andalucia

[jasper]

Is it true that Andalucia in Spain has its own government?

[indobrit]

Yes and no. The provinces of Spain are grouped into autonomous regions (the English names follow the Spanish ones - please note the spelling changes): el Reino de Andaluc�a (the Kingdom of Andalusia); el Reino de Arag�n (the Kingdom of Aragon), el Principado de Asturias (the Principality of Asturias), which plays the same r�le in Spain as Wales does in the United Kingdom, i.e. the heir apparent holds the title of Prince; las Islas Baleares (the Balearic islands); Cantabria; las Islas Canarias (the Canary Islands); Castilla y La Mancha (Castile & La Mancha); Castilla y Le�n (Castile & Leon); Catalu�a (Catalonia); Extremadura; Galicia; Madrid; el Reino de Murcia (the Kingdom of Murcia); el Reino de Navarra (the Kingdom of Navarre); el Pa�s Vasco (the Basque Country); La Rioja; and el Reino de Valencia (the Kingdom of Valencia). Each region contains one or provinces; for example, Huesca, Teruel, and Zaragoza combine to form the Kingdom of Arag�n. Each province has its own government, and each autonomous region has its own regional assembly. However, all levels of local government in Spain (provincial or regional) depend on the centre (i.e. the national government in Madrid) for a significant proportion of their income. Thus, as with so much else in life, "autonomy" is a relative term... it all depends on who holds the purse strings.

[mellyJ]

There is a full Answerbank article on Andalucia at article 2726