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About This Quiz
Get your fill of Iberian flair with this Spanish provinces challenge. See if you know Spain's 50 provinces from pictures and a few cool facts!
Sociopolitically, Spain suffered many turbulent years before the country's territories were divided in 1833. Its pre-1833 Enlightenment period did away with the infamous colonial empire as well as globe-trotting 16th-century conquistadores that helped to carve the New World into what it is today. While Spanish colonialism didn't give up without a fight well into the nineteenth century, the inhabitants of Spain, motivated by their discontent with the rule of law, set out to shake up the existing balance of power.ÂÂ
From 1833 until a few years after Francisco Franco took over in 1936, horrendous warfare was constant. After that, capitalist enterprise soon became a blessing and a curse for Spain; its burgeoning economy rendered dictatorship incompatible, while less audacious regions overburdened the more industrious areas which prompted a reliance on the European Union in the twentieth century.ÂÂ
Now that Spain is economically stronger, its provinces have flourished socially and have experienced cultural renaissances that promise an industrious future in the tourism sector for the country. Celebrate Spain's provincial revivals by taking this quiz and learn the past and the present that makes each region so unique!
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Do you know the Spanish province that Britain conquered on April 6, 1812, after a three-week siege?
Badajoz
British soldiers pursued Napoleon's troops in the Iberian peninsula where the French had invaded Spain in 1807 and 1808. The British siege on Badajoz started on March 16 when soldiers relentlessly built trenches around the Spanish fortress and bombed its walls.
Cadiz
Ourense
Palencia
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This region of Spain will feature a photovoltaic power plant that'll be operational in the year 2020. Have you guessed the location?
Caceres
The Talavan solar photovoltaic plant in Caceres is a component of the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, which stipulates that 20% of Spain's energy must come from renewable sources. The implementation phase of the project is expected to employ 500 people.
Tarragona
Castello
Alacant
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Is it a challenge for you to detect the province that's had a "ghost airport"?
Ciudad Real
Airport operator CR Aeropuertos went bankrupt in June 2012 when the airport in Ciudad Real could not attract enough passengers. The abandoned airport, which cost 1 billion euro to build in 2008, sold for 10,000 euro at auction.
Girona
Pontevedra
Las Palmas
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Spain's first reactivation center is based in which region of the country?
Alava
Biscay
Zaragoza
The reactivation center at Zaragoza allows its operators, the Jacobi Carbons Group, to meet the drinking-water demands of Iberian Peninsula inhabitants. Since 1916, the Jacobi Carbons Group has specialized in sustainable activated carbon production.
Ceuta
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Soon after the Moors showed up on the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, they founded the fortress area of ________?
Cantabria
Pontevedra
Cuenca
The hilltop province of Cuenca, Spain is a two-hour drive east of Madrid. During the 1960s, the region was a hub for abstract art. Artists, such as Antonio Saura, Gustavo Torner and Gerardo Rueda, established art studios and homes in Cuenca.
Madrid
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Do you recognize the Spanish locale with a philanthropic reputation?
Leon
In 2015, the Delia Moran Vidanta Foundation announced the donation of a statue by 20th-century Dominican sculptor and monk Miguel Iribertegui Eraso to the province of Leon, Spain. "Estatua del Pendon" was given to honor the district's service to children and the underprivileged.
Barcelona
Zamora
Cuenca
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The Moors conquered ________ in the eighth century, bringing with them their own craftsmen and artisans?
Salamanca
Lleida
Toledo
Christians resettled Toledo, Spain in 1085, naming it the capital of the Mediterranean country. Christians, Jews and Arabs all coexisted in the province, which became a major center of trade and art fabrication.
Murcia
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Which one of these provinces has a romantic city that's best known for its 13th-century "myth" of the Lovers?
Toledo
Teruel
Teruel, Spain is one of Europe's historic sites that has struggled to appeal to 21st-century tourists that tend to prefer a more internationalized travel experience. The province continues to promote itself as a romantic tourist destination that offers unique endogenous cultural activities.
Burgos
Seville
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The province's main city pitched a suggestion to Unesco to become a "City of Gastronomy." Guess the region?
Leon
Burgos
The city of Burgos, which lies in the same-named Spanish province, is a lesser-known gem of the international culinary circuit. The area's potent "morcilla de Burgos" dish is comprised of spices, blood, rice, sausage and pork.
Zaragoza
Ciudad Real
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Do you know the place that hosts a fair started in the 13th century?
Seville
The Seville Fair, which usually happens after Holy Week, features elaborately dressed participants, as well as revelers who dance until morning. Developed by gypsies of the Cadiz and Seville provinces in the 18th century, flamenco, a folkloric dance accompanied by music, is also performed.
