Spain, now a fully integrated member of the European Union, once was considered so alien to the rest of Europe that Alexandre Dumas is known to have remarked that “Africa begins at the Pyrennees” (see #22).
The Pyrennees are a prime example of how geography is destiny. This mountain chain that so neatly divides the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe also seems to have cut it off for so long from the European cultural, political and economical mainstream. It’s certainly true that many casual observers of history (like me) will be hard pressed to tell you anything about Spain between Columbus and Franco.
This map dates from towards the end of that timeframe, and comes as a bit of a surprise. Published in 1852 after the First Carlist War (whatever that may have been), it shows a subdivision of Spain many would only associate with the era after the death of Spanish dictator Franco in 1975 and the subsequent democratisation and decentralisation of political life.
And yet it clearly already shows the Basque Country (in the north) and Catalonia (in the northeast) as two separate entities. In all, it shows Spain as being divided into four different areas, each retaining particular laws and institutions.
- “España Uniforme” (orange) : “Uniform or purely constitutional Spain, which comprises these 34 Provinces of the Crowns of Castile and Leon, equal in all economic, judicial, military and civil branches.” This ‘core’ of Spain equates to the former kingdoms of Castile, Leon and Granada.
- “España Incorporada” (green): “Incorporated or assimilated Spain which comprises the 11 provinces of the Crown of Aragon, still different in the manner of contribution and in some points of private law.” This is the former kingdom of Aragon, mostly identical to the Catalan autonomous areas of nowadays.
- “España Foral” (blue): “Statutory Spain.” This was the former kingdom of Navarra, which also included the Basque Country.
- “España Colonial” (yellowish): “Colonial Spain”, which at that time still included the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico – three main remnants of the once much larger Spanish Empire, which would all be taken over by the US following their defeat of Spain in 1898. After that, Spain was left with a few microscopic specks of land in North Africa, which it still holds on to.
Not knowing my Spanish history very well, I’m stabbing in the dark here; but I guess the regionalism shown on this map is not an early form of modern Spanish federalism, but an ancient form of local privileges later to be suppressed in the wars and oppression that were to follow. Regional nationalism in Spain was only allowed to resurface in the post-1975 era, which gives this rather old map a quaintly modern feel…
Many thanks to Joan Camp for showing me this map, from Francisco Jorge Torres Villegas’ “Cartografia hispano-cientifica” (1852), which can be found here at Wikimedia Commons.
[...] este mapa político de España de 1850 que he visto en Strange Maps. Muy curiosa la distinción entre la España uniformada o puramente constitucional, la España [...]
Pingback by III República .es » Archivo del Blog » Cosas que nunca cambian — July 22, 2008 @ 11:01 am
This map is based on the outcome of the Succession War, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Spanish_Succession .
The “Assimilated Spain” name refers to the fact that the Kingdom of Aragon lost its political independece after that war and it was thus “assimilated” into Castillian law.
Here in Catalonia this map is somewhat famous, it’s usually shown as proof that we did not incorporate into Spain peacefully or through a democratic choice, but assimilated into it after a war.
Comment by Marc Ordinas i Llopis — July 22, 2008 @ 11:12 am
I really like this blog, and this is the first time that I comment, just because this is my country.
Just one thing, The España Incorporada comprises today Aragón, Cataluña, Comunidad Valenciana and Islas Baleares, which is hardly what you called “Catalan autonomous areas”, provided that only Cataluña has a significant nationalist feeling.
Comment by Ponzonha — July 22, 2008 @ 11:13 am
Just to add to Marc’s comment, the Wikipedia also has good entries about Carlism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlism) and the Carlist Wars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlist_Wars), the Carlist Wars being, in some sense, echoes from the War of the Spanish Succession that Marc pointed at.
Indeed, that map from 1850 would be the outcome from the II Carlist War. But, I agree with Marc, its shape it’s just the heritage from the War of Succession.
Comment by ismael — July 22, 2008 @ 11:21 am
BTW, great great blog – I’ve been following it from long ago :)
Comment by ismael — July 22, 2008 @ 11:21 am
Nobody to take wrong and political interested conclusions. This is NOT a political map regardless of the title – it is a map where the divisions are based in some local special laws valid in the year of 1850. Some of this “special” laws are valid now and other no.
In addition I’d like the author to be more precise when he says “…it clearly already shows the Basque Country (in the north) and Catalonia (in the northeast) as two separate entities…”
Is not Basque country but The Basque Country and Navarra Kingdom, both independent entities. To be more precise the map should draw TWO different regions.
The same applies to “Catalonia” but with FOUR different entities: Catalunya, Aragón, València and Illes Balears.
Comment by toi_cansao — July 22, 2008 @ 11:26 am
Catalonia was apparently annexed by France, at least on paper, during the Napoleonic period (anyone have any maps of that?), harking back to when the area was more closely tied to France when most of the rest of Iberia was in Islamic hands. There were also some Spanish lands north of the Pyrenees lost to France – except for the village of Llivia. That’s still on maps.
Comment by J. B. Post — July 22, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
Brace yourself for a flaming by Spanish nationalists!
Comment by Rhys — July 22, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
“This is NOT a political map regardless of the title – it is a map where the divisions are based in some local special laws valid in the year of 1850.”
Alright, I’ll bite. What’s the difference?
Comment by Terry — July 22, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
[...] encontrado este mapa en este Blog, que nos habla de la situación de nuestro país en 1850, cuando existían cuatro tipo de [...]
Pingback by Este mapa me suena — July 22, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
[...] 300 – The Reign in Spain [...]
