °C higher than those of Lugo and
Orense, respectively. The normalized average values range from minimums
below 6 °C in the mountains of the eastern and southeastern mountain
ranges (Ancares and Sierra del Eje), to maximums above 15 °C in
low-altitude coastal areas, especially in the Rías Bajas. The spatial
distribution of temperatures presents a coastal-inland variation,
related to the presence of the Atlantic Ocean – which has a thermal
regulating effect in coastal areas and even in more inland areas.
Together, they mark a northwest-southeast diagonal effect of temperature
decrease, that is, a line could be drawn from Tuy to Ribadeo that would
differ from the main climatic zones in Galicia, one with milder
temperatures (the coast) and another with more continental temperatures
(the interior).
Galicia has a large percentage of forest (68.96%) and forest, being
one of the communities with the largest forest mass. In 2008, it was
estimated that more than 600 million trees covered the Galician surface,
valued at 28 billion euros. However, it was also estimated that most of
the forests remained abandoned, being full of undergrowth. In the
Galician forests, important forest species develop in a natural state,
it is seen in recent decades that the forest characteristics are
changing due to the importation of eucalyptus, leaving a reduced number
of fragas, particularly in the center-north of the province of Lugo and
the north of the province of La Coruña (Fragas del Eume).
Within the
use of the land, various crops were introduced, but regarding the amount
of land dedicated, they compete with pastures due to the pressure of the
economic use of livestock.
Galicia is a strong power of forest
wealth for Spain. Despite the forest fires that burn many hectares every
year, the wood produced in Galicia is an important source of income, as
well as cellulose pulp from softwoods. The region is a transition zone
between three climates and their biotopes:
Atlantic, with forests
of oaks, birches, common alders, etc.;
Mediterranean, mainly in the
interior valleys of the large rivers, with significant elements such as
steppes, cork oaks, arbutus, etc.;
quite softened continental, with
specific elements such as yews, hollies, some firs (alochthonous), red
pines, etc.;
Due to the mild climate and high levels of rain and
humidity, subtropical and even tropical species also easily grow: palm
trees, orchids, etc. In Galicia there were three botanical or forestry
revolutions, which occurred in three different times and with very
different results:
arrival of the European chestnut (Castanea sativa)
with the Romans, quickly acclimatized and now considered native;
arrival of the repopulation of Rodeno Pine (Pinus pinaster), eventually
even called Galician pine or Galician pine, since the discovery of
America, especially for the construction of ships;
arrival of
repopulation of eucalyptus (especially Eucalyptus globulus), since the
Franco era, still considered a non-native species, mainly to supply raw
materials to ENCE, the Pontevedra paper mill.
There are 262 inventoried vertebrate species in Galicia, of which 12
are freshwater fish, 15 amphibians, 24 reptiles, 152 birds and 59
mammals.
The animals that are topically seen as most
characteristic of Galicia are domestic, and correspond to livestock
farms. However, the Galician forests and mountains are home to a variety
of small mammals (hares, rabbits) and other larger ones (such as wild
boars or roe deer) that are used during hunting seasons.
Among
birds, it is worth mentioning the various passage or wintering sites,
SPA zones, etc., such as the Ortigueira estuary, a Galician wetland
included in the Ramsar agreement, or the Ribadeo estuary.
It is
worth mentioning the native horse breed of Galicia (purebred Galician
horse), and the native Mos chicken, which is in danger of extinction,
although the number of specimens has increased in recent years.
Traditionally, most of Galicia's economy has depended on agriculture
and fishing, although there are currently more workers in the tertiary
sector: 582,000 people out of a total of 1,072,000 (2002).
Within
the secondary sector, it is worth highlighting shipbuilding in Vigo66
and Ferrol, the automobile industry in Vigo and the textile industry in
La Coruña, as well as the industry related to the handling of granite in
Porriño. In the automotive industry, it is worth highlighting the PSA
Peugeot Citroën Vigo Center, which has been operating since 1958. In
2006 it manufactured 455,430 vehicles, 7% more compared to 2005, and in
2007 it manufactured the 9,000,000th vehicle since which began operating
in 1958, a Citroën C4 Picasso. The Vigo area also stands out in the
agri-food sector (especially in the industry related to the sea:
canning, frozen fish and pre-cooked products), highlighting
multinationals such as Pescanova, in the textile sector. (with companies
such as Selmark, El Secreto del Mar or Umbro España), in the financial
area, chemical-pharmaceutical sector (with Zeltia at the helm),
shipyards (MetalShips & Docks, C.N.P. Freire, Vulcano, Rodman Polyships,
Armón or Hijos by J. Barreras) and other productive sectors.
