Demographic and Territorial Organization of Spain

Past and Current Demographic Models

• The Preindustrial Model

  This model has high birth and death rates because the population is weakened by disease, epidemics, and famine.

• The Modern or Demographic Transition Model

  This model originated in the Industrial Revolution and spread worldwide during the 19th century.

  1. The first phase has strong population growth as a result of natural increase. Birth rates are high, and death rates fall rapidly.

  2. In the intermediate phase, natural increase slows down. Death rates remain low, but birth rates begin to fall.

  3. In the final phase, the population stagnates, or there is very slow growth. Both birth and death rates are very low, and the tendency is toward zero growth.

The Territorial Organization of Spain

Main Institutions of Autonomous Communities

The Spanish Constitution and the States of Autonomy establish the institutions and jurisdictions of the autonomous communities. The objective is to provide citizens with equal public services through a decentralized governing body.

Andalusian Governmental Institutions

• Parliament: It represents the people of Andalusia and comprises deputies elected by the people every four years.

• The President: The president leads the Governing Council. It is the highest public office in the autonomous community.

• The Governing Council: The Governing Council comprises the president, the vice-presidents, and the councillors. It makes policy and governs the autonomous community in areas such as economy, education, and the environment.

Historical Regionalization in Spain

• Roman Hispania

  Rome divided the Iberian Peninsula into different provinces, modified throughout history. In 197 BC, at the beginning of the Roman conquest, Hispania was divided into two parts: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior.

• Medieval Spain

  During the Middle Ages, there were continuous changes in the control and rule of the territory:

  • Visigoth Kingdoms

  • Muslim Kingdoms

  • Christian Kingdoms

• The Modern Age in Spain

  The union of the kingdoms of Spain was completed with the conquest of Granada in 1492 and the incorporation of Navarra in 1512.

Municipalities in Spain

Municipalities are smaller administrative units governed by mayors and councillors elected by the municipality's inhabitants. Spain has 8,127 municipalities.

Burgos has the largest number of municipalities (371), followed by Salamanca (362), while Cádiz has 44, and Las Palmas only 34.