Pingback by España dividida en 1850 « Arbol Charyou — July 22, 2008 @ 1:12 pm
“Regional nationalism in Spain was only allowed to resurface in the post-1975 era”
Strictly speaking, I don’t believe this is true. One of the first actions of the Second Spanish Republic was to give Catalonia autonomy, which was then rescinded by the Franco regime. Catalonian separatism was suppressed during much of the time of the Spanish monarchy, but the region did become autonomous in 1931. I believe it had a large number of anarcho-syndicalist Republicans, which opposed Franco’s Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War of 1936 onwards.
(Incidentally, this wasn’t the first Spanish Civil War, which took place in 1820-23, nor the first Spanish republic, which lasted for just under two years starting in 1873.)
Comment by Jenna — July 22, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Somehow the Pyrennees did not stop Spain from being the most influential and powerful proto-state of Europe in the 16th century… really, the mountains had literally nothing to do with its turn away from the rest of Europe (and towards the Americas, natch) beginning in the middle of the 17th century. There is nothing as such wrong with ignorance of Spain from Columbus to Franco (but really: what can you know about France, England, Italy, Germany, Austria or the Netherlands in the 16th century–after Columbus–if you know nothing about Spain?), but perhaps a little caution in place of tendentious and baseless assertions would serve you better.
Comment by Brian — July 22, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
A few observations:
1. The three Carlist Wars were caused by immovlist absolutists in order to annihilate the progressivist reign of Isabel II.
2. The foral Spain has still fiscal privilieges (Basque Country and the Foral Community of Navarra)
3. Catalonia doesn’t have today any special territorial status, it just have a just-updated Statute of Autonomy, document which all of the 17 spanish communities have.
4. There are actually today 4 spanish authonomies that have independentist/nationalist/federalist movements: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia and the Canary Islands.
5. Spain has not a federal state model, it’s an Authonomy Model State. Federal implies various states on one country, and Spain has various nations in a very unique state
Comment by Francisco Dans — July 22, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
You made a mistake, when you said:” This is the former kingdom of Aragon, mostly identical to the Catalan autonomous areas of nowadays.”
Catalan autonomous is only a bit of this kingdom, the kingdom of Aragon is formed by Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia y Majorca, the 4 are nowadays autonomies in Spain.
This kingdom is mostly identical to the fantasy country called Paisos Catalans because Majorca, Valencia and Catalonia speaks Catalan.
“España Foral” This area is called by this way beause the have (till now) diferents economic laws called “Fueros”.
Comment by Ni Ni — July 22, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
To Brian (#13)
I have always thought that colonialism in South and Central America caused the Spaniards to turn away from the rest of Europe. Do the Spaniards feel “European?”
Perhaps because of colonialism, Britain does not feel fully “European.” I have always wondered why Britain is so strangely different than the rest of Europe……
Comment by bourgoise pig — July 22, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
uhm…
so many things to update for somebody who doesn’t know much about spanish history…
that’s right, this map must be seen from the times of the war of succession, it’s more a about law but, of course, this is also polithics.
Nowadays, catalan nationalists (or however you want to call’em) claim as their homeland what they call the “catalan countries” and includes Catalonia, Pais Valencià, Balears and some areas in the east of aragon and south of france.
In the basc area, both comunities (basc country and Navarra) and three provinces in the south of France are claimed by some people as “Euskal Herria”, literaly Basc Country.
But this two separatist focuses are not exlusively linked with the situation shown in this map.
On their national backgrounds, nationalists (catalan, basc or even spanish) can track back in their history as far as the middle age or pre-roman times looking for their keys, but history tells us that the nationalist view of difences between regions are a modern issue, from the 19th century onward. French influences are not taken as a reason for these diferences.
Borders are not easy…
hey! great blog!
Comment by bacterio — July 22, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Thanks all for the additional info, lifting the veil of (my) ignorance on this particular subject somewhat.
@Brian (#13):
What I wanted to say, was that I have some knowledge of Spanish doings in the period between Columbus and Franco, but mostly *externally* (i.e. in the Americas and the Netherlands, mainly). I know very little of what went on in Spain proper.
Comment by strangemaps — July 22, 2008 @ 2:30 pm
Uh, quite a lot of Europe-shaking stuff happenned in Spain between Columbus and Franco. The Hapsburgs, for one thing.
Comment by Raul Chong — July 22, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
I think she’s got it!
Comment by Cappy — July 22, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Actually, it is not accurate to refer to the Kingdom of Navarre or to the Basque Country in 1850. The right description should be something like “the four foral provinces of Álava, Guipuscoa, Biscay and Navarre” as each one was independent from the others. The Kingdom of Navarra ceased to be in 1512 and never had soveraignity on most of the other three territories.
Comment by alfanje — July 22, 2008 @ 8:00 pm
About Spanish history inside European history (and how it “shook” it), we juste have to remember the long period of the “Reconquista”.
A few centuries before the Ottoman conquest in the Balkans, Spain was the first state looked as a “guardian of Christianity” against Islam.
Anyway, the loss of its colonial empire had outed Spain of European history as France, UK, Germany or Austria-Hungary became the new super-powers of their times.
In France, we remember that the Napoleon reigned (or tried to) over Spain, but I fear that we (the French) are not all aware of the history of one of our main neighbours!
Comment by Picard — July 22, 2008 @ 8:11 pm
And what exactly is Colombus’ Spain? Colombus discovered for the Kingdom of Castile, not what we currently know as Spain. That means, for instance, that catalans were not allowed to make expeditions to colonized areas.
Not to mention that Catalonia had territories at both sides of the Pyrinees[1]. In the middle of two larger kingdoms that never helped much, catalans often had to look at the rest of Europe for help, and so probably felt European earlier.
