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La Rioja

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La Rioja
La Rioja (in Spanish)
Anthem: "La Rioja"
Map of La Rioja
Location of La Rioja within Spain
Coordinates: 42°15′N 2°30′W / 42.250°N 2.500°W / 42.250; -2.500Coordinates: 42°15′N 2°30′W / 42.250°N 2.500°W / 42.250; -2.500
CountrySpain
CapitalLogroño
Government
 • PresidentConcha Andreu (PSOE)
Area
(1.0% of Spain; Ranked 16th)
 • Total5,045 km2 (1,948 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)
 • Total315,675
 • Density63/km2 (160/sq mi)
 • Pop. rank
17th
 • Percent
0.7% of Spain
Demonym
 • EnglishRiojan
 • Spanishriojano/a
ISO 3166 code
ES-RI[1]
Official languagesSpanish
Statute of Autonomy9 June 1982
ParliamentParliament of La Rioja
Congress seats4 (of 350)
Senate seats4 (of 266)
HDI (2019)0.913[2]
very high · 5th
WebsiteGobierno de La Rioja

La Rioja (Spanish: [la ˈrjoxa]) is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera. It has an estimated population of 315,675 inhabitants (INE 2018), making it the least populated autonomous community of Spain.

It covers part of the Ebro valley towards its north and the Iberian Range in the south. The community is a single province, so there is no County Council, and it is organized into 174 municipalities. It borders the Basque Country (province of Álava) to the north, Navarre to the northeast, Aragón to the southeast (province of Zaragoza), and Castilla y León to the west and south (provinces of Burgos and Soria).

The area was once occupied by pre-Roman Berones, Pellendones and Vascones. After partial recapture from the Muslims in the early tenth century, the region became part of the Kingdom of Pamplona, later being incorporated into Castile after a century and a half of disputes. From the eighteenth century the Rioja region remained divided between the provinces of Burgos and Soria, until in 1833 the province of Logroño was created, changing the name of the province to La Rioja in 1980 as a prelude to its constitution under a single provincial autonomous community in 1982. The name "Rioja" (from Río Oja) is first attested in 1099.

The region is well known for its wines under the brand Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja.

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Logroño

Logroño

Logroño is the capital of the province of La Rioja, situated in northern Spain. Traversed in its northern part by the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of passage, such as the Camino de Santiago. Its borders were disputed between the Iberian kingdoms of Castille, Navarre and Aragon during the Middle Ages.

List of municipalities in La Rioja

List of municipalities in La Rioja

This is a list of the 173 municipalities in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain.

Calahorra

Calahorra

Calahorra [pronounced [kalaˈora]] is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During Ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris Nassica Iulia.

Arnedo

Arnedo

Arnedo is the third largest town in La Rioja, Spain. It is located near Calahorra, and has a population of about 15,000 people.

Alfaro, La Rioja

Alfaro, La Rioja

Alfaro is a town and municipality in La Rioja, northern Spain. Its population in January 2009 was 9,883 inhabitants, and its area is 194.23 km². It is known for the annual return and nesting of the 'Storks of Alfaro.'

Haro, La Rioja

Haro, La Rioja

Haro is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in northern Spain. It produces red wine, and hosts the annual Haro Wine Festival. Its architectural heritage includes the plateresque main entrance of the Church of Santo Tomás, the work of Felipe Vigarny, numerous palaces, and the old town, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1975.

Nájera

Nájera

Nájera is a small town, former bishopric and now Latin Catholic titular see, former capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, northern Spain, on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the French Way the most popular path on the Way of St James.

Ebro

Ebro

The Ebro is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows 930 kilometres (580 mi), almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea forming a delta in the Province of Tarragona, in southern Catalonia. In the Iberian peninsula, it ranks second in length after the Tagus and second in discharge volume, and drainage basin, after the Douro. It is the longest river entirely within Spain; the other two mentioned flow into Portugal. It is also the second-longest river in the Mediterranean basin, after the Nile.

Navarre

Navarre

Navarre, officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France. The capital city is Pamplona. The present-day province makes up the majority of the territory of the medieval Kingdom of Navarre, a long-standing Pyrenean kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, with its northernmost part, Lower Navarre, located in the southwest corner of France.

Berones

Berones

The Berones were a pre-Roman Celtic people of ancient Spain, although they were not part of the Celtiberians, they lived north of the Celtiberians and close to the Cantabrian Conisci in the middle Ebro region between the Tirón and Alhama rivers.

Pellendones

Pellendones

The Pellendones were an ancient pre-Roman Celtic people living on the Iberian Peninsula. From the early 4th century BC they inhabited the region near the source of the river Duero in what today is north-central Spain. The area comprises the north of Soria, the southeast of Burgos and the southwest of La Rioja provinces.

