Aragón

Aragon is an autonomous community and historic region in northeast Spain. It borders Catalonia to the east, Navarre to the north, Castile–La Mancha to the south and west, and the Pyrenees, which separate it from France, to the northeast. The capital and largest city is Zaragoza. The community comprises three provinces—Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel—and covers about 47,720 square kilometers. It has roughly 1.3 million inhabitants.

Geographically, Aragon stretches from the Pyrenean mountains in the north to the Ebro valley in the center and south. The Ebro river flows through Zaragoza, with tributaries such as the Gállego and Huerva. The terrain includes high mountains, plateaus, and arid zones, with climates ranging from alpine in the north to continental in the southern plains.

Historically, the region formed part of the Kingdom of Aragon and later the Crown of Aragon, which united with the Crown of Castile in the late 15th century through the dynastic marriage of Ferdinand II and Isabella I. In the modern era, Aragon became an autonomous community of Spain under the 1982 Statute of Autonomy, granting regional self-government.

Economy combines agriculture, industry, and services. Major agricultural products include fruit, cereals, and wine (notably from Cariñena). Tourism is important, especially for Mudéjar architecture—recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage property in Aragon, such as the Aljafería in Zaragoza and Mudéjar churches in Teruel—and for the Pyrenees’ ski resorts. The official language is Spanish; Aragonese is a minority language in some northern areas and is protected by regional measures.

Cultural life centers on festivals, cuisine, and regional traditions distinctive to Aragon.