Anyway, even spaniards feel european nowadays, but that’s mostly thanks to all the funds Spain has received from the European Union.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Catalonia
Comment by anonymous — July 22, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
A very interesting source.
Nowadays we refer to the Iberian Peninsula when we speak about the Spanish Kingdom.
And when we talk about this map, one of the intriguing parts is Portugal.
Philip II (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the individual territories, such as Duke or Count) from 1556 until 1581, King of Portugal and the Algarves (as Philip I) from 1580 until 1598 and King of Chile from 1554 until 1556.
Philip III (April 14, 1578 – March 31, 1621) was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II, from 1598 until his death.
Philip IV, (8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665) was King of Spain between 1621 to 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640.
Comment by Edwin — July 22, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
Brian – while Spain (or rather, the House of Hapsburg, it might be more precise to say) was certainly very powerful in the 16th century, this was essentially a function of it having access to an enormous amount of gold and silver from the Americas. It was not a particularly advanced country from the standpoint of material or economic progress. Constrast Spain with the Netherlands, its onetime possession – a country of limited resources, but an enterprising, diverse population that flourished as a center of innovation and free thought – and it comes off rather poorly. For much of its post-Reconquista history, Spain has been a reactionary, rather than revolutionary, force.
Comment by Bob — July 22, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
I believe Napoleon did annex Catalonia at some point during the Peninsular War (1808-1814). Catalonia had in fact been part of the Kingdom of France in medieval times; it was conquered by Charlemagne, and remained part of the West Frankish Kingdom (later France) until the 12th or 13th century, when it passed to Aragon.
I’m not an expert on Spanish history either, although I do know that the last Hapsburg king of Spain, Charles II, was actually mentally retarded – a likely function of so much inbreeding in the family. It’s scary to think that cousin marriage was then considered a perfectly normal thing (and that in some places, notably parts of the Islamic world, it still is).
Comment by James — July 22, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
By the way, we should note that when Dumas said “Africa begins at the Pyrenees,” he did not intend it to be an insult. (Being partly of black African ancestry, it would have been strange for him to do so.) His words have been taken out of context by many.
Comment by James — July 22, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
alfanje – while most of Navarre was annexed by Castille in 1512, a small portion north of the Pyrenees survived as an independent state for another century. Its king, Henry III, became Henry IV of France in 1589, who brought it into personal union with France. The two were formally united under the next king, Louis XIII.
Comment by Larry — July 22, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
Many Spaniards are called Amilcar or Hannibal, a souvenir of the carthaginian domination over Hispania 2300 years ago…so in a sense, Africa and Spain, it’s a long story…
Comment by lp — July 22, 2008 @ 10:37 pm
[...] 300 – The Reign in Spain (1850) [image] Spain, now a fully integrated member of the European Union, once was considered so alien to the rest of Europe [...] [...]
Pingback by Top Posts « WordPress.com — July 23, 2008 @ 12:01 am
Comment by Edwin: “Nowadays we refer to the Iberian Peninsula when we speak about the Spanish Kingdom. And when we talk about this map, one of the intriguing parts is Portugal.”
Perhaps you should speak for yourself. I have never met anyone who refered to the Iberian Peninsula as the “Spanish Kingdom,” or the other way around. The kingdom is a political entity, the penisula a geographical one, and they don’t coincide, unless you decide to use the word “Spain” in the old purely geographical sense of Roman times, but that has nothing to do with any kingdoms, republics or indeed countries.
Portugal — one of the oldest autonomous countries in Europe, founded in the 12th century and reaching its current frontiers roughly by the mid-13th century — lived for 60 years under a “crowned union” with Spain, from 1580 to 1640, in what was then a short-lived dynastically unified Iberian Peninsula, but that’s all, as far as unions went. That was during the reigns of the three Philips you mention (counted as I, II and III of Portugal, and II, III and IV of Spain).
Philip II (of Spain) / I (of Portugal) was half-Portuguese and very careful about maintaining a strong political and administative separation between his kingdoms (and indeed twin empires) of Castile and Portugal. This wise policy had been corroded under Philip IV/III and his minister Olivares. Portugal then regained its old independence, after a revolution and a long armed struggle.
What’s so intriguing about that?
Comment by Antonio S. Marques — July 23, 2008 @ 12:33 am
Comment by Edwin: “Nowadays we refer to the Iberian Peninsula when we speak about the Spanish Kingdom. And when we talk about this map, one of the intriguing parts is Portugal.”
Perhaps you should speak for yourself. I have never met anyone who referred to the Iberian Peninsula as the “Spanish Kingdom,” or the other way around. The kingdom is a political entity, the peninsula a geographical one, and they don’t coincide, unless you decide to use the word “Spain” in the old purely geographical sense of Roman times, but that has nothing to do with any kingdoms, republics or indeed countries.
Portugal — one of the oldest autonomous countries in Europe, founded in the 12th century and reaching its current frontiers roughly by the mid-13th century — lived for 60 years under a “crowned union” with Spain, from 1580 to 1640, in what was then a short-lived dynastically unified Iberian Peninsula, but that’s all, as far as unions went. That was during the reigns of the three Philips you mention (counted as I, II and III of Portugal, and II, III and IV of Spain).
Philip II (of Spain) / I (of Portugal) was half-Portuguese and very careful about maintaining a strong political and administrative separation between his kingdoms (and indeed twin empires) of Castile and Portugal. This wise policy had been corroded under Philip IV/III and his minister Olivares. Portugal then regained its old independence, after a revolution and a long armed struggle.
What’s so intriguing about that?
