Autonomous communities of Spain

"Regions of Spain" redirects here. For other uses, see Regions of Spain (disambiguation).

Autonomous communities

Spanish: comunidad autónoma[a]
Aragonese: comunidat autonoma
Asturian: comunidá autónoma
Basque: autonomia erkidegoa[b]
Catalan: comunitat autònoma[c]
Galician: comunidade autónoma[d]
Occitan: comunautat autonòma

CategoryAutonomous administrative division
LocationKingdom of Spain
Created bySpanish Constitution of 1978
Created
  • 1979–1983
Number17 autonomous communities
2 autonomous cities
PopulationsAutonomous communities:
319,914 (La Rioja) – 8,464,411 (Andalusia)
Autonomous cities:
84,202 (Ceuta) – 87,076 (Melilla)
AreasAutonomous communities:
4,992 km2 (Balearic Islands) – 94,223 km2 (Castile and León)
Autonomous cities:
12.3 km2 (Melilla) – 18.5 km2 (Ceuta)
Government
Subdivisions

The autonomous communities (Spanish: comunidad autónoma) are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Spain.[1][2]

There are 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla) that are collectively known as "autonomies".[i] The two autonomous cities have the right to become autonomous communities.

The autonomous communities exercise their right to self-government within the limits set forth in the constitution and organic laws known as Statutes of Autonomy,[ii] which broadly define the powers that they assume.

Each statute sets out the devolved powers (Spanish: competencia) for each community; typically those communities with stronger local nationalism have more powers, and this type of devolution has been called asymmetrical which is on the whole seen as advantageous, able to respond to diversity.[3]

Despite the Constitution not setting a mandatory legislative chamber framework, all autonomous communities have chosen unicameralism. All such governments have legislative and executive branches of government but not judicial.


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  1. ^ Article 2. Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament) (1978). "Título Preliminar". Spanish Constitution of 1978. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  2. ^ Article 143. Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament) (1978). "Título VIII. De la Organización Territorial del Estado". Spanish Constitution of 1978. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  3. ^ Börzel, Tanja A (2002). States and Regions in the European Union. University Press, Cambridge. pp. 93–151. ISBN 978-0521008600. Retrieved 20 October 2012.


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