Caceres
Zamora
Soria
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How well do you remember the part of Spain that inspired a medieval Arab poet to call it "The Bride of Andalucia"?
Cordoba
The Spanish province of Cordoba enjoys a vibrant tourism industry; approximately one million visitors explore the inland city of Cordoba yearly. The province hosts many festivals, including Cruces, Feria, Catas and Patios.
Lugo
Almeria
Valladolid
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It was in ________ that the Virgin Mary is said to have healed the suffering of a shepherd, in 1227?
Jaen
The Spanish province of Jaen is considered a mecca of olive oil cultivation in Southern Europe. Olive plantations there span nearly 590,000 hectares and encompass close to sixty-six million olive trees.
Madrid
Girona
Seville
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Do you ID the birthplace of a popular 20th-century poet?
Albacete
Caceres
Murcia
Granada
The 13th-century Alhambra fortress and palace in Granada is one of the most popular tourist sites in Spain. Federico Garcia Lorca is the now-celebrated 20th-century controversial poet whose works were banned during his lifetime.
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Spaniards have dubbed its eponymous city "the soul of the Spanish nation." Where is this place?
Asturias
Badajoz
Salamanca
The province's city of Salamanca is home to a medieval university, and its skyline is comprised of an array of cathedral domes. Salamanca province is nestled in Spain's west-central region.
Granada
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Spot the region where you will find the small town of Campillo de Ranas or the Little Field of Frogs?
Seville
Guadalajara
There are about 60 full-time residents in the small town of Campillo de Ranas in Spain's Northwestern province of Guadalajara. Molina de Aragon is another sparsely populated Guadalajara municipality, with 1.63 residents per kilometer.
Jaen
Cuenca
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Can you recognize this province in Western Catalonia?
Soria
Lleida
Lleida province features the only national park in Catalonia, Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. Aiguestortes means "twisted waters" in the Catalan language. The park includes the three-quarters-mile-long Sant Maurici lake, among other mountain lakes.
Leon
Teruel
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The Moors founded the eponymous capital of ________ in the early ninth century?
Guadalajara
Murcia
A huge cathedral and Baroque architecture distinguish the province of Murcia's capital city. The Segura River flows past the city's scenic bridges, and colorful row houses showcase distinctive ornate balconies.
Avila
Segovia
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Where in Spain do same-named oranges grow?
Girona
La Rioja
Valencia
Sixteen villages in Valencia province grow chufas, which are tubers that are an agricultural staple for the region. Valencia's high humidity, mid-level temperatures and its four-to-five months of zero freeze make it an ideal area for cultivating assorted crops.
Cantabria
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Select the zone that's known for traces of dinosaurs?
Pontevedra
Malaga
Barcelona
Asturias
Northern Spain's Asturias province includes a stretch of northern municipalities collectively called "Dinosaur Coast." The area is riddled with Jurassic bones and prehistoric reptile prints.
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Its capital city is named for a famous Roman politician. Do you recall the province?
Lugo
Murcia
Salamanca
Navarre
Pamplona is the capital city of Spain's Navarre province that was named after the celebrated Roman politician Pompey. Once a year, Pamplona allows bulls to run through its city streets.
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The Spanish province of ________ is 147 miles from Madrid?
Cadiz
Barcelona
Segovia
Soria
With a population of roughly 40,000 inhabitants, the city of Soria is the capital of the same-named province. The region features a sacred hermitage from the sixth century where Soria's patron saint San Saturio was known to pray.
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Which of these provinces do you recognize that's close to the Portuguese border?
Huelva
Every year, Huelva's eponymous capital celebrates famed explorer Christopher Columbus. In 1492, Columbus's three-ship fleet set out for the New World from a seaport located just eight miles from the capital city.
Ourense
Malaga
Biscay
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Can you name this area that was founded by the Romans?
Cuenca
Lugo
The Romans bathed at the thermal springs near Lugo. They constructed a 30-foot-high, 20-foot-wide wall around the territory to ward off Celts. Lugo's wall is one of the oldest well-preserved Roman walls in all of Spain.
Zaragoza
Albacete
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Identify this destination that has a landscape replete with sagebrush-covered domed hills?
Almeria
The Southern Spanish province of Almeria is close to North Africa. Hollywood film producers often used the arid region as a setting that conjured the drylands of Arabia or the early American West.
Murcia
Leon
Huesca
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Spanish royals made it their home in the late 1400s. Does this hint help your best guess?
Soria
Avila
A Coruna
Valladolid
Before the royal court was moved to Madrid, Spain's sovereign rulers Fernando of Aragon and Isabel of Castilla called the capital city of Valladolid home. The Spanish province of Valladolid is part of the extensive Castilla y Leon region.
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It's strongly suspected that a great Roman Emperor once called ________ home?
