GalicianTunes

Galicia nowadays

Galicia, located at the North-Western corner of the Iberian Peninsula, has a surface of 29,574 square kilometres and 2.794.796 inhabitants, resulting in a population density of 94,5 people per square kilometre. In the most recent years, the population figures show a stable evolution (between 1998 and 2006, the number of foreign residents increased fourfold) keeping a decreasing trend in the inner provinces (Lugo and Ourense) and increasing in the Western coastal provinces (A Coruña and Pontevedra).

The Galician landscape is full of endless green and blue hues. The latter colour corresponds to one of the main attractions of the country: its 1,500 kilometres of coastline, which comprise more than 700 coves and beaches (the longest one can be found in Carnota and it boasts a total of 8 kilometres). The Galician shores also feature rías, low river valleys which were eroded during the Quaternary period and flooded by the sea, with impressive spaces rich in wildlife. The rías are divided into the rough and craggy high rías (rías altas), found in the North coast, and the low ones (rías baixas) in the South, which are more open, quiet and temperate.

But Galicia not only is a country of beaches: it abounds with rivers as well. The most important and ‘father’ of all of them is the Minho river, with a length of 350 kilometres, whose main tributary is the Sil, the river with the biggest water discharge in the Galician territory. Apart from the Minho, there are other important rivers, such as the Ulla (with a length of 130 kilometres) and the Tambre (84 kilometres).

The green shades of our landscape are provided by our forests, which make Galicia one of the greenest areas of Spain and Europe. In recent decades some evergreen trees, such as eucalyptus and pine, have been introduced, but the native species are mostly deciduous. As Galicia lies in the transition area between the Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean bioclimatic regions, in our forests we can find oaks, yews, holm oaks, willows, cork oaks... coexisting in perfect harmony. This natural richness and beauty explains the existence of dozens of important natural areas, such as the Capelada mountain range, the Rei Cintolo caves, the isle of Cortegada or the Ancares and Courel mountain ranges. Apart from that, we have half a dozen natural parks: Mount Aloia, the Cíes islands, Corrubedo, the area of Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés, the Fragas do Eume forests and the Invernadeiro mountain range.

As far as the economy is concerned, it grows at an annual rate of 4.1%, and, in 2006, the GDP per capita was 18,708 €. The primary sector is still very important in Galicia, although, for quite long time now, trade and construction have become the leading activities, together with real estate, services to businesses and hotel, cafe and restaurant services. In all cases, there is a vast majority of small companies (90.6%) in the entrepreneurial community, and the most common legal form is the private limited company.

In Galicia, industry includes basically three main areas: energy (mostly hydro and wind power), the automotive industry and foodstuffs (particularly the canning industry). In this regard, we cannot forget the fact that Galicia is a major fishing power. With a fleet of more than 5,000 vessels (according to data from 2006), fishing provides direct employment for almost 42,000 people, and some 120,000 indirect jobs. This way, half of the catches arriving at Spain come from Galician ports, which take the fourth place regarding the fish landed in Europe.

The main economic relations of Galicia are those established with Portugal, France and Italy, and they are reciprocal as far as imports and exports are concerned.