Urban and Demographic Concepts: Spain’s Territorial Structure
Key Urban and Demographic Concepts
Definitions
Demographic Desert:
CBD (Central Business District): The Central Business District is where the main commercial and financial activities take place. Most buildings are offices; not many are houses. There are lots of skyscrapers.
Natality: Natality is the number of people born over a year in a particular area.
Active Population:
City Functions
The Functions of a City
Residential: A common function of all cities.
Political and Administrative: A function of cities in which political and administrative organizations are based at regional, national, or international levels (UN, EU, etc.). Examples: Berlin, Brussels, New York.
Commercial: A common function of all cities but more important in cities that have modern means of transport: railways, roads, airports, ports, etc. Examples: Liverpool, Hamburg.
Industrial: Predominant in cities with factories, workshops, etc. Examples: Rotterdam, Milan, Vigo.
Cultural and Educational: This function is important in cities with renowned national heritage (Rome, Paris, etc.) or a prestigious university (Oxford, Salamanca, etc.).
Touristic: Cities with monuments, museums, exhibition centers, etc. that attract tourists. Examples: Venice, Florence, Rome, Barcelona.
Spain’s Territorial Organization
The Spanish State
The Spanish state is regulated by the constitution approved in 1978. The constitution establishes the basic principles of the state:
- Spain is a democratic state: Adult citizens choose their representatives by universal suffrage.
- The political system of the Spanish state is a parliamentary monarchy: The king is head of state and a symbol of state unity, but he does not have any political power.
- The system of government is based on the division of powers:
- Legislative power is held by the Cortes Generales (the Congress of Deputies and the Senate).
- Executive power is held by the government, consisting of the president and his ministers.
- Judicial power is held by judges and magistrates.
- The Spanish Constitution also includes the rights and liberties of Spain’s citizens, such as the right of assembly and the right to strike.
The territory of the Spanish state is organized into:
- Municipalities: These are the basic entities of the territorial organization of Spain. The geographic area of each municipality is called the municipal district (término municipal). The municipality is governed by the local council (Ayuntamiento), which is formed by the mayor and the councilors.
- Provinces: These are territorial entities consisting of several municipalities. They are governed by provincial councils (diputaciones).
- Autonomous Communities: These consist of one or several provinces. Each autonomous community has its own statute of autonomy, its symbols (flag, anthem), its institutions (autonomous parliament, autonomous government), and its powers.
- Ceuta and Melilla: These are autonomous cities and have a similar system of government.
Population Movements
Regular Population Movement: This movement takes place on a regular basis and does not involve a change of job or place of residence:
- Commuting: Regular movement between a person’s place of residence and their place of work or study.
- Leisure: Movement related to free time, such as weekends away or holidays.
Migratory Movement: This movement involves a change of job and place of residence. It can be internal or external.
It includes emigration and immigration:
- Emigration: Refers to people leaving a particular area. Generally, emigrants leave their own region or country to find work and improve their living standards. In other cases, they are fleeing from wars and political conflicts.
- Immigration: Refers to people arriving to live in a particular place. Immigration contributes to the rejuvenation of the recipient population.