Autonomous communities of Spain
| Autonomous communities | |
|---|---|
Community of
Madrid La Rioja
Castilla–
La Mancha Extremadura
Castile
and León Cantabria
Region of
Murcia | |
| Category | Autonomous administrative division |
| Location | Kingdom of Spain |
| Created by | Spanish Constitution of 1978 |
| Created |
|
| Number | 17 autonomous communities 2 autonomous cities |
| Populations | Autonomous communities: 324,184 (La Rioja) – 8,631,862 (Andalusia) Autonomous cities: 83,179 (Ceuta) – 85,985 (Melilla) |
| Areas | Autonomous communities: 4,992 km2 (Balearic Islands) – 94,223 km2 (Castile and León) Autonomous cities: 12.3 km2 (Melilla) – 18.5 km2 (Ceuta) |
| Government |
|
| Subdivisions |
|
The autonomous communities [1](Spanish: comunidad autónoma) are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Spain.[2]
There are 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla) that are collectively known as "autonomies".[i] The two autonomous cities have the right to become autonomous communities.
The autonomous communities exercise their right to self-government within the limits set forth in the constitution and organic laws known as Statutes of Autonomy,[ii] which broadly define the powers that they assume.
Each statute sets out the devolved powers (Spanish: competencia) for each community; typically those communities with stronger local nationalism have more powers, and this type of devolution has been called asymmetrical which is on the whole seen as advantageous, able to respond to diversity.[3]
Despite the Constitution not setting a mandatory legislative chamber framework, all autonomous communities have chosen unicameralism. All such governments have legislative and executive branches of government but not judicial.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ M. Z. Dankowski, Zagadnienie stołeczności miast w regionach autonomicznych Hiszpanii, Przegląd Prawa Konstytucyjnego, s. 173-187.
- ^ Spanish Constitution 1978, Articles 2, 143.
- ^ Börzel, Tanja A (2002). States and Regions in the European Union. University Press, Cambridge. pp. 93–151. ISBN 978-0521008600. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-roman> tags or {{efn-lr}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-roman}} template or {{notelist-lr}} template (see the help page).