Galicia
The spectacular landscapes and wildness of the coast attract great numbers of tourists to Galicia which borders Portugal. Galicia has many fjord-like indentations on the coast, estuaries that were drowned with rising sea levels after the ice age. These are called rías and are divided into the Rías Altas, the Rías Medias, and the Rías Baixas. Most of the population live near the Rías Baixas, where several large urban centers including Vigo and Pontevedra are located. The rias are important for fishing, and make the coast an important fishing area.
Housing costs are cheaper in Galicia than almost anywhere else in Spain.Galicia is slowly losing its population, especially in the interior. Since 1986, there has been a net loss of about 10,000 people a year. This is despite the arrival of ‘immigrants’ and returning emigrants. The main reason is that the death rate is higher than the birth rate, though departure from the land certainly plays a role. - since 1986, the rural population has decreased by 22% and in the last 6 years, land under cultivation has decreased by 35%. Crime statistics reported in April 2003, showed Galicia as being well down the list, at number 17 out of 19 regions. The worst were Spain’s possessions in northern Africa, followed by the Balearic Islands, the east coast and then Madrid.
Galicia has a population of over 3,000,000 people, widely dispersed throughout the region. When Spain itself was still reasonably poor in the 1960s, Galicia was even poorer, and now that Spain is on par with the rest of Europe and still getting better, Galicia still seems relatively worse off. Things certainly are cheaper here, though there are naturally pockets of great wealth and it is not too hard to find expensive places. Galicia is a mythical place and has a great tradition of myths and legends. Galicians like to think of themselves as having deep Celtic roots and affinities with Ireland. In fact, one local myth is that Galicia was colonised by settlers from Ireland and Scotland in the 3rd century BC. This, of course, would make the Galicians very different from the rest of Spain. As for superstitions - legends of werewolves and witches, goblins and fairies continue to feature in the lives of many. Most visibly, fortune telling is a widespread activity in Galicia. Whether Celtic or not, the Galicians certainly do uphold one Spanish tradition - they throw fiestas whenever they can. During the summer months, there is bound to one somewhere near wherever you are, on whatever day. Many of these have a gastronomic theme.