In
Arteijo, a municipality in the metropolitan area of La Coruña, has its
headquarters Inditex, a company that encompasses eight brands, among
which Zara stands out - which is also the most internationally known
Spanish brand. In 2007, the textile company It had a turnover of 9,435
million euros and obtained a net profit of 1,250 million euros.
Galicia also has a financial entity: Abanca.
Tourism in Galicia,
which developed later than in other areas of the peninsula, today
represents an important source of income, with the peculiarity that it
is concentrated on the coast (mainly in the Rías Bajas), in Vigo, in La
Coruña and in Santiago de Compostela. During 2007, Galicia received 5.7
million tourists, 8% more than in 2006, it is 11% more than in 2005 and
2004. 85% of the tourists who visit Galicia visit Santiago de
Compostela, which is one of the main Galician tourist attractions.
Tourism accounts for 12 percent of the Galician gross domestic product
(GDP) and employs 12 or 13 percent of the workers.
Net generation in 2005 reached 25,097 GWh, of which 17,216 were
obtained from ordinary regime generation activities while 8,644 came
from special regime generation activities. This amount represented 9.33%
of the Spanish total. In that same year, demand in the Galician
community amounted to 18,622 GWh.
The main sources of generation
are processed solid fuels transformed mainly in the Meirama and Puentes
thermal power plants. The latter is the largest thermal power plant in
Spain with a power of 1,468 MW distributed in four groups.
The
growth of the installed capacity under the special regime in 2005
compared to the previous year was 10.2%. Within this group, renewable
energies are in a stage of great growth, highlighting wind energy, which
in 2005 accounted for 83.1% of the total installed power of renewable
energies, and which in 2009 placed the community in third place
nationally with 3,137 MW of installed power. In the coming years, an
expansion of solar thermoelectric energy as well as wave energy is
expected.
Universities
In Galicia there are three public universities and
one private. Among the public universities, the oldest of all is the
University of Santiago de Compostela, founded in 1495 and which
currently has campuses in Santiago and Lugo. In 1989, the University of
La Coruña was founded, which has campuses in La Coruña and Ferrol, and
in 1990 the University of Vigo was founded, with campuses in Vigo,
Pontevedra and Orense. The only private university in Galicia is the
Intercontinental Business University, founded in 2021 in Santiago de
Compostela.
With regard to mass sports, football stands out, with its two main
teams being Celta de Vigo and Deportivo de La Coruña, which currently
play in the First Division and First Federation respectively and which
maintain a historic rivalry, with the clashes being known. Treat them
like a Galician derby. Deportivo de La Coruña has been champion of the
League on one occasion, of the Cup on two occasions and of the Spanish
Super Cup on three occasions, also reaching the semi-finals of the
Champions League; For its part, Celta de Vigo is the Galician club with
the most seasons in the top category, in addition to reaching the
semifinals of the UEFA Europa League and winning the Intertoto Cup. Club
Deportivo Lugo also stands out, currently in the Second Division. Other
famous teams are the historic Pontevedra CF and SD Compostela, which
played in the First Division, Racing de Ferrol, with several
participations in the silver division, or the missing CD Ourense. In
women's football, Deportivo de La Coruña stands out, which plays in the
second category and is heir to Karbo Deportivo, three-time champion of
the Queen's Cup. At an individual level, Spain's only Ballon d'Or, Luis
Suárez, came from Galicia. Galicia also hosted several matches of the
1982 World Cup, in the Riazor and Balaídos stadiums.
In men's
basketball, teams such as CAB Obradoiro and CB Breogán stand out, both
currently in the ACB League, Básquet Coruña and Club Ourense Baloncesto,
currently in LEB Oro, and the defunct OAR Ferrol, which was the founder
of the ACB. In women's basketball, Ensino Lugo stands out, currently in
the top category, as well as Celta Zorka, which was league and cup
champion, and Universitario de Ferrol, currently in the Women's
Challenge League.
The handball teams CB Cangas, Club BM Cisne, SD
Teucro and SD Octavio also stand out. In roller hockey, H.C. Liceo, the
most successful team in Galicia, and the missing CP Cerceda. In men's
futsal, Noia Futsal stands out in the First Division, Burela FS, O
Parrulo Futsal in the Second Division, and the missing Prone Lugo and
Santiago Futsal, while in women's futsal, Burela FS, Club Sal Lence, CD
stand out. Ourense and Ourense CF, all league champions.
In
athletics, it is worth highlighting the Spanish national record holder,
Ana Peleteiro. There are also several Galician teams, among which the
Galician football team, the basketball team and the rugby team stand
out.
Galicia is also known for its tradition of water sports,
both in the sea and in rivers, such as rowing, sports sailing, canoeing
or surfing, sports in which it is a regular winner of metals in the
Olympic Games, currently the highest. Examples are David Cal, Carlos
Pérez Rial or Fernando Echávarri. In the aquatic field, the Galician
sport par excellence is the trawlers, with Galicia having
representatives in the San Miguel Trawler League. In recent years
Galicia has also become a power in triathlon thanks to Francisco Javier
Gómez Noya, Olympic medalist in 2012, and Iván Raña, the two world
champions, and Noya being one of the best athletes in history in the
specialty.
