General Information

The landscape of Asturias
The Principality of Asturias lies in the northeast of Spain. The coast bathes in the Cantabrian sea and the region is home to the highest parts of the Cantabrian mountain range.

is bordered by the Cantabrian sea in the north, Galicia in the west, Cantabria in the east, and Castile and Leon in the south. The mountainous terrain of Asturias can be clearly divided into two parts. On the one hand there is the coast, with its sheer cliff faces that protect the beautiful beaches. On the other hand there is the Cantabrian mountain range that forms a natural border between Asturias and Castile and Leon. The highest peaks can be found in the Picos de Europa, and reach up to 2,648 metres. Some of the summits are well known and include Torre Cerredo, Peña Santa and Naranjo de Bulnes. Other notable peaks are Peña Rubia and Peña Ubiña (2,617 m). The rivers are short, but contain copious amounts of water, due to the heavy rainfall, and the waters that come from the melting of snow in the peaks. The most notable rivers are the Deva, the Sella, the Nalon, the Navia and the Eo (the last two are only partially in Asturias).

Transportation

Transport networks
Transport networks in the region have had to cope with the wild mountainous terrain that abounds in the Principality.

In spite of the complex mountainous terrain (high mountain peaks and huge swings in altitude), the transport links are excellent and continually improving. Asturias airport lies 40 kilometres from Oviedo, in the town of Santiago del Monte. There are regular flights to Madrid, Barcelona, Tenerife and Palma de Majorca as well as other major Spanish cities. There are also international flights from the airport. Maritime transport is centred on the autonomous ports of Lastres, Llanes, Navia and Bustio, among others, and on the state-run ports of Avilés and Gijón (El Musel). This last port has had a major boost with recent improvements and extensions. The Principality of Asturias, also has excellent rail and road networks that link the whole of the region with the rest of Spain. The most notable roads are the AP-8 Cantabrian motorway which links Oviedo with Gijón-Avilés-La Matuca, while the AP-66 Plata motorway, 75km long, joins La Vega and El Negrón (Onzonilla)

Administration

General Assembly of the Principality
This is a one province autonomous region. The capital is Oviedo.

The highest institutional body of the Autonomous Region which governs the life of the citizens of the Principality of Asturias is the Regional Assembly of the Principality (regional Parliament). The Assembly is made up of 45 elected members. The Autonomy Statute of the Principality of Asturias was approved in 1981.

Population

Higher population density on the coast
The population of this autonomous region according to figures from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) as of the 1st of January 2004, is 1,073,761 inhabitants.

The population density increases along the coast and is concentrated around the Aviles-Gijon-Oviedo axis, and decreases further inland. The most populated cities are Oviedo, Gijon and Aviles. The population is widely dispersed, especially inland, where there are many small towns and villages scattered over the Principality.

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