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GALICIA (the ancient Gallaecia or Cal...

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 403 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GALICIA (the See also:ancient Gallaecia or Callaecia, KaMauci,a or KaXau da) , a captaincy-See also:general, and formerly a See also:kingdom,countship and See also:province, in the See also:north-western See also:angle of See also:Spain; bounded on the N. by the See also:Bay of See also:Biscay, E. by See also:Leon and See also:Asturias, S. by See also:Portugal, and W. by the See also:Atlantic Ocean. Pop. (1900) 1,980,515; See also:area, 11,254 sq. m. In 1833 Galicia was divided for administrative purposes into the provinces of See also:Corunna, See also:Lugo, See also:Orense and See also:Pontevedra. Galicia is traversed by See also:mountain ranges, sometimes regarded as a continuation of the Cantabrian See also:chain; and its See also:surface is further broken in the See also:east by the westernmost ridges of that See also:system, which, See also:running in a See also:south-See also:westerly direction, rise above the See also:basin of the Mino. The high See also:land north of the headwaters of the Mino forms the See also:sole connecting See also:link between the Cantabrians properly so-called and the mountains of central and western Galicia. The See also:average See also:elevation of the province is considerable, and the maximum height (6593 ft.) is reached in the Pena Trevinca on the eastern border of Orense. The See also:principal See also:river is the Mino (Portuguese Minho; See also:Lat. Minius; so named, it is said, from the minium or See also:vermilion found in its See also:bed). Rising near Mondonedo, within 25 M. of the See also:northern See also:coast, the Mifio enters the Atlantic near the See also:port of Guardia, after a course of 170 M. S. and S.W. Its See also:lower reaches are navigable by small vessels.

Of its numerous affluents the most important is the Sil, which rises among the lofty mountains between Leon and Asturias. Among other See also:

rivers having a westerly direction may be mentioned the Tambre, the Ulla and the Lerez or Ler, which falls into the Atlantic by estuaries or Has called respectively Ria de Muros y Noya, Ria de Arosa and Ria de Pontevedra. The rivers of the northern versant, such as the Nera, are, like those of Asturias, for the most See also:part See also:short, rapid and subject to violent floods. The coast-See also:line of Galicia, extending to about 240 m., is every-where bold and deeply indented, presenting a large number of secure harbours, and in this respect forming a marked contrast to the neighbouring province. The Eo, which See also:bounds Galicia on the east, has a deep See also:estuary, the Rivadeo or Ribadeo, which offers a safe and commodious anchorage. See also:Vivero Bay and the Ria del Barquero y Vares are of a similar See also:character; while the See also:harbour of See also:Ferrol ranks among the best in See also:Europe, and is the See also:chief See also:naval station on the northern coast of Spain. On the opposite See also:side of Betanzos Bay (the µc yas Xtuily or See also:Portus See also:Magnus of the ancients) is the See also:great port of Corunna or Coruna.. The principal port on the western coast is that formed by the deep and sheltered bay of See also:Vigo, but there are also See also:good roadsteads at Corcubion under Cape Finisterre, at Marin and at Carril. The See also:climate of the Galician coast is mild and equable, but the interior, owing to the great elevation (the See also:town of Lugo is r 500 ft. above See also:sea-level), has a wide range of temperature. The rainfall is exceptionally large, and See also:snow lies on some of the loftier elevations for a considerable portion of the See also:year. The See also:soil is on the whole fertile, and the produce very varied. A considerable quantity of See also:timber is grown on the high lands, and the See also:rich valley pastures support large herds of See also:cattle, while the abundance of oaks and chestnuts favours the rearing of See also:swine.

In the See also:

lowland districts good crops of See also:maize, See also:wheat, See also:barley, oats and See also:rye, as well as of turnips and potatoes, are obtained. The See also:fruit also is of excellent quality and in great variety, although the culture of the See also:vine is limited to some of the warmer valleys in the See also:southern districts. The dehesas or moorlands abound in See also:game, and See also:fish are plentiful in all the streams. The See also:mineral resources of the province, which are considerable, were known to some extent to the ancients. See also:Strabo (c. 63 B.C.-A.D. 21) speaks of its See also:gold and See also:tin, and See also:Pliny (A.D. 23-79) mentions the gemma Gallaica, a See also:precious See also:stone. Galicia is also remarkable for the number of its See also:sulphur and other warm springs, the most important of which are those at Lugo, and those from which Orense is said to take its name (See also:Aquae urentes). Ethnologically the Galicians (Gallegos) are allied to the Portuguese, whom they resemble in See also:dialect, in See also:appearance and in habits more than the other inhabitants of the See also:peninsula. The men are well known all over Spain and Portugal as See also:hardy, honest and industrious, but for the most part somewhat unskilled, labourers; indeed the word Gallego has come to be almost a synonym in See also:Madrid for a " hewer of See also:wood and drawer of See also:water." It is also used as a See also:term of abuse, meaning " boor." See also:Agriculture engages the greater part of the See also:resident See also:population, both male and See also:female; other See also:industries, except the See also:fisheries, are little See also:developed. The largest town in Galicia is Corunna (pop.

1900, 43,971); See also:

Santiago de Compostela is the ancient See also:capital and an archiepiscopal see; Lugo, See also:Tuy, Mondonedo and Orense are bishoprics. Gallaecia, the See also:country of the Galacci, Callaici or Gallaici, seems to have been very imperfectly known to the earlier geographers. According to Eratosthenes (276-196 B.C.) the entire population of the peninsula were at one See also:time called Galatae. The region properly called by their name, bounded on the south by the See also:Douro and on the east by the Navia, was first entered by the See also:Roman legions under See also:Decius See also:Junius See also:Brutus in 137-136 B.C. (See also:Livy Iv., lvi., Epit.); but the final subjugation cannot be placed earlier than the time of See also:Augustus (31 B.C.-A.D. 14). On the 'See also:partition of Spain, which followed the successful invasions of the Suevi, Alans and See also:Vandals, Gallaecia See also:fell to the See also:lot of the first named (A.D. 411). After an See also:independent subsistence of nearly 200 years, the Suevian kingdom was annexed to the Visigothic dominions under See also:Leovigild in 585. In 734 it was occupied by the See also:Moors, who in turn were driven out by See also:Alphonso I. of Asturias, in 739. During the 9th and loth centuries it was the subject of dispute between more than one See also:count of Galicia and the suzerain, and its coasts were repeatedly ravaged by the See also:Normans. When See also:Ferdinand I. divided his kingdom among his sons in 1063, Galicia was the portion allotted to See also:Garcia, the youngest of the three.

In 1072 it was forcibly reannexed by Garcia's See also:

brother Alphonso VI. of See also:Castile and thenceforward it remained an integral part of the kingdom of Castile or of Leon. The honorary See also:title of count of Galicia has frequently been See also:borne by younger sons of the See also:Spanish See also:sovereign. See Annette B. Meakin, Galicia, the See also:Switzerland of Spain (See also:London, 1909).

End of Article: GALICIA (the ancient Gallaecia or Callaecia, KaMauci,a or KaXau da)

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