Oja (river)

Oja (river)

Rio Oja is a river in the La Rioja province of northern Spain. It flows through the Oja Valley past the town and municipality of Ezcaray. It is generally accepted to have given its name to the famous wine of the Rioja DO, although there are other theories. The Oja flows into the Tirón River east of Cihuri, and the Tirón flows into the Ebro immediately north of Haro.

History

Santa María de la Redonda Co-cathedral, Logroño.
Santa María de la Redonda Co-cathedral, Logroño.
Monasterios de San Millán de Yuso
Monasterios de San Millán de Yuso

Roman and Muslim periods

In Roman times, the territory of La Rioja was inhabited by the tribes of the Berones (central country), Autrigones (upper country, extending also north and west of it) and the Vascones (lower country, extending also north and east of it). It was part of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis.

In medieval times, La Rioja was often a disputed territory. The Visigoths created the Duchy of Cantabria that probably included most of La Rioja, as a border march against the Vascones. After the Muslim invasion of AD 711, La Rioja fell into the Muslim domains of Al Andalus.

Medieval period

Most of the territory was reconquered in 923 by Sancho I of Pamplona, acting for the Kingdom of Pamplona together with the Kingdom of León and the Counts of Castile, feudal lords of the Leonese King. The lower region around Arnedo came under control of his allies the Banu Qasi of Tudela. The territory to the east of the Leza River remained under Muslim control.

Later there was a dispute between Count Fernán González of Castile and the kings of Pamplona-Navarra, involving great battles. It was decided in favour of the Navarrese after the imprisonment of the Count's family in Cirueña, in 960.[3] La Rioja briefly formed the independent Kingdom of Viguera from 970 to about 1005, at which point it became a part of the Kingdom of Pamplona.

Sancho Garcés moved the capital of the Kingdom of Pamplona to Nájera (La Rioja), creating the so-called kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona which was, due to its large size, the first Spanish Empire. After the independence of Castile in 1035, this new kingdom fiercely fought against Pamplona for the possession of Bureba, La Rioja and other territories. In 1076, after the murder of Sancho IV, Navarre was divided among Castile and Aragon. Castile obtained La Rioja, together with other Navarrese lands.[3] The name "La Rioja" first appears in written records in the Miranda de Ebro charter of 1099. The territory was centred on the fortified site of Logroño: the 12th-century church Iglesia de Santa Maria de Palacio recalls its origin as a chapel of the administrative palace. Logroño was a borderland disputed between the kings of Navarre and the kings of Castile from the 10th century;

From 1134 the Navarrese under García Ramírez ("the Restorer") and his son Sancho VI ("the Wise") fought bitterly with Castile for the recovery of the former Pamplonese domains. The region was awarded to Castile in a judgement by Henry II of England and annexed in 1177. Its importance lay in part in the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, the Camino de Santiago, which crossed the River Ebro on the stone bridge, the Puente de Piedra.

Arnedillo
Arnedillo

Province of Logroño

Map of La Rioja by Tomás López de Vargas Machuca, year 1769
Map of La Rioja by Tomás López de Vargas Machuca, year 1769

Up to the 19th century the territory remained divided between the provinces of Burgos and Soria. The region was taken by Napoleonic forces in the Peninsular War and remained solidly in French hands until 1814. In the 1810 project of Llorente it was to be a part of the prefecture of Arlanzón with its capital in Burgos. The Cortes of Cádiz declared La Rioja an independent province at the time of the Liberal Constitution of 1812, and during the Liberal Triennium in January 1822 the province of Logroño was created by royal decree as part of the administrative reform of Riego, taking in the whole of the historical territory of La Rioja. However, Ferdinand VII soon annulled these decisions and restored most of the previous territorial divisions. In the 1833 reorganization, a province of Logroño was again formed within the region of Castilla la Vieja. The province increased its territory temporarily in 1841.

Autonomous community

In 1980 the province changed its name to La Rioja, and following the adoption of the Estatuto de San Millán in 1982, during the reorganization following the Spanish transition to democracy, it was constituted as a uni-provincial autonomous community,.[4] It is the second-smallest autonomous community in Spain and has the smallest population; half of its 174 municipalities have populations under 200. Nearly half of its citizens live in the capital.

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Berones

Berones

The Berones were a pre-Roman Celtic people of ancient Spain, although they were not part of the Celtiberians, they lived north of the Celtiberians and close to the Cantabrian Conisci in the middle Ebro region between the Tirón and Alhama rivers.

