Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.2
Levels of disposable family income in Spain in 1992, by region.
and Aragon, and the expulsion of the Moors in Andalucia. But it retains a strong
regional element in its cultures, partially indicated by the continued existence of
regional languages, Catalan and Basque being the strongest, although Galician is
also receiving modern attention in the resurgence of regionalism since 1976,
after Franco's long period of centralism. Modern industrial-based economic
development in Spain came in the late nineteenth century, was checked by the
Civil War and Franco's 40-year reign, and has moved rapidly ahead since 1976.
As distinct from Britain, recent development has been heavily dependent on
special resources, Spain's fine climate attracting tourists and allowing specialist
agriculture to produce for the rest of Europe.
Regional economic differences in the level of incomes and generally the
standard of living are greater in Spain than in Britain. Compared with differences
in per capita income of about 1.5 to 1.0 between the highest and lowest regions of
the UK, the differences between the richest and poorest provinces of Spain, as
late as 1989, were of the order of 2.3 to 1.0 (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya 1991)
(
Fig. 6.2
). Powerful currents of migration from south to north, mostly from the
region of Andalucia to the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, and intense
development in a few regions, characterize the Spanish record of the twentieth
century. In 1970, Madrid and Barcelona provinces each had about 1.8 million
