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Information about Galicia, Spain
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Galicia or Galiza is an autonomous community of Spain, composing the provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. It is located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. It borders Portugal to the south, the Spanish regions of Castile and León and Asturias to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west.
The name Galicia comes from the Latin name Gallaecia, associated with the name of the ancient Celtic tribe that resided above the Douro river, the Gallaeci or Callaeci in Latin, and Kallaikoi in Greek (these tribes were mentioned by Herodotus). The Callaeci received their name as they were identified to be worshippers of Celtic goddess Cailleach, among others.
Before the Roman invasion, a series of tribes lived in the region, and according to Strabo, Pliny, Herodotus and others, they had a similar culture and customs. These tribes had a Celtic culture.
This area was first entered by the Roman legions under Decimus Junius Brutus in 137–136 BC. (Livy lv., lvi., Epitome); but the province was only superficially Romanized by the time of Augustus.
In the 5th century AD invasions, Galicia fell to the Suevi in 411, who formed a kingdom. In 584, the Visigothic King Leovigild invaded the Suebic kingdom of Galicia and defeated it, bringing it under Visigoth control. During the Moorish invasion of Spain (711-718), the Moors garrisoned Galicia, until they were driven out in 739 by Alfonso I of Asturias.
During the 9th and 10th centuries, the counts of Galicia gave fluctuating obedience to their nominal sovereign, and Normans/Vikings occasionally raided the coasts. The Towers of Catoira[1] (Pontevedra) were built as a system of fortifications to stop the Viking raids on Santiago de Compostela.
Geographically, an important feature of Galicia is the presence of many fjord-like indentations on the coast, estuaries that were drowned with rising sea levels after the ice age. These are called rías and are divided into the Rías Altas, and the Rías Baixas. The rias are important for fishing, and make the coast an important fishing area. The spectacular landscapes and wildness of the coast attract great numbers of tourists.
The coast of this green corner of the Iberian Peninsula is also known as the "A Costa do Marisco" (i.e., "The Seafood Coast" in Galician).
Galicia has preserved few of its dense Atlantic forests where wildlife is commonly found. It is relatively unpolluted, and its landscape composed of green hills, cliffs and rias is very different to what is commonly understood as Spanish landscape.
Inland, the region is less-populated. The terrain is made up of several low mountain ranges crossed by many small rivers. Galicia has so many small rivers that it has been called the "land of the thousand rivers". The most important of the rivers are the Miño and the Sil, which has a spectacular canyon.
The name Galicia comes from the Latin name Gallaecia, associated with the name of the ancient Celtic tribe that resided above the Douro river, the Gallaeci or Callaeci in Latin, and Kallaikoi in Greek (these tribes were mentioned by Herodotus). The Callaeci received their name as they were identified to be worshippers of Celtic goddess Cailleach, among others.
Before the Roman invasion, a series of tribes lived in the region, and according to Strabo, Pliny, Herodotus and others, they had a similar culture and customs. These tribes had a Celtic culture.
This area was first entered by the Roman legions under Decimus Junius Brutus in 137–136 BC. (Livy lv., lvi., Epitome); but the province was only superficially Romanized by the time of Augustus.
In the 5th century AD invasions, Galicia fell to the Suevi in 411, who formed a kingdom. In 584, the Visigothic King Leovigild invaded the Suebic kingdom of Galicia and defeated it, bringing it under Visigoth control. During the Moorish invasion of Spain (711-718), the Moors garrisoned Galicia, until they were driven out in 739 by Alfonso I of Asturias.
During the 9th and 10th centuries, the counts of Galicia gave fluctuating obedience to their nominal sovereign, and Normans/Vikings occasionally raided the coasts. The Towers of Catoira[1] (Pontevedra) were built as a system of fortifications to stop the Viking raids on Santiago de Compostela.
Geographically, an important feature of Galicia is the presence of many fjord-like indentations on the coast, estuaries that were drowned with rising sea levels after the ice age. These are called rías and are divided into the Rías Altas, and the Rías Baixas. The rias are important for fishing, and make the coast an important fishing area. The spectacular landscapes and wildness of the coast attract great numbers of tourists.
The coast of this green corner of the Iberian Peninsula is also known as the "A Costa do Marisco" (i.e., "The Seafood Coast" in Galician).
Galicia has preserved few of its dense Atlantic forests where wildlife is commonly found. It is relatively unpolluted, and its landscape composed of green hills, cliffs and rias is very different to what is commonly understood as Spanish landscape.
Inland, the region is less-populated. The terrain is made up of several low mountain ranges crossed by many small rivers. Galicia has so many small rivers that it has been called the "land of the thousand rivers". The most important of the rivers are the Miño and the Sil, which has a spectacular canyon.
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