Comment by Antonio S. Marques — July 23, 2008 @ 12:34 am
This reminds me of a map I saw of the three empires that developed from the “Reconquista.” The two major empires married together and absorbed the Navarre area into its borders in the late fourteen hundreds.
Comment by Don H. — July 23, 2008 @ 12:41 am
Everyone here needs to lighten up a bit. By the way, Strangemaps only relays the maps, it doesn’t create them.
Comment by Scott — July 23, 2008 @ 1:51 am
No Spain begins south of Australia!
http://cool-maps.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-is-spain-portugal-doing-south-of.html
Comment by Björn — July 23, 2008 @ 6:53 am
“Lighten up” without exception means “my opinion is more important than yours”. In this case we could add “Spain doesn’t matter to me so it shouldn’t matter to you”.
There are three phrases the insufferably arrogant use. “Lighten up” is usually the first. I look forward to the trifecta.
Comment by Charlene — July 23, 2008 @ 6:55 am
Just a couple of comments:
This is map that was designed taking just some local laws into account. This coulb be considered as some kind of “judiciary map”. Just that.
The “España foral” is not, as you said, “the former kingdom of Navarra, which also included the Basque Country”. That is TOTALLY WRONG. That “España foral” territory is including Navarra on one hand. And on the other hand the provinces of Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa y Álava, which at that time were part of Castilla. But those four provinces had in common that they were regulated by some special local laws called “los fueros”, which were different in each one of those four provinces.
It is a very similar case to that “España incorporada o asimilada”, in which they used to have and still do have some different traditions or rules when it comes to private law.
And, by the way, Cataluña is just a small bit out of the old kingdom of Aragon. Nothing to do with what you said “the kingdom of Aragon is mostly identical to the Catalan autonomous areas of nowadays”. That has got nothing to do with reality.
Good blog, anyway.
Comment by Yago — July 23, 2008 @ 7:38 am
Yeah, adding to what others said, this is essentially a map of how local laws worked in 1850.
After the War of Succession the Crown of Aragón (with its 4 constituent territories, Aragón, Catalonia, the Balearics and Valencia) was ended and the areas lost all their privileges, essentially the victorious king said “you will now be goverened like Castille”. The Crown of Aragón, previously one part of a mere personal union of separate territories (albeit a personal union with unusual longevity) was ended. These legal distinctions are just a remnant of the former separateness of the different crowns and kingdoms.
It was a general centralising, nation-state building, Bourbonic sort of moment.
The Carlist War just dates the map, those wars didn’t really didn’t affect the mapped situation much.
Comment by Sean — July 23, 2008 @ 8:32 am
“After that, Spain was left with a few microscopic specks of land in North Africa, which it still holds on to.”
Don’t forget Spanish Morocco, Western Sahara and Equatorial Guinea.
Comment by Lone Wolf — July 23, 2008 @ 8:53 am
To James (26): Yes, Charlemagne once visited the Iberian Peninsule, and had to retreat after his army was attacked and prosecuted by its inhabitants (it can be read in ‘Chanson de Roland’). But you are right in some aspects: many catalan counties were founded and/or governed by franks (by the time of LOUIS I, son of Charlemagne); however, this didn´t last more than one century. By 900, the catalan counties, despite recognising french sovereignity, were completely independent. They didn´t passed from France to Aragon; they united with that country by a marriage union.
Hey, I can´t understand why foreign people know nothing about our history. It’s the most amazing of Europe! We had retarded, sons of bitches and reactionary governors; we had 800 years of continued war, then succession wars, then independence war against uncle Napoleone, then four civil wars… and we’re still here, we have Feria de Abril and we live better than we can imagine!
By the way, excellent blog. And, remember, when you talk about Spain, never, never give people the chance to think you’re talking about Nationalism, because it’s the worst taboo on earth, and everybody will ask to you: ‘hey, what did you really wanted to say?’
Comment by pedromena — July 23, 2008 @ 11:33 am
Charlene – Lighten Up
Comment by Art — July 23, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
For a concise, entertaining, and readable history of Spain and the Basque country, I recommend “The Basque History of the World” by Mark Kurlansky.
Comment by Carl — July 23, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
wow. What amazing ignorance. No knowledge of spain after columbus and before franco. So you also don’t know the history of Belgium, the Netherlands, good chunks of Germany, Austria, Hungary, parts of Switzerland, and Savoy, Venice, Milan, the Papal States, Naples and Sicily, now a days knows as italy?
Not to mention the US and ALL of latin American (and Brazil)
But of course, the spanish must all be n******, just because a fellow black man, Dumas, says so.
You could say you don’t know Spain from the 1812 to Franco — and I’ll grant you that is confusing — but to have no knowledge of Spain before the war of spanish succession is to not know European history.
Comment by charlie — July 23, 2008 @ 4:48 pm
Portugal was the fist state in Europe, that’s true, Antonio S. Marques.
It was liberated earlier than the rest of the Spanish countries.
Which remained under ‘islamic’ rule.
Comment by Edwin — July 23, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
Well, between Columbus and Franco, nothing worth mentioning from Spain?
Apart of being the most powerful state in the world? Apart from conquering most of America and many other places around the whole world?
Apart from the artits…
I really enjoy your blog, but please, give up cliches and biased views at home.
