Andalucia Map - Maps, History, and Culture

Interactive Map of Andalucia, Spain

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Located in the southernmost area of Spain is the region of Andalucia. Andalucia is the second-largest region in Spain and covers approximately 33,000 square miles. Andalucia is known for its Christian and Muslim architecture, hot summers, and abundant wildlife. Andalucia is a region of Spain with a strong agricultural and industrial economy. The Andalucia map includes five rivers that flow to the Atlantic Ocean and two major mountain ranges.

City List:

Seville
Malaga
Cadiz
Cordoba
Huelva
Granada
Jaen
Almeria
Algeciras
Ubeda
Baeza

Quick Facts:

Population: 8.4 million
Languages: Spanish, Castilian Spanish dialect
Ethnicities: Spanish, Celtic, Roman, Greek, Muslim, Middle-eastern
Capital: Seville

The History of Andalucia

Prehistorically, the Andalucia region of the Iberian Peninsula was home to Celtic, Iberian, and Greek settlers before the Romans took control of the peninsula in 206 BC. Because of the Romans, Andalucia quickly became a rich and civilized region with wealth, design, and infrastructure. Additionally, the Romans established the regions as a Christian territory with Latin as its prominent language. Their Latin language would eventually turn into what we know as Spanish today.

During the 7th Century, Islamic followers of the Prophet Mohamed settled in the area and named it the al-Andalus. Many Muslims practiced Islam until the 13th Century when Christians began to move back into the area after retreating north. By 1492, Christians and Muslims engaged in a war that eventually led to the Spanish Inquisition. During the Spanish Inquisition, both Muslims and Jews were converted to Christianity or else fled the area.

The Capital city of Seville, which is located less than an hour from the Atlantic coast, was used as the main port of silver, gold, and other goods throughout the 1500s and 1600s until the Spanish War of the Succession in 1701. During the war, Andalucia suffered greatly, and by the 1800s, trading with America had stopped completely.

During the 1800s, Andalucia created railways and developed a new way of life that the Spanish government had taken away during the Spanish War of the Succession and the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. By the construction of railways is when Andalucia began to flourish in agriculture and industrialization. The railway allowed Andalucia to export food in return for money.

In 1898, the Spanish-American War began and caused unrest between Spain and Cuba, resulting in Spain losing control over Cuba. By 1936, the Spanish Civil War began, and General Francisco Franco ruled over Andalucia. General Franco authorized a massive genocide of working-class citizens in Andalucia, causing it to be one of the worst affected areas of Spain during the war.

During the Spanish Civil War, Nationalists and Republicans fought against one another throughout the region. Nationalists believed in supporting the Catholic Monarchy in the name of God, while Republicans believed in supporting the Second Spanish Republic in the name of Spain. The Spanish Civil War ended in 1939 when the Nationalists took over Madrid.

In 1980, the region of Andalucia was founded and became an official autonomous state in 1981. Andalucia adopted the Spanish Constitution of 1978.

Languages

The primary language of Andalucia is Spanish. Andalucia was ruled by the Romans between 206 BC and the 7th Century. During this time, the Romans spoke Latin, which was the official language of historical Andalucia.

Over time, Latin developed into Spanish, which is the primary language of the region today. The dialect of Spanish that is spoken in Andalucia is Castilian Spanish.

Religion

Today, the main religion in Andalucia is Christianity; specifically, Roman Catholicism. Because there was a strong presence of Jews and Muslims, there is a small percentage of Andalusians who practice Islam and Judaism. However, the major religion that is practiced in the region is Roman Catholicism, at nearly 80%.

Geography

Andalucia is located in the southern region of Spain and covers a total area of around 33,000 square miles. Four total rivers run through the region and deposit into both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea: the Guadiana, Odiel-Tinto, Guadalquivir, Guadalete, and Barbate. In addition to the many rivers that flow through the region, there is also the mountain ranges of the Sierra Morena and the Baetic Cordillera that fill the region.

The geography of Andalucia separates it into two sections: Upper Andalucia and Lower Andalucia. Upper Andalucia consists of mountainous terrain, while Lower Andalucia encompasses the basin of the Guadalquivir River.

Andalucia has three different soil types that separate the regions. The Sierra Morena contains mostly forests, as the soil is shallow and poor in nutrients, with several livestock farms. The Sub-Baetic system is where agriculture in Andalucia thrives because of its nutrient-rich soil. The final soil type is located at the basins of the rivers. These soils are best for crops that do well with hydration and wet conditions, such as strawberries and vineyards.

All three of these different types of soil and geography make Andalucia diverse in agriculture, farming, and forest protection.

Culture

The Andalucia culture is rich in faith, bull-fighting, and dance. Traditional sombreros with the native dance tablao flamenco are from the Andalucia town of Cadiz. Saeta is sung in the Andalucia town of Jaez. These traditions, rituals, and festivals are part of Andalucia’s history and are still practiced today.

Immigration & Migration Patterns

Andalucia is the most populated autonomous region out of all of the regions in Spain; however, during the 1500s, thousands of Spaniards fled to Brazil to escape the unification of modern-day Spain and Portugal. It wasn’t until the 1800s that another exodus of Andalucia occurred.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, and throughout Ferdinand and Isabella’s reign (Carlist Civil Wars), there was much unrest throughout Spain. Andalucia had become the poorest area in Spain, so many soldiers and explorers chose to leave the region and head west. Spaniards settled in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Some Andalusians who arrived in the New World to the west remained in the area, while some Andalusians returned to Spain after the war and unrest ended.

Today, there is a large number of Moroccan and British immigrants who have migrated to the area over the last 100 years, making the Andalusian population a mixture of Spanish, British, and Moroccan.

Genealogy

As Andalucia is at the southern tip of Spain, many heritages can be traced back to Andalucia. Alternatively, the Andalusian genealogy is connected to a wide number of countries, especially in the western New World.

Andalusian and Spanish genealogy can have any combination of Roman, German, Latin, Greek, Moroccan, or middle-eastern descent, as these were the early settlers who first civilized the region.

During explorations and emigrations from Andalucia, Spaniards settled in different countries in the western hemisphere. These regions included mostly the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and some areas of South America. This is why the genealogy of these areas is often traced back to Spanish and the Andalusian region.