Extremadura
Capital: Mérida
Website: http://www.juntaex.es/
Description
The Extremadura region, located in mid-western Spain and bordering Portugal, is
not well known at the international level despite possessing an important historical
legacy as well as a wealth of natural and cultural resources.
Extremadura is an autonomous community of Spain. It includes the provinces
of Cáceres and Badajoz.
Some important cities are Cáceres, Badajoz, Plasencia and Mérida,
the capital of the autonomous community. It is an important area for wildlife, particularly with the
major reserve at Monfragüe.
Badajoz and Cáceres are, respectively, the largest and second-largest
provinces of Spain.
Extremadura�s population
hardly reaches 1 100 000 inhabitants after decades of intense emigration, but the
region lies over two of the largest Spanish provinces, covering nearly 42 000 km2,
with an average density of only 27 inhabitants/km².
Over 400 municipalities stretch throughout the region, within a rural network that has
historically been characterised by a poor agricultural-livestock economy and high levels
of emigration. It is one of the poorest areas of Spain. The peripheral situation of the
region with regards to the large economic centres of the peninsula and of the rest of
Europe, and the inadequate structuring of the traditional transport and communication
infrastructures have also presented great challenges for the development of the region.
The regional economy is characterised by the importance of the services sector (78�12 %)
in contrast to the traditional weight that agriculture has had in the region. This
evolution is due, among other reasons, to the especialisation of farmers, to the
mechanisation of the land works, and to the strength of the tourism sector that has grown
considerably by promoting rural tourism. Businesses in Extremadura are characterised by
the fact that only a 1 % of the enterprises existing in the region have more than 50
workers. The main industrial sub sectors are the energy sector, the agro-industrial sector,
the cork industry, the textile industry and the ornamental stone industry.
Key Statistics
Area : 42,000 km�
Total population : 1,068,799 inhabitants
Population age group |
No. of inhabitants |
% |
55 - 59 |
53,654 |
5.05 |
60 - 64 |
48,577 |
4.55 |
65 - 69 |
50,459 |
4.72 |
70 - 74 |
56,133 |
5.25 |
75 - 79 |
44,636 |
4.18 |
80 - 84 |
29,997 |
2.81 |
85 + |
21,456 |
2.01 |
Total 55 + |
304,912 |
28.54 |
Population density : 26 inhabitants per km�
Working population : 374,200 people
GDP per inhabitant: 12,201�
Further statistics on the demographic change in Spain
Contact Information
David Carmona
Teresa Munoz
FUNDECYT
Calle Montesinos, 28
Edificio Almuzaffar
E-06002 Badajoz
Phone: +34 924 014600
Fax: +34 924001996
E-Mail: director at fundecyt dot es
E-Mail: teresa at fundecyt dot es
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