n.
ancient Gallaecia
Autonomous community (pop., 2001: 2,695,880) and ancient kingdom, northwestern Spain.
Covering 11,419 sq mi (29,575 sq km), Galicia is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal, and its capital is Santiago de Compostela. Its name is derived from the Celtic Gallaeci, who lived there when the region was conquered by the Romans 0441; 137 BC. Taken by the Visigoth s in AD 585, it next passed to the Moors and became part of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th and 9th centuries. It lost much of its political autonomy after the unification of Castile and Aragon in 1479. The region was made an autonomous community in 1981. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are economically important.