In 2006, the Mos cyclist Óscar Pereiro won the Tour de
France after the disqualification of the American Floyd Landis, who had
taken first place from him on the penultimate day. There are also
Galician athletes who stand out in sports such as mountaineering, where
Chus Lago from Vigo stands out, the third woman to reach the summit of
Everest without the help of oxygen, and who also has the title Snow
Leopard.
In Galicia all motorsport disciplines are governed by the Galician
Automobile Federation. This is responsible for organizing the Galicia
Rally Championship, Galicia Mountain Championship, Galicia Autocross
Championship, Galicia Karting Championship and Galicia Slalom
Championship.
In rallying, the community has events distributed
in the four provinces that count for both the Galician championship and
the Spanish Rally Championship. Among others, the following stand out:
Ourense Rally, Ferrol Rally, Rías Baixas Rally, Cocido Rally, La Coruña
Rally, Ciudad de Narón Rally, Botafumeiro Rally, etc. The most notable
drivers are: Sergio Vallejo, Germán Castrillón, Manuel Senra, Estanislao
Reverter, Iván Ares, Pedro Burgo and among the co-drivers are Luis Moya,
world champion in 1990 and 1992 with Carlos Sainz from Madrid, Diego
Vallejo and Cándido Carrera.
In Salvador, Brazil, there is a soccer team founded by Galician
immigrants, the Galícia Esporte Clube. It was founded on January 1, 1933
and currently plays in the First Division of the Bahian soccer league.
Its president (2013-2015) is Darío Rego.
In Venezuela there was
the Galicia de Aragua football club, founded in 1960 as Deportivo
Galicia, in Caracas. In 2002 he moved to Maracay, state of Aragua, when
its name was changed to Galicia de Aragua. In that same year it
descended to the second division, being later replaced by Aragua Fútbol
Club.
Televisión de Galicia (TVG) is the regional public television
channel, which has been broadcasting since July 24, 1985 and is part of
the Radio-Television Company of Galicia (CRTVG). Televisión de Galicia
broadcasts throughout the Galician territory and also has two
international channels, Galicia Televisión Europa and Galicia Televisión
América, which broadcast throughout the European Union and in America
thanks to the Hispasat satellite. CRTVG also broadcasts the tvG2
channel. They are currently the only two television channels with
programming in Galician available at the regional level.
In
addition, Corporación Voz, located in the city of La Coruña, (owner of
La Voz de Galicia and Radio Voz) broadcast the Vtelevisión channel since
May 31, 2010, a television network with general themes, but which over
time It evolved into a very reduced programming, of just 2-3 hours at
night, disappearing on January 1, 2018.
Among the local
television networks was the Localia network, which had channels in the
seven Galician cities. There are also local television stations such as
Televigo, Telemiño or Telelugo.
Radio Galega (RG) is the public radio station of Galicia and is part
of the CRTVG, as is Televisión de Galicia. Radio Galega began
broadcasting in a test phase on February 24, 1985, beginning its regular
programming on March 29 of the same year. It has two channels that
broadcast conventionally, being Radio Galega, which broadcasts general
programming, and Radio Galega Música, which broadcasts music. These two
channels also broadcast on TDT in addition to Son Galicia Radio,
dedicated to Galician music.
Galicia has several free and
community radio stations. Cuac FM (La Coruña) is the headquarters of the
Community Media Network (which brings together non-profit media aimed at
serving their community), and Radio Filispim (Ferrol) and Radio Roncudo
(Ferrol) are also members of said network. Corme). The three are part of
the Galician Network of Free and Community Radios (ReGaRLiC), along with
A Kalimera (Santiago de Compostela), Radio Piratona (Vigo) and Radio
Clavi (Lugo).
The Galician newspaper with the greatest circulation is La Voz de Galicia, based in La Coruña and which has twelve local editions and another for all of Spain. The rest of the newspapers with the largest circulation are El Correo Gallego, Faro de Vigo, El Progreso de Lugo, and the Orense-based La Región. Among other newspapers of lesser circulation, the Atlántico Diario, from the metropolitan area of Vigo, the newspaper De luns a venres (the first free newspaper in Galician), the sports newspaper DxT Campeón, the newspaper El Ideal Gallego from La Coruña, the Diario de Pontevedra stand out. , the Heraldo de Vivero and the Diario de Ferrol. Regarding the digital written press, the newspapers Praza Pública, Galicia Confidencial and Galicia Hoxe stand out (the first newspaper published only in Galician, whose printed edition closed in 2011).