Autrigones

Autrigones

The Autrigones were a pre-Roman tribe that settled in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, in what today is the western Basque Country and northern Burgos and the East of Cantabria, Spain. Their territory limited with the Cantabri territory at west, the Caristii at east, the Berones at the southeast and the Turmodigi at the south. It is discussed whether the Autrigones were Celts, theory supported by the existence of toponyms of Celtic origin, such as Uxama Barca and other with -briga endings and that eventually underwent a Basquisation along with other neighboring tribes such as the Caristii and Varduli.

Hispania Tarraconensis

Hispania Tarraconensis

Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia was the province of Hispania Baetica. On the Atlantic west lay the province of Lusitania, partially coincident with modern-day Portugal.

Duchy of Cantabria

Duchy of Cantabria

The Duchy of Cantabria was created by the Visigoths in northern Spain. Its precise extension is unclear in the different periods, but it seems likely that it included Cantabria, parts of Northern Castile, La Rioja, and probably western areas of Biscay and Álava.

Early Muslim conquests

Early Muslim conquests

The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests, also referred to as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the main Islamic prophet. He established a new unified polity in Arabia that expanded rapidly under the Rashidun Caliphate and the Umayyad Caliphate, culminating in Islamic rule being established across three continents. According to Scottish historian James Buchan: "In speed and extent, the first Arab conquests were matched only by those of Alexander the Great, and they were more lasting."

Sancho I of Pamplona

Sancho I of Pamplona

Sancho Garcés I, also known as Sancho I, was king of Pamplona from 905 until 925. He was the son of García Jiménez and was the first king of Pamplona of the Jiménez dynasty. Sancho I was the feudal ruler of the Onsella valley, and expanded his power to all the neighboring territories. He was chosen to replace Fortún Garcés by the Pamplonese nobility in 905.

Arnedo

Arnedo

Arnedo is the third largest town in La Rioja, Spain. It is located near Calahorra, and has a population of about 15,000 people.

Banu Qasi

Banu Qasi

The Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi, Banu Musa, or al-Qasawi were a Muladí dynasty that in the 9th century ruled the Upper March, a frontier territory of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba, located on the upper Ebro Valley. At their height in the 850s, family head Musa ibn Musa al-Qasawi was so powerful and autonomous that he would be called 'The Third Monarch of Hispania'. In the first half of the 10th century, an intra-family succession squabble, rebellions and rivalries with competing families, in the face of vigorous monarchs to the north and south, led to the sequential loss of all of their land.

Tudela, Navarre

Tudela, Navarre

Tudela is a municipality in Spain, the second largest city of the autonomous community of Navarre and twice a former Latin bishopric. Its population is around 35,000. The city is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrified railways serve the city and two freeways join close to it. Tudela is the capital of the agricultural region of Ribera Navarra, and also the seat of the courts of its judicial district.

Fernán González of Castile

Fernán González of Castile

Fernán González was the first autonomous count of Castile. Fernán González was a colourful character of legendary status in Iberia, and founder of the dynasty that would rule a semi-autonomous Castile, laying the foundations for its status as an independent kingdom. In the year 930, Fernán's name appears with the title of count inside the administrative organization of the eastern Kingdom of León.

Kingdom of Viguera

Kingdom of Viguera

The Kingdom of Viguera was a small ephemeral subsidiary kingdom centered on the town of Viguera from 970 into the early 11th century. The kingdom was created by King García Sánchez I of Pamplona for the eldest son of his second marriage, Ramiro Garcés, who became the first king of Viguera. He was succeeded by two sons who ruled jointly, but on the death of the survivor of the two, sometime between 1005 and 1030, Viguera was reabsorbed into the main Pamplona kingdom.

Kingdom of Castile

Kingdom of Castile

The Kingdom of Castile was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th century as the County of Castile, an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, its counts increased their autonomy, but it was not until 1065 that it was separated from León and became a kingdom in its own right. Between 1072 and 1157, it was again united with León, and after 1230, this union became permanent. Throughout this period, the Castilian kings made extensive conquests in southern Iberia at the expense of the Islamic principalities. The Kingdoms of Castile and of León, with their southern acquisitions, came to be known collectively as the Crown of Castile, a term that also came to encompass overseas expansion.

Geography

View of La Rioja
View of La Rioja

La Rioja is bordered by the Basque Country (province of Álava), Navarre, Aragón (province of Zaragoza), and Castile and León (provinces of Soria and Burgos). The river Ebro flows through this region, as does the river Oja, after which it is named.

The Ebro runs through the north of the community. The entire right bank (which is to the south) belongs to La Rioja. There are only three municipalities, Briñas, San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Ábalos on the left bank (known as the Riojan Sonsierra), although Logroño, Agoncillo, Alcanadre, Rincón de Soto and Alfaro also have parts of their respective municipal territories on that bank. Because of their proximity, the Álava area between the Ebro and the Sierra de Cantabria is called Rioja Alavesa.