Madrid
Malaga
Palencia
The 4th-century ruins of the Villa Romana Olmeda in Saldana are all that remain of the structure that many historians suspect once belonged to the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Saldana is the main municipality of the Spanish Palencia province.
Segovia
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Choose the exact label of this walled medieval region?
Navarre
Avila
People and peculiar creatures are carved into the exterior of Avila's stone walls, which rise 36 feet high and trail 7,500 feet long near the region's cathedrals and other structures. Avila is the name of both the capital city and the small province located roughly 62 miles away from Madrid.
Toledo
Albacete
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Is it easy to recall the correct Galician destination in Spain?
Zamora
A Coruna
Known for its crescent-shaped beach, the province of A Coruna is the largest municipality of Spain's Galacia region. Galacia is where the Castro family of Cuba and many other South American emigres originated.
Asturias
Girona
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Among the options, guess the province of Spain's culinary capital?
Barcelona
Barcelona province contains one of Spain's bigger cities of the same name. La Rambla is the city's famous walkway that links old quarters to the seaport. A prominent Christopher Columbus monument dots the path.
Alacant
La Rioja
Pontevedra
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The province of ________ encompasses most of the Arabic-themed White Towns of Andalusia?
Madrid
Cadiz
Whitewashed homes punctuate Cadiz's city landscapes. Eight towns in the province comprise the majority of Spain's Sherry production center, including Sanlucar de Barrameda, Chipiona, Puerto Real and El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Cantabria
Lleida
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Try to guess this Spanish place that has experienced increased migrant activity in recent years?
Ourense
Malaga
An increased number of African nationals in search of a better life have chosen the port city of Malaga of the same-named Spanish province as a favored point of European entry. Many of the migrants originate from French-speaking countries and desire to settle in Spain or France.
Castello
Las Palmas
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It's Spanish wine country with 15th-century appeal. Do you know the area in Spain?
Alava
Biscay
Ourense
A wide variety of grape plants encompass the region of Ribeiro in the Spanish province of Ourense. Ribeiro's domestic grape varietals include treixadura, loureira, godello and albarino.
Ceuta
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The main municipality of ________ includes the palace that influenced Walt Disney World's Cinderella Castle?
Las Palmas
Alava
Biscay
Segovia
The Spanish province of Segovia includes the same-named 2,000-year-old city built by Romans on massive rocks that are enclosed by two rivers. The city also includes the Gothic Cathedral of Segovia, for which construction was started in 1522.
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You'll find this Spanish province near the French border. Pick the right name?
Girona
The medieval city of Girona is the capital of the Spanish Girona province. The town's main tourist attractions are the Arab Baths, the Collegiate Church of St. Feliu and the Cathedral of St. Mary of Girona that houses the world's broadest Gothic nave.
Gipuzkoa
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Balearic Islands
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How well do you recognize the Spanish place that features snow-capped mountains as well as waterfalls?
Cuenca
La Rioja
Cantabria
Villages of Cantabria province are made primarily out of sandstone; many of them are covered by five-foot-wide stone portals. During blooming season, white and yellow wildflowers crowd Cantabria's landscape.
Castello
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From the image, do you remember the laid-back town with a formidable wine district?
Malaga
Madrid
La Rioja
La Rioja province gets its name from the river Oja that leads to the Ebro River of the Iberian Peninsula. 75% of the wine produced in the region is red wine. The major grape-growing districts in the region are Alavesa and Alta.
Palencia
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Are you sure that you know the region of Spain that's best described as a cosmopolitan cluster?
Balearic Islands
Spain's Balearic Islands include the provincial islands of Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca. Locals speak Spanish and varied derivations of Catalan, which is widely spoken in Catalonia and Barcelona.
Lugo
Navarre
Salamanca
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There are tens of thousands of leisure and tourism companies in ________?
Teruel
Leon
Caceres
Pontevedra
The Spanish province of Pontevedra is located in the southwest corner of Galicia. A 14th-century Romanesque church pokes the terrain of A Franqueira, a small village of Pontevedra that lies about 6 miles from the Portugal-Spain border.
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Are you aware of the lively Canary Islands locale with a population of 750,000?
Badajoz
Ciudad Real
Las Palmas
The city of Las Palmas in the eponymous Canary Islands province is a famous cruise destination; the town also facilitates a busy commercial port. The province has been home to a community of Sephardic Jews since 1492.
Cuenca
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Guess the municipality on Africa's north coast?
Ceuta
The province of Ceuta, pronounced "say-You-tah," is one of two Spanish communities that border Africa. Ceuta and the nearby Spanish province of Melilla have become hotbeds of increased migrant activity in recent years.
Toledo
Burgos
Jaen
You Got:
/40
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