Aragon

Aragon ( ARR-ə-gən, US also -⁠gon, -⁠gohn; Spanish and Aragonese: Aragón [aɾaˈɣon] ; Catalan: Aragó [əɾəˈɣo]) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to south): Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza. The current Statute of Autonomy declares Aragon a historic nationality of Spain. Covering an area of 47,720 km2 (18,420 sq mi), the region's terrain ranges diversely from permanent glaciers to verdant valleys, rich pasture lands and orchards, through to the arid steppes of the central lowlands. Aragon is home to many rivers—most notably, the river Ebro, Spain's largest river in volume, which runs west–east across the entire region through the province of Zaragoza. It is also home to the highest mountains of the Pyrenees. As of January 2024, the population of Aragon was 1,351,591, with slightly over half living in the capital city, Zaragoza. In 2023, the economy of Aragon generated a GDP of €46,674 million, which represents 3.1% of Spain's national GDP, and is currently 5th in per capita production behind Madrid, Basque Country, Navarre and Catalonia. In addition to its three provinces, Aragon is subdivided into 33 comarcas or counties. All comarcas of Aragon have a rich geopolitical and cultural history from its pre-Roman, Celtic and Roman days, four centuries of Islamic rule as Marca Superior of Al-Andalus or kingdom (or taifa) of Saraqusta, as lands that once belonged to the Frankish Marca Hispanica, counties that later formed the Kingdom of Aragon, and eventually the Crown of Aragon.