logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
February 8, 2021 by Rafael Parra Hispanic Culture 0 comments

Exploring the 17 Spanish Regions: Maps, Flags, and GDP

Spain contains many different Spanish regions, each with their own cultural nuances. 

Even though all of the Spanish regions fly under the same flag, each has its own identity that carries over even outside of Spain! 

I was lucky enough to meet lots of Spaniards from different regions such as Andalucía, Madrid, and Murcia, and they each had different accents when they spoke. 

To learn more about these regions, we’ll take a look at their flag, GDP, and location. Ready to discover interesting facts about the Spanish regions? ¡Vamos!

What is GDP?

Spanish Regions

Gross domestic product (GDP) in Spanish is Producto Interno Bruto (PIB). 

Economists use it to describe the total monetary value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a country—or in this case, Spanish regions—per year. 

It works as a sort of economic health thermometer for a country. A factor that’s especially important when calculating GDP is foreign trade. If a country or region sells their products to other countries more than it buys from them, the GDP will be positively affected.

17 Spanish Regions

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the various Spanish Regions throughout the country. 

1. Andalucía

Bandera Andalucía

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Andalusian

GDP: 165.9 million €

Andalucía contains the provinces of Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga, and Sevilla—the last one being its capital. It’s the most populated Spanish region, and the second largest geographically. 

Did you know that Andalucía has almost 400 castles? That’s a whole bunch of royalty and nobles squeezed into southern Spain. 

1. Andalucía Spanish Regions

2. Aragón

Bandera Aragón

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Aragonese, Catalan

GDP: 38 million €

Aragón includes the provinces of Huesca, Teruel, and Zaragoza. Half of this region’s inhabitants live in its capital, Zaragoza. The joyful and energetic Spanish dance, la jota, is a favorite in this region. (To learn more about dancing in different Spanish regions, read our post on Spanish dances!)

2. Aragón Spanish Regions

3. Asturias

Bandera Asturias

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Asturian, Eonavian

GDP: 23.8 million €

El Principado de Asturias is located in the northern part of Spain, its northern border adorned by the Cantabrian Sea. This autonomous community’s capital is Oviedo, with Gijón being its most populated city. 

This is the rockiest region of the Spanish regions, with rough terrain that will challenge even experienced hikers. It also has the biggest untapped gold deposits in western Europe! I might just go there with my pan to try my luck.

3. Asturias Spanish Regions

4. Canarias

Bandera Canarias

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Canary Dialect

GDP: 14.2 million €

Canarias is an archipelago located off the west coast of Africa. It’s composed of eight islands, five islets, and eight distinctive rocky formations. 

This is the second region with the most foreign tourists in Spain. Its attractive paradise-like biodiversity makes it an alluring destination for adventurous travelers.

4. Canarias Spanish Regions

5. Cantabria

Bandera Cantabria

Predominant Languages: Spanish

GDP: 14.2 million €

Cantabria is located in the north of Spain, and this is where the Cantabrian Sea gets its name. Its capital is Santander, which suffered a historic fire in 1941. This fire destroyed many important buildings, the only two notable exceptions being the postal building and the Spanish Bank.

5. Cantabria Spanish Regions

6. Castilla La Mancha

Bandera Castilla La Mancha

Predominant Languages: Spanish

GDP: 42.8 million €

En un lugar de La Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme…. This is the first line of text in one of the most famous works of Spanish literature, Don Quijote. This book by Miguel de Cervantes is the reason this is one of the universally known Spanish Regions. 

Curiously enough, La Mancha is currently expanding its production of renewable energy through wind turbines. I’m sure El Quijote would try to fight them as he fought the giant windmills centuries ago. This central region has the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo.

6. Castilla La Mancha Spanish Regions

7. Cataluña

Bandera Cataluña

Predominant Languages: Catalan, Aranese, Spanish

GDP: 236.8 million €

Cataluña contains Barcelone, Gerona, Lérida, and Tarragona. Barcelona is the capital of this region, and it’s also known worldwide for its famous soccer team, F.C. Barcelona. This team is so famous, you will find fans all over the world, even in remote locations here in Guatemala! 

Cataluña sees an impressive flow of tourists, including over 20 million visitors in 2019.

7. Cataluña Spanish Regions

8. Madrid

Bandera Madrid

Predominant Languages: Spanish

GDP: 240.1 million €

La Comunidad de Madrid is an autonomous community that’s also uniprovincial, which means that it’s composed of a single province, Madrid. It’s also the national capital of Spain, and home to F.C. Barcelona’s bitter rival, Real Madrid. 

Madrid is the third most populated city in Europe, and it boasts the oldest restaurant in the world! Without a doubt, it’s a top tourist destination.

8. Madrid Spanish Regions

9. Comunidad Valenciana

Bandera Comunidad Valenciana

Predominant Languages: Valencian, Spanish

GDP: 116.015M €

This region includes Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia. Can you guess which one is the capital? That’s right, Valencia! Valencia is the third largest city across all the Spanish regions, and it has the largest aquarium in Europe. 

Its name originated around 200 B.C. when it was a Roman colony. Valencia in Spanish is Valentía, which translates to “valor” or “bravery.”

9. Comunidad Valenciana Spanish Regions

10. Extremadura

Bandera Extremadura

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Fala, Extremeño

GDP: 20.7 million €

Extremadura is located in the western part of the Spanish regions, sharing a border with {ortugal. It contains two of Spain’s largest provinces: Cáceres and Badajoz. Its capital is Mérida. This region is known for its exports of red pepper, tomato, tobacco, and rice.

