Galicia

Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain: cathedral

Galicia, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historic region of Spain, encompassing the northwestern provincias (provinces) of Lugo, A Coruña, Pontevedra, and Ourense. It is roughly coextensive with the former kingdom of Galicia. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, by the autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile-León to the east, and by Portugal to the south. A 1936 plebiscite on a Galician statute of autonomy registered overwhelming support but was nullified by the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. The autonomous community of Galicia finally was established by a second statute of autonomy on April 6, 1981. Galicia has a parliament, headed by a president, and a unicameral assembly. The capital is Santiago de Compostela, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Area 11,419 square miles (29,574 square km). Pop. (2011) 2,772,927.