La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja [ la'rjoxa ] is a province and autonomous community in northern Spain, with its capital Logroño. Other cities and towns of this. For its wine, the Rioja region are known Calahorra, Arnedo, Haro, San Asensio and Nájera La Rioja covers an area of 5045 km ²; the population is 322 027 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2013).
Word origin
Presumably the word Rioja is a composition of " Río Oja ," means "the Oja River " which flows through the region of La Rioja in the Ebro. Other opinions bring the Word with discharges from the Basque language in communication.
Geography
The Rioja is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and Leon, the Basque Country, Navarre and Aragon. The northern boundary of the region with the Basque Country and Navarre is about the same as the course of the Ebro.
The climate is dry with a continental influence, warm in summer and cool in winter.
In addition to the fertile Ebro basin the Rioja also offers mountain ranges of the Iberian mountain range, the Sierra de la Demanda, such as, the highest peak of the San Lorenzo with 2,271 m.
History
At the time of the Roman Empire, the Rioja was inhabited in the north and west of Vascones and the south and east by Celtic tribes ( Beronen and Pelendonen ).
During the Visigothic kingdom was the largest part of the Duchy of Cantabria Rioja, a region bordering the defense against Cantabrians and Vascones. After the fall of the Visigoth kingdom in the 8th century it was Moorish territory.
From the 10th century fought Navarre and Castile for supremacy in the region. During these confrontations met in 1176 Alfonso VII of Castile and Sancho VI. of Navarre, an agreement so that Navarre from 1177 was forced to cede most of the Rioja to Castile.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, the area of Rioja on the Castilian provinces of Soria and Burgos was divided. During the Spanish administration reform by Rafael del Riego 1833, the province of Logroño was created. After the end of Franco's dictatorship, the name of the province in 1980 was officially changed in La Rioja. Since 1982, the La Rioja region is an autonomous region with its own statute within the Spanish state.
Economy
In 2006, the GDP of the Rioja 7.143395 billion euros. About half of the GDP fall by the service sector, a quarter to the industrial sector. The most important industry is the food and beverage industry before the metal and the textile industry.
In the region of La Rioja are large parts of the wine -growing region DOC Rioja, which is among the most important in Europe; please refer to the main article Rioja ( wine). Therefore, the Region at the Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino is involved.
In addition to the wine there in the Rioja in the Ebro basin major vegetable-growing areas. There are mainly cultivated mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, and peppers.
In comparison with the GDP of the EU, expressed in purchasing power standards, La Rioja reached an index of 111 (EU-27: 100, 2006).
Largest communities
(2007)