THanks for the blog
Comment by Oriol — July 23, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
Well, things are more complex than all I’ve read here now. The baroque-”Spain” was not Spain at all (at that time “Spain” was a mere geographical term, like “Europe” or “America”, curiously “Europe” or “America” are TODAY politcal names), and modern Spain is only a distant-related state with, of course, a peculiar link with all those facts. Modern nationalism in Spain is purely linguistic and cultural: the defense against extinction of Galician (=Portuguese), Basque, Catalan (very close and related to Occitan), and in a weaker manner, Asturian-Leonese and Aragonese. Perphaps the chemically-pure nationalism in Spain today is the Canarian one, since they have not a language of their own (they are part of the Spanish-speaking world). And of course, Castile and Aragon, for instance, were separate states and laws and languages, and son on, from 1492 at least until 1700, and the basque provinces (not exactly part of the Castile kingdom, but fully independent from it and sharing a common Lord, that he wasn’t king at all in Biscay, by the way, only Lord), and so on… nothing different from any other parts of Europe, UK included. And, by the way also, all what is truly different in the UK from the rest of the continent, it was by the unsuccesful plans of Napoleon: he became the “transformer” of Europe, well, most of it, since UK and Russia remained out of his plans…
Comment by Galizan — July 23, 2008 @ 9:09 pm
@ 36
In some cases “lighten up” means “I don’t understand.” It may also express a different set of priorities. Sorry, but minute errata and admission of ignorance won’t cause me ulcers.
My guess the second phrase the “insufferably arrogant” use is the phrase I just mentioned–a condemnation of others and at the same time a condemnation of oneself: There is a quote–”one cannot hate that which is not a part of himself.” So, to call someone arrogant necessitates an arrogance within.
Strangemaps never claimed to be an expert in all fields touching upon all maps he posts.
In fact, I bet Strangemaps welcomes–and anticipates–clarification. Who would be so insufferably arrogant as to think he knows more than the amalgamated efforts of all who visit this blog?
To claim someone is “amazingly ignorant” (cf. Charlie) shows a lack of basic kindness, not to mention foolishness.
It’s my view that some people’s nationalism is getting in the way of their intelligence.
Comment by Scott — July 24, 2008 @ 1:38 am
It’s funny how the Europeans told the Americans to “lighten up” about the Absolute Vodka ad (a map–posted on this site–which depicted a Mexican-owned Southwestern US), yet now the Europeans are bent out of shape about a potentially inaccurate map of Spain!
Comment by Scott — July 24, 2008 @ 1:43 am
Galician is not portuguese. We are talking about two languages with common roots. But two languages, today…
Comment by Lois — July 24, 2008 @ 7:48 am
I don’t think it’s that bad or inaccurate to comment that most casual observers of history (in the English speaking world) don’t know much Spanish history.
Spain figures in the anglo narrative of history chiefly as reactionary enemy and antithesis to liberal shiny modernising anglo countries, then it disappears from view sometime after the War of Succession. That’s just the flawed little narrative anglo countries inherit from anglo ideas of history.
Spanish history is, indeed, pretty awesome to study and understand, but it’s really not *that* essential to the story of Europe post-1600 as seen from across the Channel and, by association, the countries that island created.
Comment by Sean — July 24, 2008 @ 10:01 am
1. Spain as a political entity was formed as a dynastic merger of Castile and Aragon in the 15th century. The parts remained consitutionally separate however until – well, late 19th century perhaps. And it was exactly the withering away of the separateness the Catalans felt so strongly against since it implied that their tax money would go to Madrid.
2. Part of Europe – well, can anybody tell me where Europe begins and where it ends? It’s a very vague geographic term. For us in Sweden Europe is somewhere south of the Sounds.
Comment by Jan Wiklund — July 24, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
[...] mapa número 300 de Strangemaps és el ja conegut com a Mapa político de España de 1850, amb l’Espanya uniforme, [...]
Pingback by Mapa del regne d’Espanya « Xarxes socials i llengües — July 24, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
[...] político de España (1.850) Publicat en Juliol 24, 2008 per jonkepa Encontrado via strangemaps y gracias a Xarxes socials i [...]
Pingback by Mapa político de España (1.850) « Jon Kepa — July 24, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
Don’t berate – educate
Comment by Art — July 24, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
Err, Sean, you’re wrong. Yes, I agree with you that the history of “inside Spain” isn’t that critical to the Anglo-American historical story. But that isn’t history — it is just a bunch of stories we tell each other. Education is realizing that there is the rest of the world out there and it has an effect on us.
But if you have any grasp of EUROPEAN history from 1600 to 1800 you have to know Spain. If you have any grasp of AMERICAN history you also have to know Spain affected that.
The original post stumbled in two areas: First, it didn’t realize that the map is a political red flag in today’s spanish nationalism problem. The best comparison I can make is arguing whether Kentucky and West Virginia were part of the confederacy or not, which is not an interesting question. Second, by denigrating Spain’s role in Europe, it revealed a massive ignorance of ALL european history from 1600 to 1800.
And Scott, my fellow stupid American, you have a choice in life: you can be ignorant, or be cruel. I’ve chose mine: you choose yours.
Comment by charlie — July 24, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
“But that isn’t history — it is just a bunch of stories we tell each other.”
Umm, okay – I’ll bite again. What’s the difference?
Comment by Terry — July 24, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
We can add some other narratives or cleavages.
What to think about the conflict between the Habsburg/Hapsburg and Bourbon royal houses?
The culmination: the War / the Spanish Succession.
Comment by Edwin — July 24, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
To steal badly from Herodotus, it is listening to stories from OTHER people, and comparing them to your own, to ensure that that the great deeds of men are not forgotten.
Comment by charlie — July 25, 2008 @ 12:57 am
So between these black and white choices you’ve chosen to be cruel?
Comment by Scott — July 25, 2008 @ 1:53 am
Terry, I like your bites.
Comment by Scott — July 25, 2008 @ 1:54 am
I don’t think we disagree here, Charlie.
