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Autonomous communities of Spain facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Spain is a country in Europe that is divided into 17 special parts called autonomous communities. Think of them like states in the United States, but they have their own unique powers. The word autonomous means "self-governing." This means each community has its own government, laws, and courts.

Spain also has 50 smaller areas called provinces. These provinces came together in 1978 to create the autonomous communities we know today. Some of these communities, like Catalonia, Basque Country, Galicia, and Andalusia, are known as "historic communities" because they were grouped together even before 1978.

Languages in Spain

Spanish is the main official language in almost all autonomous communities. However, in six of them, Spanish is shared with other languages:

List of Autonomous Communities and Their Capitals

Each autonomous community has a capital city. This is where its government offices are located.

Special Cities in Africa

Spain also has two special cities on the northern coast of Africa: Ceuta and Melilla. These are called "autonomous cities." They have many of the same powers as an autonomous community, but they also act like provinces and regular cities at the same time.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Comunidad autónoma para niños

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