Climate

The climate is mainly continental. The Rioja Alta comarca receives more precipitation than Rioja Baja. The average temperature ranges from 11.8–31.8 °C (53.2–89.2 °F) and the precipitation ranges between 300–600 mm (12–24 in) as an annual average. The wind called Cierzo is very frequent around La Rioja during the winter.

Mountains and mountain ranges

The mountains in La Rioja are part of the Iberian System. This mountain range extends to the south of the Ebro river, parallel to it at a distance of about 40 to 60 km (25 to 37 miles), with altitudes ranging between 1,000 and 2,000 m (3,300 and 6,600 feet). From the mountain range the Sierra de la Demanda runs northwards, into the heart of La Rioja, incorporating Monte San Lorenzo which, at 2,271 m (7,451 ft), is the highest peak in the province. Other mountains include Sierra de Camero Viejo, Sierra de Camero Nuevo, Sierra de Cebollera, and Picos de Urbión.

La Rioja and its seven valleys. Drawing by Ernesto Reiner.      EbroPuerto de PiquerasConchas de HaroIberian RangePuerto de Oncala    Sierras de Cantabria y CodésAlhama ValleyLinares ValleyCidacos ValleyJubera Valley    Leza ValleyIregua ValleyNajerilla ValleyOja ValleyTirón ValleyLogroño
La Rioja and its seven valleys. Drawing by Ernesto Reiner.

Hydrography

The river Ebro in La Rioja
The river Ebro in La Rioja

The Ebro is the main river passing through the community. Emerging from the narrow channel between the rocks of the Conchas de Haro, it reaches La Rioja, through which it runs for 120 km (75 miles), before continuing its journey to the Mediterranean. In the Conchas de Haro the altitude of the river is 445 m (1,460 ft) and when it leaves the community, in the Sotos del Ebro Natural Reserve in Alfaro, it is 260 m (850 ft) high. The river therefore flows very quickly through La Rioja.

Seven rivers descend rapidly towards the Ebro from the mountain range, which is why La Rioja is sometimes called: "Zone of the seven valleys". They are, from east to west, Alhama, Cidacos, Leza, Iregua, Najerilla, Oja and Tirón, although the headwaters of the Alhama and Cidacos originate in Soria and those of Najerilla-Neila and Tirón are from Burgos. Sometimes Linares (a tributary of Alhama) is added, grouping Tirón with its tributary, the Oja.

All the rivers of these valleys form tributaries that go on to form many valleys in their own right, such as those of Linares, Ocon, Jubera, Tuerto, Brieva, Viniegras and San Millán. There is an almost unlimited number of grandiose canyons, quite splendid in nature, such as Aguas Buenas, Nieva, Manzanares, Ardancha, Navajún, Valderresa, Ollora, Tobia, San Martín and others.

Flora and fauna

In the highlands oaks, beech and pine are grown. There are also thickets of juniper, boxwood, sloes, holly and cistus. Thyme, rosemary, common juniper, and holm oak are present. There are grand hillsides with fine pasture for livestock, cattle and sheep. In the lower areas there are oaks, olive and almond trees. Near the Ebro, in the plains, the land is used for cereal, sugar beet and potatoes, while the hills are covered with vast vineyards of the wine that has brought worldwide fame to this region.

All Riojan rivers, including the Ebro, have a row of poplars and cottonwood. About the Riojan Alamos Ana Maria Matute has written: "... see them on the edge of the water, turning the landscape, like spears magical pointing towards the unreal and mysterious country of the riverbed."[5]

Natural resources

Gypsum and silica are mined. Arnedillo is a spa town.

Dinosaur footprints

Footprints of a Theropoda found near Enciso.
Footprints of a Theropoda found near Enciso.

During the Early Cretaceous period the geographical area of Cameros was part of a flooded plain that drained periodically, leaving behind muddy areas where dinosaur tracks marked the path. Eventually they were dried and covered with new sediment layers whose weight pressed down on the lower layers, causing them to solidify into rocks over millions of years. Erosion has been wearing down the upper layers making many of these rock formations visible, bringing into view the fossilized footprints. La Rioja is notable for the number and conservation of these sites, in addition to those found in the north of Soria, such as Yanguas, Santa Cruz de Yanguas and other highland locations.[6]

Comarcas

La Rioja(España) Comarcas 04.svg

Geographical comarcas:

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Basque Country (autonomous community)

Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country, also called Basque Autonomous Community, is an autonomous community of Spain. It includes the provinces of Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa, located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, bordering on the autonomous communities of Cantabria, Castile and León, La Rioja, and Navarre, and the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Navarre

Navarre

Navarre, officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France. The capital city is Pamplona. The present-day province makes up the majority of the territory of the medieval Kingdom of Navarre, a long-standing Pyrenean kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, with its northernmost part, Lower Navarre, located in the southwest corner of France.

