Extremadura: the Autonomous Community
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By h.b. - Oct 23, 2007 - 8:19 PM
The autonomous community of Extremadura lies in the West of Spain on the border with Portugal. The region borders with Castilla y León to the North, Castilla-La Mancha to the East, and Andalucía to the South.

Total population from the January 2006 census is 1,036,373 and represents 2.74% of the Spanish population. Population density is 25.81 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Covering an area of 41,634 square kilometres, Extremadura is the fifth largest of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities, with its two provinces, Badajoz and Cáceres, the largest and second largest provinces in Spain. They cover 21,766 and 19,868 square kilometres respectively.
The region makes up 8.2% of Spanish territory.

Population figures for the two provinces are: Badajoz 673,474 and Cáceres 412,899. Badajoz City is the largest population centre with 143,748 inhabitants, followed by Cáceres City, with 90,218.

The regional capital is Mérida, and is the seat of both the regional parliament – the Asamblea de Extremadura – and the regional government – the Junta de Extremadura.

Extremadura has been governed by the PSOE Socialist Party since the region’s first Statute of Autonomy came into force in 1983. There have been a number of reforms since then, the most important being in 1999, which brought regional responsibilities and powers in line with those of the so-called ‘historic’ regions.

The first pre-autonomous government set up in 1978 under the terms of the Spanish Constitution in the transition to democracy was led by Luis Jacinto Ramallo García, of UCD. He was followed in 1980 by Manuel Bermejo Hernández, also of UCD.

The man who would remain at the head of the Junta de Extremadura for more than 20 years was also Extremadura’s last pre-autonomous President, Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra. He was elected President of the Junta de Extremadura in the first regional election held on 8th June 1983, remaining as Socialist President of the region in successive elections held in 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003.

Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra suffered a heart attack in November 2005 and announced in September the following year that he would not be leading the Socialist Party in the upcoming 2007 regional election.

Guillermo Fernández Vara, who had been regional councillor for health since 1999, was named as his successor as candidate for the regional presidency. He led PSOE to victory again in the poll held on 27th May 2007, in joint candidate lists presented with the Coalición Extremeña as ‘PSOE-Regionalistas’, in a repeat of the successful partnership which took place for the 2003 election.

PSOE-Regionalistas were returned with 38 seats in the Asamblea de Extremadura, over the Partido Popular’s 27 seats.

More information - Junta de Extremadura

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