I. J'/ii/jiiriil Ak/mcI. — Spain has an extended coast- line, it being not far from IKIO miles in length, of which 770 miles belong to the Meililerrauean and GOO miles to the Itny of liis<;ay and the Atlantic. A part of this coasi-liue is moimtainous, ami a part of it, espe- cially to the south-west, is low and swampy, initil it reai-li4s the extreme south, when it rises suddenly to the widl-knowu Kock of (Jiliraltar. Another noticeable feature iu the physical aspect of the coinitry is its uiountflin system. (Jeographers lay down live dis- tinct mountain belts, which arc .subdivided into minor rangeii. 'V\u-m- are the Pyremes, which separate .Spain from I-'rniue, the Sierra de (Juadarrama, the mountains of Toledo, the Sierra Morena, ami the Sierra Nevada. Among the highest of these mountains are the Cerro
de ^Inlahacen, 11.(>55 feet; Mount Nethon, 11,427 feet; Vignemale, \0.\m) feet; Peak of Oo, 9730 ; and the Puerto del Pico, ^000. The river system of .Spain im- braces many deep and rapidly flowing streams. Aniuiig the largest of these are the Ebro, which flows east and empties into the IMediterranean, and the Douro, the Tagus, the (iuadiana, and the Cuadahiuivir; the first two flowing nearly west and the last two south-west, and em|)tying into the Atlantic. Some of the smaller rivers are the JMiuho, the Guadalaviar, aiid the Xncar. .So li>ng a coast-line as that of .Spain furnishes, as might be supposed, many comniodions bays and harbors. Among those on the east are Barcelona, Tarragona, Yalencia, Alicante, and Cartagena; on the north are Santander and Bilbao. The ))hysical features of Spain to which allusion has been made give to this country marked variety in diinate and soil and vegetable productions. Tlie northern section of the kingdom is nioiintaiiuius and hilly, and the character of the climate is such as to invite the labors of the husbandman. Accordingly this section of Spain has been givtn up largely to ag- riculture. The middle section is not so well situated, Tiie absence of rains is followed by sterility and uii]iro- ductiveness of the soil. There are great extrimcs of temperature, the summers being very liot ami the >\ in- ters very coltl, while the springs and autumns are pleas- ant. Passing to the southern section, we find ourselves iu a country having the characteristics of a trojiical region. The winds from Africa blow upon it, and the effect of the hot rays of the sun refitcted from the lolty mountain-walls is very marked. And yet, as a whole, .Southern .S)iain is exceedingly fertile. Frosts are not known in Andalusia. Snow seldom falls, and when it does melts at once. Such is the character of the cli- mate and soil of the countrv' that Spain ranks among the most I'ruitful of all the countries of Europe. Ev- ery kind of cereal can be grown iii some part of the kingdom, and the fruits of the most northern part of the temperate zone and of the most southern part of the tropical regions are raised there. The cultivation of the vine has been carried to a high state of perfec- tion, and the .S]ianish vines are reckoned among the finest in the world. Perhaps the nn)St noted of these are the Xeres, or sherry, and the IMalaga.
II. Political Divisions. — We give these as they were a year or two ago. no essential changes having occurred since, with the population as shown by the census of l)s70.
Provinces.
Area in Sq. Milos.
Population.
A"c?« Castile. Madrid
'2,097
5,.^86 4,8(;9 (!.726
487,482 342,272 2(iS.G3S 238,731
Toledo
Cueiica
Total
20,178
1,277,123
7,S40
i64,e49
Old Castile. Bn rgo,a
5,(1.51 l,i!45 2,113 3,SHC, 2,714 2, '.'82 .",210 3,043
2.'3,E00 182,941 241, .581 1.58, 699 1.50,812 17.5,219 184,(;(!8 242,384 1,. 589, 864
Avila
Pnlenciii
Valladolid
Total
25,600
Lean.
6,107 4,135 4,940
3.50,092 250.098
280.870
Znniora
Siilainancn
Total
1.5.242
881 ,660
Asturias. Oviedo
4,091
610,883
Galicia.
Oornnna
Lniro
t)ieiise
Poutevedra
3,079 3.787 2,730 1,7.^9 11,344
030.. 504 475,830 402,7!'6 480,145 1,989,281 1
Total
SPAIN
901
SPAIN
Provinces.
Area in Sq. Miles.
Population.
Estremadura,
8,C8S
S,lil4
^ti,702^
431,922 302,455 734,377
Xotal
AndaUisia. Seville
5,295 2,809 4,122 5,190 5,184 4,937 3,302 2,824
515.011 420,499 196,409 382,652 392,100 485,346 SC) 1,553 505.010
Cadiz
Malaga
33,003
3,204,040
Murcia.
4,478 5,972
439,007 220,973
Albacete
Total
10,450
000,040
Valencia.
4,352 2,098 2,447
665,141 440,470 290,222
Total
8,897
1,401,833
Catalonia.
2,985
2,451 4,775
2,272
702,555 350,395 330,385 325,110
12,483
1,768,445
Saragosea
6,007 5,878 5,494
401,894 274,623
852,201
Teruel
Total
17,979
1,528,718
4,046
318,687
Basque Provinces.
849
728
1,205
187,926 180,743 103,320
2,782
471,989
1,860 2,808
289,225 283,859
Total of Spain in Europe and )
195,865
17,335,273
We add to the above the area and population of the Spanish colonies as follows :
Colonies in America. Cuba
45,883
3,596
49,479
1,400,000 625,000
2,025,000
Total
A sia and Oceanica. Philippines (exclusive of inde-> pendent parts) /
65,908
910 417
6,000,000
28,000 5,010
Total
67,241
6,033,610
Africa.
4S9
35,000
117,209
8,093,610
III. ffisfort/, — We divide the history of Spain into three periods : first, from the earliest traditions respect- ing its settlement down to A.I). 427, when it fell into the hands of the Goths; second, from A.D. 427 to the latter part of the Inth century, liriniiing us to the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella; third, from this latter period to the present time.
1. There are some traditions which refer the early set- tlement of Spain to the grandson of Noah, Tubal, who was said to have conducted cohuiies thither from the East, Little confidence, however, can be placed in these traditions. The Iberians are the earliest inhabitants of whom we have any trustworthy account. At what time the Celts migrated to this section of Europe, and precisely from what region they came, is matter of un- settled dispute. The Phojnicians, whose colonies were found in so many places, established themselves at an