Aragon

Aragon

Aragon is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza. The current Statute of Autonomy declares Aragon a historic nationality of Spain.

Ebro

Ebro

The Ebro is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows 930 kilometres (580 mi), almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea forming a delta in the Province of Tarragona, in southern Catalonia. In the Iberian peninsula, it ranks second in length after the Tagus and second in discharge volume, and drainage basin, after the Douro. It is the longest river entirely within Spain; the other two mentioned flow into Portugal. It is also the second-longest river in the Mediterranean basin, after the Nile.

Oja (river)

Oja (river)

Rio Oja is a river in the La Rioja province of northern Spain. It flows through the Oja Valley past the town and municipality of Ezcaray. It is generally accepted to have given its name to the famous wine of the Rioja DO, although there are other theories. The Oja flows into the Tirón River east of Cihuri, and the Tirón flows into the Ebro immediately north of Haro.

Briñas

Briñas

Briñas is a town and municipality in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain.

San Vicente de la Sonsierra

San Vicente de la Sonsierra

San Vicente de la Sonsierra is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. The municipality covers an area of 48.56 square kilometres (18.75 sq mi) and as of 2011 had a population of 1132 people.

Agoncillo, La Rioja

Agoncillo, La Rioja

Agoncillo is a town and municipality in La Rioja province in northern Spain.

Alcanadre

Alcanadre

Alcanadre is a town and municipality in La Rioja province in northern Spain. The town is located along the Ebro River, between Logroño and Calahorra. Alcanadre has a temperate, Mediterranean climate. Its major agricultural products are wine, olive oil, almonds, and grain. The town is home to the shrine of Saint Aradón, ruins of a Roman aqueduct from the 1st century and the church of Santa María de la Asunción.

Rincón de Soto

Rincón de Soto

Rincón de Soto is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. The municipality covers an area of 19.86 square kilometres (7.67 sq mi) and as of 2011 had a population of 3819 people.

Rioja Alavesa

Rioja Alavesa

Rioja Alavesa, officially Cuadrilla de Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa is one of seven comarcas that make up the province of Álava, Spain. It covers an area of 315.83 km² with a population of 11,360 people (2010). The capital lies at Laguardia. It is part of a notable wine growing region.

Continental climate

Continental climate

Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature. They tend to occur in the middle latitudes, within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing some precipitation, and temperatures are not moderated by oceans. Continental climates occur mostly in the Northern Hemisphere due to the large landmasses found there. Most of northern and northeastern China, eastern and southeastern Europe, Western and north western Iran, central and southeastern Canada, and the central and northeastern United States have this type of climate. Continentality is a measure of the degree to which a region experiences this type of climate.

Economy

Glasses of wine for tasting in the Vivancos MuseumVineyards (Viñedos) in La RiojaToro de fuego festival in Haro
Glasses of wine for tasting in the Vivancos Museum
Glasses of wine for tasting in the Vivancos MuseumVineyards (Viñedos) in La RiojaToro de fuego festival in Haro
Vineyards (Viñedos) in La Rioja
Glasses of wine for tasting in the Vivancos MuseumVineyards (Viñedos) in La RiojaToro de fuego festival in Haro
Toro de fuego festival in Haro

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the autonomous community was 8.5 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 0.7% of Spanish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 29,200 euros or 97% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 102% of the EU average.[7]

Power station at Arrúbal, La Rioja
Power station at Arrúbal, La Rioja

La Rioja is known for its production of Rioja DOCa wines (although the Rioja viticultural region extends slightly into the neighboring administrative regions of Álava and Navarra).

Agriculture

There is dryland farming of wheat, barley and grape; irrigated cultivation of asparagus, capsicum and other crops; and animal husbandry of sheep.

Industry

Types of industry include wine production and conserves (in Logroño, Cenicero, Haro and Calahorra); textiles and footwear (in Logroño, Arnedo, Cervera del Río Alhama and Ezcaray); furniture manufacturing (in Ezcaray, Logroño and Nájera); rubber, plastics, chemical products and transport machinery; and chorizo, made in Casalarreina.

Exports are directed mostly towards the European Union, United States and Canada.

La Rioja hosts the annual Battle of Wine festival in the village of Haro. Another famous local festival is the Toro de fuego, where a metal frame in the shape of a bull is carried among festival goers, which also takes place in Haro.

