Asturias
Population 1,200,000 (2003)
Area 4,094 square miles
Agriculture and fishing Fruits, grains, beans, mussels
Animals of the region Goats, cattle, pigs
Culture The Cruz de la Victoria, dating to 908 AD, is the model for the cross on the Asturian flag, cave paintings from the Paleolithic Era, Medieval towers
Capital and major cities Oviedo, Gijon. Cudillero is a picturesque fishing port, built on a fijord land mass, with houses hung on a hill.
Folklore, legends, crafts Verbenas (outdoor dances, always accompanied by bagpipes), the Descent of the Sella (world-renowned canoe competition), black ceramics, clay pottery, baskets made of strips of chestnut and hazel wood
Foods and beverages
Fabada is a white bean soup, made from the fabe de granja – a bean only grown in this area, ham, pork, apple marmalades, apple and nut tortes, cider (sidra)
Spirits of the Region
Industry and products, past and present Mining, firearms, processed food, textiles, chemicals, metal products, coal, copper, iron, zinc, paper mills, oil and sugar refineries, tobacco, chemical, glass, and porcelain
Inventions, discoveries, and notable people Severo Ochoa (1905-1993), 1959 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology, for his discovery (with Arthur Kornberg), of RNA and DNA
Musical instruments Bagpipes
Symbols of the region Horreos (grain storage outbuildings)
Tourist sites Archeological Museum in Oviedo, Medieval churches throughout the area
Unique qualities Lighthouses, especially the Cabo de Peñas Lighthouse on the Cantabrian coast
Website www.infoasturias.com