Autonomous Communities of Spain Test | Europe

Answer: Andalusia

Andalusia is the southernmost autonomous community in mainland Spain. The principal river is the Guadalquivir with its tributaries. The highest peak is the Pico del Lastonar in the province of Malaga.
Andalusia is divided in eight provinces, which all share their name with the provincial capitals. The coastal provinces are (from west to east) Huelva, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria, and landlocked provinces are (in the same direction) Seville, Cordoba and Jaen.
Many tourists are attracted to Andalusia by the sunny beaches of the Costa del Sol situated in the province of Malaga. Other beaches in Andalusia are the Costa de la Luz, the Costa Tropical and the Costa de Almeria.
Seville is the capital and the most populous city of the autonomous community Andalusia. Highlights include the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies.
Malaga has the principal airport in Andalusia, as it serves as the principal hub for tourists eager to visit the Costa del Sol. But there are also some cultural highlights, for instance the Castle of Gibralfaro and the Museo Picasso Malaga.
Cordoba may not seem the hotspot for tourists, but it has also some interesting sites. Let's name the Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba. This building was first a mosque and later converted into a Catholic church.  

Answer: Catalonia

Catalonia is a coastal autonomous community in the north-eastern corner of mainland Spain. The main river is the Ebro and the highest peak is the Pica d'Estats, near the French border. The Costa Brava in the province of Gerona and the Costa Daurada in the province of Tarragona attract many tourists.
Catalonia is divided into four provinces: the landlocked province Lleida and the coastal provinces (north to south) Gerona, Barcelona and Tarragona. Each of these provinces has a capital city with the same name, and the provincial capital city also is the most populous one in each province.
Barcelona is the main city of Catalonia and also the capital of the autonomous community. Highlights of the city are the Sagrada Familia church, the Fundacio Joan Miro museum and the soccer stadium Camp Nou.
For tourists in Gerona, the Cathedral is worth a visit. But to enter this former mosque, you have to climb 86 steps. It is thus not advisable for those who have difficulty walking. Another main sight is the Plaça de la Independencia.
Tarragona houses several remains of Roman buildings. The amphitheatre is quite ruinous, but the aqueduct Les Ferreres is better conserved.

Answer: Valencian Community

The Valencian Community (or Valencia for short) is an autonomous community on the east coast of mainland Spain, more or less in the centre of this coast. It is divided into three provinces, namely (north to south) Castellon, Valencia and Alicante. The main river is the Rio Jucar and the highest peak is the Cerro Calderon.
The main coastline in the Valencian Community is the Costa Blanca near Alicante. Valencia lies on the less known Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast).
The city of Valencia is the capital and the most populated city of the Valencian Community and of the province of Valencia. Valencia's main attraction is the yearly festival Fallas in March, leading up to the feast of San José (Saint Joseph) and celebrated with large pyres of discarded wood.
Alicante, the capital and most populous city of the eponymous province, is known for the Castle of Santa Barbara, high up in the mountain next to the city. For those who are not so fond of heights, I can advise the Explanada de Espana - a promenade for pedestrians only, tiled with colourful marble and shaded by two rows of palm trees.
Benidorm is also in the province of Alicante. It is a very popular destination for tourists from Northern Europe, especially in the winter when retired tourists seem to outnumber the local population. One of the most beautiful sites is the Balcon del Mediterraneo.
Torrevieja is a city in the very south of the Alicante province. The city name (translated to "Old Tower") refers to one of the interesting sites: the Torre del Moro, an old watchtower in a park overlooking the sea.

Answer: Galicia

Galicia is the most western autonomous community of Spain, exactly to the north of Portugal. The main river is the Minho and the highest peak is the Penha Trevinca. (I've mentioned these names in the Portuguese or Old Galician orthography - in Spanish and present Galician the nh should be replaced by an n topped with a tilde, but on some computer systems this would result in an unreadable character). Galicia is divided into four provinces: A Corunha, Lugo, Pontevedra and Ourense.
A Corunha (once again written in the Portuguese or Old Galician orthography) is situated on a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse built there by the Romans (named the Roman Tower of Hercules) is still in use and has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.
Capital of Galicia and the most populous city as well as the most touristic one, is Santiago de Compostela (also in the province A Corunha). The Cathedral that holds the shrine of the apostle Saint James is the final destination for thousands of pilgrims who follow the Camino de Santiago.
Vigo, situated in the province Pontevedra, is the main port of Galicia. There are only a few ancient buildings in Vigo, but the Castro fortress and the Museum of Contemporary Art are quite interesting.