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Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold in a specific time period by a country or countries, generally "without double counting the intermediate goods and services used up to produce them". GDP is most often used by the government of a single country to measure its economic health. Due to its complex and subjective nature, this measure is often revised before being considered a reliable indicator. GDP (nominal) per capita does not, however, reflect differences in the cost of living and the inflation rates of the countries; therefore, using a basis of GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP) may be more useful when comparing living standards between nations, while nominal GDP is more useful comparing national economies on the international market. Total GDP can also be broken down into the contribution of each industry or sector of the economy. The ratio of GDP to the total population of the region is the per capita GDP.

Rioja (wine)

Rioja (wine)

Rioja [] is a wine region in Spain, with denominación de origen calificada. Rioja wine is made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of La Rioja and Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa. Many wines have traditionally blended fruit from all three regions, though there is a slow growth in single-zone wines.

Dryland farming

Dryland farming

Dryland farming and dry farming encompass specific agricultural techniques for the non-irrigated cultivation of crops. Dryland farming is associated with drylands, areas characterized by a cool wet season followed by a warm dry season. They are also associated with arid conditions, areas prone to drought and those having scarce water resources.

Barley

Barley

Barley, a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley production is used as animal fodder, while 30% as a source of fermentable material for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various foods. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley bread of various cultures. Barley grains are commonly made into malt in a traditional and ancient method of preparation.

Grape

Grape

A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis. Grapes are a non-climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.

Irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been developed by many cultures around the world. Irrigation helps to grow crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas and during times of below-average rainfall. In addition to these uses, irrigation is also employed to protect crops from frost, suppress weed growth in grain fields, and prevent soil consolidation. It is also used to cool livestock, reduce dust, dispose of sewage, and support mining operations. Drainage, which involves the removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given location, is often studied in conjunction with irrigation.

Asparagus

Asparagus

Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable.

Capsicum

Capsicum

Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit.

Animal husbandry

Animal husbandry

Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starting with the Neolithic Revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, predating farming of the first crops. By the time of early civilisations such as ancient Egypt, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were being raised on farms.

Chorizo

Chorizo

Chorizo is a type of pork cured meat originating from the Iberian Peninsula.

European Union

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of 4,233,255.3 km2 (1,634,469.0 sq mi) and an estimated total population of nearly 447 million. The EU has often been described as a sui generis political entity combining the characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.

Canada

Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its southern and western border with the United States is the world's longest binational land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Demographics

According to the INE the population of La Rioja (as at 2018) is 315,675 inhabitants, with 155,758 men and 159,917 women. Its population density is 62.57 people per km2.[8] It is the least populous autonomous community in Spain. Its capital, Logroño, with approximately 151,113 inhabitants, is its most populous city.

La Rioja has 174 municipalities. According to the same INE data, there are more men than women in 150 of them, in two the numbers are the same and in 22 there are more females than males. In the latter set, the differences are small, except in the capital where there are 4,868 more women than men.

Vertical bar chart demographic of La Rioja between 1857 and 2018
  Legal population (1857-1897) according to the population census published by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística in the nineteenth century.
  Legal population (1900-1991) or Resident population (2001) according to the population census published by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.
  Population according to the municipal register of 2018 published by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

Major cities

 
 
Largest cities or towns in La Rioja
Rank Name Pop.
Logroño
Logroño
Calahorra
Calahorra
1 Logroño 151,113 Arnedo
Arnedo
Haro
Haro
2 Calahorra 23,923
3 Arnedo 14,815
4 Haro 11,309
5 Lardero 10,193
6 Alfaro 9,460
7 Nájera 8,047
8 Villamediana de Iregua 7,973
9 Santo Domingo de la Calzada 6,231
10 Autol 4,469

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Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)

Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)

The Instituto Nacional de Estadística is the official agency in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. It is an autonomous organization responsible for overall coordination of statistical services of the General State Administration in monitoring, control and supervision of technical procedures. Every 10 years, this organization conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2011.

Logroño

Logroño

Logroño is the capital of the province of La Rioja, situated in northern Spain. Traversed in its northern part by the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of passage, such as the Camino de Santiago. Its borders were disputed between the Iberian kingdoms of Castille, Navarre and Aragon during the Middle Ages.

Calahorra

Calahorra

Calahorra [pronounced [kalaˈora]] is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During Ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris Nassica Iulia.

Arnedo

Arnedo

Arnedo is the third largest town in La Rioja, Spain. It is located near Calahorra, and has a population of about 15,000 people.

Haro, La Rioja

Haro, La Rioja

Haro is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in northern Spain. It produces red wine, and hosts the annual Haro Wine Festival. Its architectural heritage includes the plateresque main entrance of the Church of Santo Tomás, the work of Felipe Vigarny, numerous palaces, and the old town, which was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1975.

