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Province of Teruel

Coordinates:40°40′N0°40′W/ 40.667°N 0.667°W/40.667; -0.667
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Teruel Province
Province
The Sierra Carrascosa with the Guerrero Romano rock formation near Bordón
TheSierra Carrascosawith theGuerrero Romanorock formation nearBordón
Flag of Teruel Province
Flag
Coat of arms of Teruel Province
Coat of arms
Map of Spain with Teruel Province highlighted
Map of Spain with Teruel Province highlighted
Coordinates:40°40′N0°40′W/ 40.667°N 0.667°W/40.667; -0.667
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityAragon
CapitalTeruel
Area
• Total14,809 km2(5,718 sq mi)
• RankRanked 10th
2.93% of Spain
Population
(2018)
• Total134,572
• RankRanked 49th
• Density9.1/km2(24/sq mi)
DemonymTurolense

Teruel(Catalan:Terol[təˈɾɔl]) is a province ofAragon,in the northeast of Spain. The capital isTeruel.

It is bordered by the provinces ofTarragona,Castellón,Valencia(including itsexclaveRincón de Ademuz),Cuenca,Guadalajara,andZaragoza.The area of the province is14,809 km².Its population is 134,572 (2018), of whom about a quarter live in the capital, and its population density is 9.36/km². It contains 236 municipalities, of which more than half are villages of under 200 people. Teruel is the second-least populated province ofSpain,and also the second-lowest in population density, in both counts after theprovince of Soria.

The main language throughout the province is Spanish (with official status), althoughCatalanis spoken in a northeastern area borderingCatalonia.

Geography

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This province is located in themountainousSistema Ibéricoarea. The main ranges in the province of Teruel areSierra de la Virgen,Sierra de Santa Cruz,Sierra de Cucalón,Sierra de San Just,Sierra Carrascosa,Sierra Menera,Sierra Palomera,Sierra de Javalambre,Sierra de Gúdar,Sierra de Albarracínand theMontes Universales,among others.

Depopulation and neglect

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Most of the Teruel Province has undergone massive depopulation since the middle of the 20th century. This situation is shared with other areas in Spain, particularly with those near theIberian mountain range(much of the provinces ofSoria,GuadalajaraandCuenca) and with other areas inAragón.

The exodus from the rural mountain areas in Teruel rose afterGeneral Franco'sPlan de Estabilizaciónin 1959. The population declined steeply as people migrated towards the industrial areas and the large cities in Spain, leaving behind their small villages where living conditions were often harsh, with cold winters and very basic facilities.

As a consequence there are manyghost townsin different parts of the province.[1]

A great number of surviving towns in Teruel province have only a residual population, reviving somewhat during the summer when a few city-dwellers spend their holidays there. Other causes of the strong emigration have been the low productivity of traditional agricultural practices, like sheep and goat farming, the closing of mines, like the largeSierra Meneramine nearOjos Negros,[2]as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.[3]

The "Teruel Exists"(Spanish:Teruel existe) movement began at the turn of the 21st century. It is a platform of provincial authorities, institutions and sympathizers seeking to reverse the long-standing neglect of this province.[4]

Population development

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The historical population is given in the following chart:

Comarcas

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The following Comarcas of Aragon are located in Teruel Province:

Notable people

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See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^Pueblos deshabitados – Collado de la Grulla (Teruel)
  2. ^La Compañía Minera de Sierra Menera. Breve historiaArchived23 March 2012 at theWayback Machine
  3. ^Despoblación en AragonArchived23 August 2012 at theWayback Machine
  4. ^Teruel existe
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