Asturias is an autonomous community in northwest Spain, officially the Principality of Asturias. In
the Middle Ages, it was part of the larger Kingdom of Asturias, which is coextensive with that province. The autonomous community of Asturias borders Cantabria on the east, Castile and León on the south, Galicia on the west, and the Bay of Biscay on the north. There are three major cities in the region: The communal capital of Oviedo (Uviéu or Uvieo), the largest city and port of Gijón (Xixón), and the industrial town of Avilés.
Spain and Western Europe have experienced below-average population growth due to emigration to industrialized regions. The Asturian population of Asturias has doubled since 1900, but its share of the Spanish population has steadily declined, and emigration has left behind an aging population. The declining agricultural sector has sparked emigration from the rural areas, and most people now live in the industrial and urban triangle of Oviedo, Avilés, and Gijón.
Here are some fascinating historical photos of Asturias, Spain, from the 1870s to the 1890s.
