Province of Salamanca

The province of Salamanca is a Spanish province in the Leonese part of the Castilla y León Autonomous Region. The capital is Salamanca. To the north it borders with the provinces of Zamora and Valladolid, on the south by Cáceres, on the east by Ávila and Portugal in the west.

The province of Salamanca has 345 548 inhabitants (2013 ), of which 43% live in the capital city of Salamanca. The province is one of 362 municipalities, of which more than half of villages with less than 300 inhabitants are.

History

The in ancient times inhabited by the people of the region Vettones Salamanca belonged to the period of Roman rule to the province of Lusitania, then to the Visigothic kingdom and since the 8th century to the Emirate and Caliphate of Cordoba. From the 9th to the 11th century, the entire region was part of the contested between Cordoba and Leon devastation belt was before she fell to Castile, together with Leon. When inheritance Castile - Leon in 1157, the region became part of the Kingdom of Leon rebuilt, but was Salamanca goal of annexation cravings Portugal, the occupying Salamanca from 1162 to 1165. After a first failed attempt in 1179 Portugal occupied from 1199 to 1200 then at least the border town of Ciudad Rodrigo. 1230 then fell Salamanca, together with Leon again and finally to Castile, from a brief re- occupation of Ciudad Rodrigo 1296 Portuguese apart.

Population Development

Largest communities

(As of 1 January 2013)

See also: List of municipalities in the province of Salamanca