Comment by Sean — July 25, 2008 @ 2:51 am
Actually, if you can read Castillian (Sp.), the best education you can get on “Las Espanas” of this period is to read the Capitan Alatriste series by Arturo Perez-Reverte, one of modern Europe’s very best novelists in several genres. Good to see that someone spotted the fact that Dumas was a quadroon. Another irony is that Henry, King of Navarre, later Henry IV, France’s most popular king (he put a chicken in every pot) was from the same family that provided the kings of both France and Spain after 1707. Without Spain, its Army (the first modern Army of Europe), the Duque of Alba, Marguerite of Parma, and a host of other characters, the history of both Europe and the Americas would be very different. Spain’s desire to rule the Netherlands as it ruled the “Nuevas Espanas” spawned Europe’s longest war of independence (the 80 Year War, or Tachtigjaarorloog), which sent Dutch ships far afield in their campaign to destroy Spains base of power, its revenues from the new territories. Wish I had more time, but Madame Lirelou demands my presence.
Comment by lirelou — July 25, 2008 @ 11:41 pm
Actually, that should have read “las Espanas. On foral law: I was taught that it was a legacy of the reunification process whereby Fernando and Isabel had to cut deals with some of other kingdoms in order to bring them into the realm. El derecho foral (from “Fuero”) guaranteed that certain customary laws, often dealing with family law, inheritance, and (as mentioned by James?) local business law, would continue to be heard and enforced in local courts. Obviously, by the Carlist Wars, the territory governed by foral law had shrunk. One of my professors (Alejo de Cervera) characterized Spain’s history as a constant struggle between centripetal forces and centrifugal forces. Thus, many of the Generals fighting on Madrid’s side in the Carlist wars were Catalans, Juan Prim y Prats among them.
Comment by lirelou — July 26, 2008 @ 1:42 am
“Dark Age” between Columbus and Franco? Its quite strange,because everybody knows the XVIth century as “the golden century” (El siglo de oro)
This map is very odd. Spain is a nation since 1492, after the union between Castilla and Aragón. Some years later Navarra joined too. Catalonia and the Basque country never were nations, this regionalism (today nationalism) was created only 100 years ago.
Comment by Daniel — July 26, 2008 @ 9:13 am
[...] y euskera“.Que cada cual piense lo que quiera. Os dejo con un mapa de 1850 que ha publicado el blog de “mapas extraños“. La típica imagen que daría para una charla de 3 meses entre nacionalistas de varios [...]
Pingback by Elige color:o con Rosa, o con Galeusca — July 27, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
Zaragoza,
also called Saragossa in English,
is the capital city of the autonomous community and former Kingdom of Aragon, Spain.
It is situated on the river Ebro and its tributaries,
the Huerva and Gállego,
near the centre of the region,
in a valley with a variety of landscapes, ranging from desert (Los Monegros) to thick forest, meadows and mountains.
Comment by Edwin — July 28, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
Velázquez, Goya, Zurbarán, Miró, Picasso, Tapiès….
Savater, Ortega y Gasset, Zambrano….
Gaudí, Calatrava….
Bunuel, Almodóvar….
Pérez-Reverte, Lorca, Lope de Vega, Cervantes, Unamuno, Calderón de la Barca, Vallé Inclán, Tirso de Molina…
or even Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Antonio Banderas….
I love Spain!
Comment by Marina — July 29, 2008 @ 9:32 pm
The Peninsular Wars are actually one of the more fascinating aspects of the whole Napoleanic Period.
Comment by Ethel-to-Tilly — July 30, 2008 @ 4:04 am
“Nothing between Columbus (colón) and Franco”……mmmmmm….Britain, ok, i don´t know anything between Robin Hood and Margaret Tacher….It´s Britain Europe? Yes? Oh…. Who are Velazquez and Picasso? And Cervantes? Are there Spanish? Before Franco? Amazing! Where is Mexico? What´s the 30 years war? It was for chose Spanish King? Wow! I didn´t know that! It´s a joke. Thanks for the map
Comment by Rafael — July 30, 2008 @ 9:03 am
Habsburg Spain
a unified Iberian Peninsula?
Comment by Edwin — July 31, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
Oh my god, what a ridiculous argument.
Most people do not know that much about Spanish history. I graduated from high school pretty much knowing nothing about Spain between Columbus and Franco, except for a bit about, you know, almost every country in Central and South America declaring independence at some point. I didn’t even know much about the Spanish-American War or Muslim Spain.
However, this is in no way a slight against the country or people of Spain. Quite simply, it was not my fault I didn’t know anything about Spain (I know quite a bit now, having been studying history at college for two years). What was I supposed to do? Take classes that weren’t offered? Educate myself about something I knew nothing about while I was taking other classes?
Now, consider that I took much more history in high school than most Americans, and, well, maybe you’ll understand why the general population doesn’t know anything about Spain.
Comment by Robin — August 7, 2008 @ 9:46 am
The moral in this post is NEVER IN YOUR LIFE talk about politics to a Spaniard ;)
Comment by John Space — August 8, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
There’s no great mystery about this map, but there is a misunderstanding on this thread. That ““España Uniforme” (orange) : “Uniform or purely constitutional Spain,” etc. doesn’t translate like that. The Spanish adverbial suffix “-mente” is applied to preceding adjectives, i.e., the sentence means “Uniformly or purely consitutional Spain,” i.e., the same laws applied throughout that part of Spain.