Lardero

Lardero

Lardero is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. The municipality covers an area of 20.36 square kilometres (7.86 sq mi) and as of 2011 had a population of 8438 people.

Alfaro, La Rioja

Alfaro, La Rioja

Alfaro is a town and municipality in La Rioja, northern Spain. Its population in January 2009 was 9,883 inhabitants, and its area is 194.23 km². It is known for the annual return and nesting of the 'Storks of Alfaro.'

Nájera

Nájera

Nájera is a small town, former bishopric and now Latin Catholic titular see, former capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, northern Spain, on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the French Way the most popular path on the Way of St James.

Villamediana de Iregua

Villamediana de Iregua

Villamediana de Iregua is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. The municipality covers an area of 20.42 square kilometres (7.88 sq mi) and as of 2017 had a population of 7855 people.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Santo Domingo de la Calzada is a municipality in La Rioja, Spain, situated on the banks of the Oja River. Its name refers to its founder, Dominic de la Calzada, who built a bridge, hospital, and hotel here for pilgrims on the French Way the most popular path of the Way of St. James. He began construction of the town's Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada is buried within and it is dedicated to him.

Autol

Autol

Autol is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. River Cidacos flows by the town. There are original rock formations close to Autol. The municipality covers an area of 85.28 square kilometres (32.93 sq mi) and as of 2011 had a population of 4458 people.

Education

According to the 2007 PISA report, education in La Rioja is of the highest quality in Spain, close to that of other European countries with better overall educational levels in terms of student knowledge. In the Ministry of Education's 2009 report La Rioja was in first position among the autonomous communities as it relates to general aspects of primary and secondary education.[10]

It is placed above the Spanish average in the list of communities with the lowest levels of school failure, with 85% of students being able to obtain the ESO title, despite its schools having the highest proportion of enrolled immigrants.[11]

6,208 euros are spent per pupil, making it the tenth ranked community in this regard.[10] The majority of educational institutions in the community are public, followed by subsidized and private schools, the latter of which are very scarce at the primary and secondary levels. The bachillerato is free in public schools and at a cost in charter schools.[12]

In La Rioja the portion of the population with higher education is 30.6%, with two institutions offering studies at this level: the University of La Rioja and an online university, the International University of La Rioja.[13]

Transportation

Regional road LR-210 towards San Vicente de la Sonsierra
Regional road LR-210 towards San Vicente de la Sonsierra

La Rioja has connections by air via the Logroño-Agoncillo Airport.

Rail journeys to Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Valladolid, Oviedo, Bilbao, La Coruña, Vigo are possible, since the Castejón-Miranda line crosses the region from east to west. The main railway station is that at Logroño.

Roads between La Rioja and neighboring regions are primarily through the AP-68. Additional highways have been built, such as the Autovía A-12 which connects Pamplona to Logroño since 2006, and in the future will reach Burgos. Other major road routes include:

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Government and politics

The current President of La Rioja is Concha Andreu of PSOE. The autonomous community has its own Parliament. Other organs include the Consejo de Gobierno (council of government) and the Tribunal Superior de Justicia (high court of justice).

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Monuments

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Iglesia de Santo Tomás

Iglesia de Santo Tomás

The Iglesia de Santo Tomás is a Roman Catholic church in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. It is located in the market place of the town which is known for its pottery and contains the Chichicastenango Regional Museum. It was built around 1545 atop a Pre-Columbian temple platform, and the steps originally leading to a temple of the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization remain venerated. K'iche' Maya priests still use the church for their rituals, burning incense and candles. Each of the 18 stairs that lead up to the church stands for one month of the Maya calendar year. Another key element of Chichicastenango is the Cofradia of Pascual Abaj, which is an ancient carved stone venerated nearby and the Maya priests perform several rituals there. Writing on the stone records the doings of a king named Tohil (Fate).

Monastery of Santa María (Cañas)

Monastery of Santa María (Cañas)

The Monastery of Santa María is a Cistercian nunnery located in Cañas, Spain.

Monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla

Monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla

The monasteries of San Millán de Suso and San Millán de Yuso are two monasteries situated in the village of San Millán de la Cogolla, La Rioja, Spain. They have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since December 1997.

Church of San Bartolomé (Logroño)

Church of San Bartolomé (Logroño)

The Church of San Bartolomé is the oldest church of Logroño, Spain. Its construction dates back to the 12th century, so partly preserves Romanesque style in the head and in the initial part of the tower, and continues during the 13th century, with the Gothic style development, building the magnificent arched portal, which contains some Romanesque sculptures that tell the life of saint Bartholomew and other Bible passages.