10. Extremadura Spanish Regions

11. Galicia

Bandera Galicia

Predominant Languages: Galician and Spanish

GDP: 64.4 million €

Galicia is located in the northwest of the country. It’s comprised of the provinces of La Coruña, Lugo, Orense, and Pontevedra. The capital is the city of Santiago de Compostela, and Vigo is its most populous city. 

Its western and northern borders meet with the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea, respectively—while sharing a border with Portugal to the south. This region has a history of strange architecture that’s worth a look if you’re into weird buildings!

11. Galicia Spanish Regions

12. Islas Baleares

Bandera Islas Baleares

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Catalán

GDP: 33.8 million €

This archipelago consists of two groups of islands and many islets. The Gimnesia islands are Mallorca, Menorca, and Cabrera—as well as some islets. 

The Pitiusa islands are Ibiza and Formentera. The most famous of these islands is Ibiza, a popular tourist destination. However, all islands have natural beauty that mixes beautifully with old European architecture.

12. Islas Baleares Spanish Regions

13. La Rioja

Bandera La Rioja

Predominant Languages: Spanish

GDP: 8.9 million €

La Rioja is a Spanish region north of the country that covers El Valle del Ebro and the Iberian System to its south. It’s geographically divided by seven rivers that descend from Ebro countain, which gives la Rioja the name La de los siete valles, or “seven valleys”

13. La Rioja Spanish Regions

14. País Vasco

Bandera País Vasco

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Euskera

GDP: 74.5 million €

País Vasco’s most populated city is Bilbao, followed by Vitoria and San Sebastián. 

While the origins of this region are uncertain, the language specific to this region, Euskera, is the oldest surviving language in Europe, which piques the interest of many language researchers worldwide. It’s the sixth oldest surviving language worldwide, and it doesn’t share common roots with any other language. 

14. País Vasco Spanish Regions

15. Murcia

Bandera Murcia

Predominant Languages: Spanish, Murcian Dialect

GDP: 32.4 million €

Murcia is a Spanish region with a capital of the same name. It’s known for its famous orchard, La Huerta de Eurpoa. 

This is one of the Spanish regions that exports products such as food, textiles, chemicals, distilled products, furniture, and construction materials. That’s a huge variety of export products for such a small part of the country! 

15. Murcia Spanish Regions

16. Navarra

Bandera Navarra

Predominant Languages: Spanish and Euskera

GDP: 20.9 million €

Navarra is a Spanish region located in the north of the country, sharing a border with France, Aragón, and La Rioja. Its capital city is Pamplona, a place famous for its bull runs. 

This city was founded over 2,000 years ago. During the San Fermín Festival, its population multiplies tenfold! This town also has traditional garments that consist of white clothes with red accented scarves and belts.

16. Navarra Spanish Regions

17. Ceuta y Melilla

Bandera Ceuta y Melilla
Bandera Ceuta y Melilla

Predominant Languages: Spanish

GDP Ceuta: 1.766M €

GDP Melilla: 1.621M €

Ceuta and Melilla are two cities that form part of the Spanish regions—but they are located in Africa! These cities struggle with an overwhelming amount of immigrants every year, so much so that their walls have been reinforced. 

17. Ceuta y Melilla Spanish Regions

Spain is Rich With Culture

Many different peoples and cultures exist across the Spanish regions, but they are all united by a generally joyful demeanor. Many accents and dialects within Spain are so different from each other that they might not be able to understand what the other says. Have you visited Spain? Are there any other fun facts you know that we should include in this post? Let us know by leaving a comment!

sign up for a free trial class
Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Want more Spanish resources and fun content? Check these out!

  • Which Languages Do They Speak in Brazil?
  • 10 Surprising Facts About Semana Santa in Spain
  • 12 Easy Steps To Becoming an English-Spanish Translator
  • 12 Traditional Bolivian Foods You’ll Want To Try
  • 10 Famous Afro-Latinas Who’ve Made a Powerful Impact
  • Love in Spanish: Unique Valentine’s Day Traditions in Latin America
  • 10 Amusing Facts About Spanish Culture and Traditions
  • What’s the Spanish Lisp? All About the Ceceo

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Rafael Parra
Rafael Parra
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
A native Spanish speaker from Guatemala, I'm a psychology student, creative developer, and aspiring polymath who's always learning new things and improving as a person. I'm a nerd when it comes to language, education, and videogames. My goal is to practice all these disciplines in unison and make something great with my time.
Rafael Parra
Latest posts by Rafael Parra (see all)
  • 10 Amusing Facts About Spanish Culture and Traditions - February 5, 2023
  • Top 15 New Year’s Resolutions in Spanish - January 11, 2023
  • 10 Hilariously Unfortunate Names in Spanish - November 20, 2022
trending topics
0

Related Posts

Key Benefits of Learning Soanish

3 Key Benefits to Being Bilingual in the Workforce

March 1, 2018
Read More
Spanish Foods

Food for Thought: 6 Spanish Foods to Learn About (and try!)

June 5, 2018
Read More
bilingualism in the US

Bilingualism: How the US Compares to Other Countries

June 14, 2018
Read More
bilingual

Ahead of the Pack: How Becoming Bilingual Now Can Leap your Child Ahead of Their Peers

May 12, 2018
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Definitive Vocabulary List on Politics in SpanishPrevious Post
3 Key Translations of 'Harto' in Spanish and How to Use This WordNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
    10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
    March 3, 2023
    Have you ever wondered how to use “que” in...
  • Which Family Language Strategy Works for You?
    Which Family Language Strategy Works for You?
    March 2, 2023
    If you want to help your child learn a new...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.