Spanish Autonomous Communities Quiz

Answer: Castilla-La Mancha

Castilla-La Mancha once formed the greater part of the Kingdom of Castile which existed from 1065-1230. The autonomy is one of the most visited in Spain because of its old buildings, architecture and those wanting to see windmills from "Don Quixote". Manchego is a firm and buttery cheese made from sheep's milk and is often sold in packages from Don Quixote printed on them. Geographically, Castilla-La Mancha is in the direct center of Spain and lacks a coastline.

The Castle of Almansa, seen in the photo, is a work of early Arab architecture that can be found throughout Spain. It was built to reinforce Moorish control over the region but once the Moors were driven out of Spain, it became the site of historical moments in Spanish history including Philip V's victory during the Wars of Succession.

Answer: Galicia

Galicia is known for its popular festivals on holidays, many of which are both religious and secular in nature. Galicia is also unique for its language. Many people there speak primarily in Galician, a language more like Portuguese than Spanish, but most people can and do speak both Galician and Spanish.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is one of the most iconic locations in Galicia. It is not known with certainty if St. James is actually buried there, but kings of various Spanish kingdoms are. Construction began in 1075 and it was completed around 1211. Prior to the cathedral, there were a series of churches on that location that were routinely destroyed by Moorish and other invaders.

Answer: Navarre

The Running of the Bulls is probably the most famous thing about Pamplona and Navarre. It takes place during the Festival of San Fermin because it is commonly believed San Fermin was martyred by being dragged by a bull. This is actually incorrect as Fermin was martyred by being decapitated. Saint Saturninus, who baptized Fermin, is the one who was dragged by bulls. Navarre had sought to be totally dependent on renewable resources by 2010. It failed in this endeavor but still a significant amount of its energy is renewable.

Navarre is also known for its tensions with the Basque population. Navarre has a large minority of Basque speakers who seek to make Navarre part of the Basque autonomous region. This had led to some conflict within the region.

Answer: Aragon

Zaragoza is Aragon's largest city and home to about half of its people. Aragon is one of the least population-dense places in Spain. When it was the Kingdom of Aragon, it once spread as far as to Greece, however, nowadays Aragon is mostly contained to the Pyrenees in north-central Spain on the French border. Every October, people flock to Zaragoza for the Fiestas del Pilar, a weeklong celebration Aragon's patron saint, the Virgin Mary of the Pillar.

Aneto, the highest point in Spain, is also home to the largest glacier in the Pyrenees. Because of climate change, the glacier has shrunk to less than half its original size and it estimated by 2050, the entire glacier will have disappeared. The Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park has been in existence in some form since 1918 but it spans a much greater distance today. The bearded vulture, golden eagle and the Pyrenean chamois, a goat, all live there.

Answer: Catalonia

Despite its past hardships, Catalonia is one of the most prosperous places in Spain. It had the highest income of all regions in 2014. Its main industries are tourism, banking and transportation. In 2014, Catalonia was also the most debt-ridden city and routinely has the worst credit rating in Spain. Despite being a relatively small area geographically, Catalonia's lands are very diverse. The Pyrenees are in the north and there are some coastal mountains in the east. There are many rivers in Catalonia including the Ebro, which is the longest river in entirely within Spain.

The Sant Pere de Rodes, pictured to the left, is the remnants of a monastery built on the location believed to be the place where Saint Peter and his followers hid from Barbarians. Today, it is a national monument after the monastery was dissolved.

Answer: Cantabria

There was some discussion on whether or not the cave paintings of Altamira were genuine upon their discovery because it was commonly believed people of ancient times were not intelligent enough to make art. Cantabria's traditional sport is called bolos, or skittles in English. It's a game similar to bowling and nearly every town in Cantabria has a skittle ring near its church.

The Livestock Fair of Torrelavega celebrates all things bovine and vendors sell various cow and bull products including leather, beef and even the animals themselves. La Vijaera takes place on the first Sunday of each year and features a masquerade and a white bear hunt.

Answer: Andalusia

Seville and Cordoba are the most famous and visited cities in Andalusia and both were once under Moorish rule. During the colonization of the New World, Andalusia, particularly Seville, was the launching point for explorers and conquistadors. Ferdinand Magellan departed on his circumnavigation of the world from Seville in 1519.

In the photo, the Archivo General de Indias which contains documents detailing the entire history of the Spanish Empire is located in the front. In the background is the Cathedral de Indias. Together, they form one UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Answer: Basque Country

Violence in Basque Country has calmed significantly since the 2011 ceasefire. Basque separatists were fighting for a unified Basque state. Basque Country is the name of an autonomous region but also can be used to describe the general area in Spain where Basque people live. Basque Country does not have an official capital, but the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz is a de facto one. That city is known worldwide for its elaborate wineries that were designed by some of the most famous architects who ever lived.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao contains a large variety of contemporary and modern art. However, the museum is also home to many works of traditional art, including those of famous Spanish artists like Picasso. This has led to criticism from some who say the museum's wildly different art makes it look gaudy and treats none of it with respect.

Answer: Extremadura

The capital of Extremadura is Merida. Merida is home to a number of Ancient Roman monuments and sights, including the Puente Romano and the Temple of Diana. Although they can be found in many Spanish autonomies, the black Iberian pig is prized from Extremadura. The pig is popularly used to make jamon iberico, a ham dish.

Monfrague is a national park established in 2007 along the banks of the Tagus River. It is best known for its bird breeding grounds. The griffin eagle, azure-winged magpie and the Eurasian owl eagle all breed there.

Answer: Canary Islands

The Canary Islands lie off the coast of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean. They are named after the Latin word for dog because early explorers wrote that they found huge dogs living there in the wild, although it is possible they were really seeing seals or sea lions. The canary birds are named after the islands. There are seven main islands: El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife, which is the largest.

Although it is a world-renowned observatory, the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory was the subject of widespread condemnation when it was first built in 1984. The Isaac Newton Telescope was moved to the Canary Islands from Greenwich, England. Although there was some celebration about receiving such an important telescope, the move was incredibly expensive and it would have been far more economical to build a brand new equivalent one on the islands.