Calahorra Cathedral

Calahorra Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santa María is a cathedral located in Calahorra. It is one of the cathedrals belonging to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logroño.

Notable people

Fausto Elhuyar (1755–1833), chemist and joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Juan José Elhuyar
Fausto Elhuyar (1755–1833), chemist and joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Juan José Elhuyar

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Celso Morga Iruzubieta

Celso Morga Iruzubieta

Celso Morga Iruzubieta is the current Archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz. He had previously served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 29 December 2010

Dani Aranzubia

Dani Aranzubia

Daniel Aranzubia Aguado is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and the goalkeeper coach of Athletic Bilbao B.

Dominic of Silos

Dominic of Silos

Dominic of Silos, O.S.B., was a Spanish monk, to whom the Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, where he served as the abbot, is dedicated. He is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. His feast day is 20 December.

Fausto Elhuyar

Fausto Elhuyar

Fausto de Elhuyar was a Spanish chemist, and the first to isolate tungsten with his brother Juan José Elhuyar in 1783. He was in charge, under a King of Spain commission, of organizing the School of Mines in México City and so was responsible for building an architectural jewel known as the "Palacio de Minería". Elhuyar left Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence, when most of the Spanish residents in Mexico were expelled.

Fortunato Pablo Urcey

Fortunato Pablo Urcey

Fortunato Pablo Urcey O.A.R. is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Between 2005 and 2022 he was the prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Chota, Peru, an administrative division of the Church that, unlike a diocese, is assigned to the care of a religious order.

Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont

Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont

Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont was bishop of Mexico and, from July 19, 1809, to May 8, 1810, viceroy of New Spain.

Gonzalo de Berceo

Gonzalo de Berceo

Gonzalo de Berceo was a Castilian Spanish poet born in the Riojan village of Berceo, close to the major Benedictine monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. He is celebrated for his poems on religious subjects, written in a style of verse which has been called Mester de Clerecía, shared with more secular productions such as the Libro de Alexandre, the Libro de Apolonio. He is considered the first Castilian poet known by name.

Gustavo Bueno

Gustavo Bueno

Gustavo Bueno Martínez was a Spanish philosopher, founder of a philosophical doctrine dubbed by himself as "philosophical materialism".

José Ortiz-Echagüe

José Ortiz-Echagüe

José Ortiz-Echagüe was a Spanish entrepreneur, industrial and military engineer, pilot and photographer, founder of Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) and Honorary lifetime President of SEAT. He was also nominated Gentilhombre de cámara con ejercicio during the reign of the King of Spain Alfonso XIII.

Juan José Elhuyar

Juan José Elhuyar

Juan José Elhuyar Lubize was a Spanish chemist and mineralogist, who was best known for being first to isolate tungsten with his brother Fausto Elhuyar in 1783.

Manuel Bretón de los Herreros

Manuel Bretón de los Herreros

Manuel Bretón de los Herreros was a Spanish dramatist.

Martín Fernández de Navarrete

Martín Fernández de Navarrete

Martín Fernández de Navarrete y Ximénez de Tejada, was a Spanish noble, grandson of the Marquess of Ximenez de Tejada, knight of the Order of Malta, politician and historian. He was a Spanish senator and Director of the Spanish Royal Academy of History (1824-1844).

Source: "La Rioja", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 11th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Rioja.

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See also
References
  1. ^ "ISO 3166-2 NEWSLETTER Date issued: 2010-02-03 No II-1 Corrected and reissued 2010-02-19" (PDF). Iso.org. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Javier García Turza. La Rioja entre Navarra y Castilla. Del mundo agrario al espacio urbano. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Gobierno de la Rioja". Archived from the original on 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2007-04-07. Statute of Autonomy (in Spanish)
  5. ^ "Guía de La Rioja" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Fósiles de La Rioja permiten reconstruir totalmente el dinosaurio 'Baryonix' (Fossils of La Rioja allow the full reconstruction of the 'Baryonix' dinosaur)" (in Spanish). 26 July 2006.
  7. ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
  8. ^ "Datos de población por municipios del INE (INE population data by municipalities)" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2013-01-11.
  9. ^ "Continuous Register Population by Population Unit".
  10. ^ a b V. Soto (21 April 2010). "La Rioja mantiene la mejor educación de España tras la evaluación de diagnóstico del Ministerio" (in Spanish). Logroño. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  11. ^ Juan Antonio Gómez Trinidad (1 February 2006). "El fracaso escolar en La Rioja es del 15%" (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  12. ^ Valeriano Sarto Fraj (21 September 2009). "El concierto de Bachillerato para no segregar" (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  13. ^ Website of UNIR - International University of La Rioja. Retrieved 15 May 2017. See also Spanish Wikipedia article.
External links


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