CASTILE-LA MANCHA

Spanish Castilla-la Mancha, comunidad autnoma (autonomous community) and historic region of Spain, encompassing the central Spanish provinces of Toledo, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Albacete. The autonomous community, established in 1982, is bounded by the provinces of Cceres and Badajoz to the west, Crdoba, Jan, and Murcia to the south, Alicante, Valencia, and Teruel to the east, and Zaragoza, Soria, Segovia, Madrid, and vila to the north. The watershed of the low-lying Toledo Mountains bisects the region, with tablelands of La Alcarria to the north being drained by the Tagus (Tajo) and the plains of La Mancha to the south being drained by the Guadiana. La Alcarria merges with the Central mountain system to the north and the Iberian range to the east; the plains of La Mancha extend southeastward into the province of Albacete, terminating in the Baetic range. The Morena mountain range rises in the south. A Mediterranean climate, modified by continental influences, prevails: temperatures rise east to west and north to south. Annual precipitation is relatively low, exceeding 20 inches (500 mm) only in the province of Cuenca, and is concentrated in the autumn and spring. Emigration to the job market of Madrid, the national capital, just to the north, has depleted the population of Castile-La Mancha. This effect has been much more severe in the mountainous zones of the provinces of Cuenca and Guadalajara than in the provincial capitals, where the population has doubled since 1900. Emigration has been especially high among young men, with the result that the median age has increased sharply while the birth rate has plummeted. Emigration to the countries of the European Economic Community has generally been low, though large numbers of migrants work in France. The population tends to be dispersed in the Iberian mountains and concentrated in the plains of La Mancha, where large agricultural towns predominate. The population density increases in lower La Mancha, where the water table is close to the surface and supports a diversified agriculture. Farmland in La Mancha tends to be partitioned into latifundios, or large estates, while minifundios, or small landholdings, predominate north of the Tagus. Agriculture dominates the economy. Most of the land under cultivation is dry-farmed, producing wheat, grapes, and olives. The region also produces sunflower, saffron, sumac, and cotton. Mechanization of agriculture has been impeded by the fragmentation of holdings in the mountains and lags behind the national average. Animal husbandry accounts for approximately one-third of the region's agricultural output and is concentrated in the province of Guadalajara; the preferred animals are sheep, pigs, and goats. Forests cover one-third of the land but have yet to be fully exploited. The industrial sector is underdeveloped outside the province of Ciudad Real, where a large petroleum refinery has established Puertollano as a major petrochemical centre. The mines of Almadn produce mercury. Mining is of relatively little importance outside Ciudad Real, though there are important deposits of iron in Guadalajara province and kaolin is mined in Cuenca. Manufacturing is small-scale and centres on the processing of primary materials. The region produces about one-half of Spain's wine and mills a large portion of the nation's flour. The provincial capitals are the leading commercial centres of the region. The provinces of Toledo and Guadalajara also have strong commercial ties to Madrid, while Talavera de la Reina in Toledo province is the commercial centre of some 80 communities. Energy resources are poor, the general dryness of the region precluding the development of hydroelectricity. A nuclear reactor is located in Zorita de los Canes. The National Museum of Abstract Art was established in the city of Cuenca in 1966. The polychromatic ceramics produced in the province of Toledo have been widely marketed since the 14th century; colours are clearly delineated, and designs show Mudejar (Moorish), Gothic, and Renaissance influences. The ceramics of Talavera de la Reina were especially popular during the Renaissance but were in decline by the second quarter of the 18th century. The town of Atienza in the province of Guadalajara features a Caballada every Pentecost, in which townsmen ride to the hermitage of Nuestra Seora de la Estrella outside Atienza and reenact the rescue of Alfonso VII by townsmen in 1163. Pop. (1986 est.) 1,670,091.