Nineteenth-century Spanish and Portuguese history turned around the struggle between the liberals and the absolutists. The Liberals wanted to centralize to reduce the power of the upper classes. This meant eliminating the fueros, regional parliaments, left over from the mediaeval reconquista. They also wanted to reduce the power of the church (there had been massive confiscations of church land and properties). So in many parts of Spain, the anti-liberals found it easy to get the deeply religious agricultural/working classes on their side, even though they would probably have been better off under the liberals. Even so, the Carlist Wars were essentially fought against liberal monarchies (and a brief republic) by right-wing, more-monarchist-than-thou, fanatically Catholic members of the upper class (by no means exclusively Basque), to preserve their political (and economic) privileges. So the map explains what the state of the conflict is at that moment – in 1852, most of Spain is “constitutional,” the Basque north (”foral” is the adjective from “fuero”) isn’t, and the “assimilated” north-east is to most intents and purposes. The constitution in question is the Cádiz constitution of 1812, promulgated during the War of Independence.
The liberals, incidentally, nearly won their political battle over the course of the century, but never quite managed to win over the agricultural/working class (partly, frankly, because the liberals were not a great deal more interested in their lot than the absolutists were). This was one of the seeds that made possible the military uprising of 1936 and the Spanish Civil War.
Comment by John Ross — August 8, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
The Iberian peninsula / Spain and the Vatican?
Does there exist a relationship?
Comment by Edwin — August 9, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Woops, no, it wouldn’t have been the 1812 constitution but the one of 1846 or thereabouts. Sorry.
@Edwin
The Iberian peninsula / Spain and the Vatican?
Does there exist a relationship?
Only that Spain is a predominantly Catholic country, if it is anything. Under Franco, the Church had lots of different ways to exercise power, but not these days, not really. It is still disproportionately influential, unfortunately.
Comment by John Ross — August 9, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
@Daniel
“This map is very odd. Spain is a nation since 1492, after the union between Castilla and Aragón.”
Not so. The crowns of Castile and Aragón were united by the marriage of Isabel and Fernando in 1469 and passed on to their heirs, beginning with Charles I in 1520. 1492 has nothing to do with it. The crowns of Castile and Aragón were not formally united until the Bourbons took over from the Hapsburgs with Philip V in 1701, i.e., before that they continued to be separate states with their own legal systems, etc. The accession of Philip V was what triggered the War of Spanish Succession.
Comment by John Ross — August 9, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
Hello John Ross,
Thanks for your remarks.
The relationship I wanted to research:
Spain used to be a very catholic country,
in history,
perhaps also nowadays,
but on a different level?
I once read something in an article, a reference to catholic Spain and the relation with the Vatican. Spain used to / should be the most catholic nation of the world; Spain is the cornerstone of the Vatican.
Comment by Edwin — August 10, 2008 @ 9:44 am
@Edwin
“Spain used to be a very catholic country, in history, perhaps also nowadays, but on a different level?”
In religious terms, no. In terms of “Christian” values, yes. I hate to use the word “Christian” that way because it is precisely the Church which brainwashes us into the idea that common-or-garden morality is necessarily “Christian”, but it is undeniable that Spaniards are altruistic to a degree that most countries just aren’t – per head of population, they are the world leaders in organ donations, for example.
“I once read something in an article, a reference to catholic Spain and the relation with the Vatican. Spain used to / should be the most catholic nation of the world; Spain is the cornerstone of the Vatican.”
The Borgias were Spanish, but I don’t think you are talking about that. Spain has produced more than its fair share of cardinals and whatnot, many of whom have had the pope’s ear over the years, and some important Catholic sects originated there – Opus Dei is the obvious example, or the Neo-Catechumenical movement or whatever its name is of Kiko Argüelles (a sinister figure, to my non-Catholic way of thinking)- he had the ear of John Paul II, I understand.
Comment by John Ross — August 10, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
Aha, not to forget the house of Borgia.
Niccolo Machiavelli admired Cesare Borgia.
Of course, we should not forget the relationship between the House of Aragon and the Kingdom of Sicily.
Is that relevant?
Furthermore, to talk about the divisive powers in Spain.
We must not forget that there are also divisive powers in Italy.
Relating to the differences between the north and the Mezzogiorno
Comment by Edwin — August 11, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
Amazing how so many people regard Spain as one nation but the UK as 4 different ones. Is it just because of the name, United Kingdom? Should Spain be called United Crowns? Spain as a unified country begins at the 18th century, not in the nominal ‘union’ of the 15h century, regardless of what Spanish nationalism says. It’s in the 18th century when the Castilian Crown clearly conquers and annexes the Aragonese one, and the first of the Bourbons (still ruling today) imposed the Castilian language and laws in the East, thus making Castilian (internationally known as Spanish) the so-called ‘common’ language of the country. (Many Catalans and Basques didn’t know any Spanish even at the beginning of the 20th century). Pro-independence movements nowadays are not exclusive of Catalans and Basques, they’re more evident there, but they exist also in all other territories of Spain at a lower scale (even in Castile itself!)
Comment by Pirenayca — September 3, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
[...] Strange Maps .punteado{ border-style: dotted; border-width: 2px; border-color: #660033; font-family: [...]
Pingback by mapa de españa de 1850 | Mezclado, no agitado — September 6, 2008 @ 7:00 am
[...] Strange Maps he visto este curioso mapa de España en 1850 que he encontrado. Está publicado justo después de [...]
Pingback by Mapa de España en 1850 | Entrando en mi mundo... — September 8, 2008 @ 5:01 am
Alexandre Dumas is known to have remarked that “Africa begins at the Pyrennees”
this same quote is atributed to Napoleon and many others;
Spain, now a fully integrated member of the European Union
this “now” means more than 20 years ago; just like the UK, Greece, Austria and many others who were not part of the EU from the beginning
The Pyrennees …divides the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe … also seems to have cut it off for so long from the European cultural, political and economical mainstream.
what an ignorance and lack of basic knowledge about Europe and its history.