Answer: Basque Country

The Basque country is in the North of Spain, just to the southwest of the Pyrenees. Highest peak is the Aizkorri and the longest river fully in the Basque country is the Oria. The Ebro is much longer but flows only for a short stretch through the Basque country. This autonomous community is divided into the provinces Biscay (north-east), Gipuzkua (north-west) and Alava (south).
The most populous Basque city is Bilbao, capital of the province of Biscay. A visit to the Guggenheim museum is almost a "must" when you visit Bilbao. Tourists are also interested in the Arriaga theatre and the Euskalduna Concert Hall.
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital of Alava and the de facto capital of the Basque Country. The city is called simply Vitoria in Spanish or simply Gasteiz in Basque, but internationally both names are combined. One of the touristic highlights of the city is the Cathedral of Santa Maria.
San Sebastian is the Spanish name of the city that is called Donostia in the local Basque language. It is the capital and most populous city of the province Gipuzkua. This city is home to a jazz festival and an international movie festival. One of the attractions is the Tamborrada, a 24 hour festival on January 20th with dozens of marching drum companies.

Answer: Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, located off the coast of Morocco. The main islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The main peak is the Pico del Teide. In theory there are no rivers, but after heavy rains some valleys may fill up with water.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the largest city and shares the role of regional capital with Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Santa Cruz offers the tourists (besides lovely beaches) a fine opera house: the Auditorio de Tenerife.
Puerto Rosario is one of the few municipalities on Fuerteventura. The bell tower of the church Santo Domingo de Guzman looks quite attractive to me.
Playa Blanca is only a small town on Lanzarote, but has one of the biggest marina harbours in the Canary Islands.

Answer: Region of Murcia

Murcia is the name of a single province elevated to the status of autonomous community of Spain. As in most Spanish provinces, the provincial capital bears the same name. So Murcia can indicate the region, the province or the city. It lies on the east coast of Spain, just north of Andalusia.
Murcia's coastline is called the Costa Calida ("Warm Coast"). There are only a few rivers in the Region of Murcia, and the Segura river is apparently the most important. The highest peak is Los Obispos.
Cartagena is one of the oldest cities in Spain. It was founded by the Carthaginians as one of the finest harbours in the Mediterranean. The Roman theatre was in ruins but has been restored to the original status.
Molina de Segura is a town on the river Segura. There are still remnants of the medieval city walls.
The city of Lorca shares its name with a remarkable castle, built in the 13th Century as Lorca was on the frontier between Catholic and Islamic realms in Spain.

Answer: Aragon

The autonomous community of Aragon consists of three provinces: Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel. It is situated in the North of Spain, landlocked between Catalonia and Valencia to the east, France to the north and the Basque Country, La Rioja, Castile-Leon and Castile-La Mancha to the west. The highest peak is the Aneto. While the longest river is the Ebro, the Jalon is the longest river that flows only in Aragon.
Zaragoza was founded in Roman times. Places of interest are the Cathedral-Basilica of our Lady of the Pillar and the Moorish castle Aljaferia (now housing the Aragonese parliament).
Huesca's Cathedral (Catedral de la Transfiguracion del Senhor) is certainly worth a visit whenever you are in Huesca.
Teruel is famous for the jamon serrano. A touristic monument of interest is the fountain El Torico, a small statue of a bull. According to legend Teruel was given its name because of a fortunate omen involving a bull.

Answer: Extremadura

Extremadura is located in the southwest of mainland Spain, bordering Portugal to the west and Andalusia to the south. The Tagus is the most important river, but as with many of the longest rivers it doesn't limit its course to Extremadura. The longest river fully in Extremadura is the Matachel. The highest peak is the Sierra de Gata.
Extremadura consists of two provinces: Badajoz and Caceres.
Merida is the capital city of all Extremadura and is situated in the province of Badajoz. It was founded to house veterans of the Roman army and still shows several Roman remnants, such as the Proserpina Dam and the Roman theatre (both still in use).
Badajoz is the provincial capital. Located near the Portuguese border, it offers a wide range of interesting sites. Let's mention only the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and the Real Monasterio de Santa Ana, the local headquarters of the Order of Saint Clare.
Caceres, the other provincial capital in Extremadura, houses several convents and hermitages. It was a major stop on the Camino del Santiago for pilgrims coming from the south of the Iberian peninsula.

Answer: Principality of Asturias

Asturias is an autonomous community consisting of a single province. The region, the province and the medieval kingdom all share the name Asturias, so for clarity the region bears the official name Principality of Asturias. The autonomous community is in the north of Spain, bordering Cantabria, Castile-Leon, Galicia and the Bay of Biscay. The Torre de Cerredo is the highest peak, and the most important river is the Nalon.
The capital city in the Principality of Asturias is Oviedo, which was founded in the Eighth Century. The Cathedral of San Salvador is one of the most ancient buildings in the city.
Whereas Oviedo is the Asturian capital, it is not the largest or most populous city: that is Gijon, a harbour city. Interesting sites here are the International Bagpipe Museum and the statue Elogio del Orizonte.
Aviles is another larger town in Asturias. The Saint Thomas of Canterbury Church and the Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre are worth visiting.