One of the most important countries in the history of Western Europe gets “cut off” ? Just because they dont speak english there ? Because you dont have a clue about European history before or after Columbus ?
Not knowing my Spanish history very well, I’m stabbing in the dark here
… shishhhhhe…
Comment by pfict — September 10, 2008 @ 11:39 pm
The Pyrennees are a prime example of how geography is destiny
Right, that’s why Anibal and the elefants got stuck there … oh wait … or was it some other Hollywood movie from the 50’s I saw ?
Comment by pfict — September 10, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
holaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
k coñazo no?
joder a poko me duermo
y encima estoi en clase y me aburro mas aun.
Comment by Isabel Tejedor — September 22, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
Answer for #80:
…the Castilian Crown clearly conquers and annexes the Aragonese one
Spain is not the result of the conquest of Castilla, but of the union of the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragon. 20 years later, Navarra joined them.
Catalonia or Basque Country they NEVER existed as nations. A reality was, for example, the kingdom of Navarra. There, most part of people speaked Castilian and the Crown of Aragon, which was integrating diverse Mediterranean territories in which several languages were coexisting, including Spanish and Catalan.
The nationalists are trying now to change the history for their own benefit.
Comment by Daniel — October 19, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
To Daniel:
Saying that Catalunya or the Basque Country NEVER had existed as nations is as risky as saying that Spain NEVER has been a nation. In the Kingdom of Navarra you could hear conversations in Basque, Romance, Gascon, French… Political borders were traced according to diplomacy and war, not to cultural, ethnical or racial rightness. Nevertheless, Navarran Kings had considered Basque as the true ‘Lingua Navarrorum’, and up to the eighteenth century Basque was the most widespread language in the Kingdom, despite the consistent efforts of the Spanish authorities to erradicate it.
Anyway, I agree with you that nationalists are always trying to change the way history is written for their own benefit; Spanish nationalists, for example, have always excelled at that.
Comment by Mikel — November 3, 2008 @ 10:56 am
“For a concise, entertaining, and readable history of Spain and the Basque country, I recommend “The Basque History of the World” by Mark Kurlansky.
Comment by Carl — July 23, 2008″
God heavens! The bloke’s referring to a biased, boring and jingoistic supporter of the racist basque nationalist theories. Be careful, try s’thing kindda scholar…
Comment by Phil Blakeway — November 6, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
best price for levitra in Latvia
Many thanks tostrangemaps.wordpress.com
Comment by ##Lilu — November 9, 2008 @ 10:38 am
Just discovered this blog. It’s Awesome! Loved the “Democracy Map” or the justified world.
And don’t listen to all those petty spanish/catalan/basque/whatever boys ‘n’ girls: when you talk about Spanish nation(s), you’re going to piss someone off for sure.
BTW, excuse my poor english; it’s not my first language.
Comment by Aram — December 3, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
thanks
for all
Comment by توب — December 16, 2008 @ 2:15 pm
thank you very match
Comment by الوليد — December 16, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
I’ve discovered this blog one hour ago and I’m still here reading with pleasure :)
I think it’s clear in the anglosaxon world, for the non-specialists, Spain’s history is a little bit neglected, but that doesn’t means nothing : Spain history keeps quite significant in the formation of contemporary world in America and Europe.
We get an Empire longer than the EEUU will do, ask to any latinamerican. We influenced in Continental Europe politics for centuries, ask to any european, the belgians for example.
I’m spanish and I don’t know very well the EEUU history. I recognize it as a default, and maybe some day I’ll get into, but it’s not an offensive or arrogant position. So let’s take it easy in both sides :)
Anyway, something I can’t stand : someone asked avobe with sarcasm the difference between stories and History. I think is quite evident : History is a discipline, so it goes beyond what your cultural environment tells you about the others.
Between, where is the Feed’s button ?
Comment by JuanFran — December 18, 2008 @ 2:00 am
That’s a compelling post – thank you for sharing this story.
Comment by Mauricio Montgomery — December 19, 2008 @ 4:54 am
That map is not very correct, it’s missing the Portuguese Spain, with the territories of Galiza, Olivença and many villages along the border being much closer to Portugal in cultural an speaking aspects then to the rest of spain.
Comment by Jack — December 19, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Galiza, Jack???? Good heavens!!! Another illiterate. Portuguese Spain??? Ever heard of the marriage of one Burgundian and one Henríquez?? Is that what you’ve learnt at rallying parties of the bumbling brainless BNG nationalist or at school? You ‘d rather try a galician-galitzian-galatian-gaulish confederation…. Galatian is a wee bit more difficult, pal, keep searching.
Comment by Phil Blakeway — January 9, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
[...] sort you’d find in an atlas. Sure, the site has some historical maps like the one depicting Spain in 1850. But it also shows maps that could not be rendered on a piece of paper, like the Australia-shaped [...]
Pingback by Cool Blogs: Strange Maps | Spot Cool Stuff: Websites — February 9, 2009 @ 2:48 am
Sorry to #3, but there is a great feeling of difference among CataluNYa, (officialy with NY) the valencian country and the Illes Balears (also, officially in catalan).
Comment by IlTifossi — March 31, 2009 @ 4:23 pm
thank you
Comment by Tony — May 4, 2009 @ 3:45 am
thanks for this map
good
luck
….
Comment by Solomon — May 11, 2009 @ 9:01 am
merci
Comment by aspicco . — May 17, 2009 @ 6:44 am
Vielen Dank
Comment by moon — July 3, 2009 @ 5:19 am
Muchas gracias
Comment by sun — July 4, 2009 @ 7:43 am