Spanish administrative divisions

The process of creating the Autonomous Communities, or the Spanish administrative divisions, was carried out from 1979 to 1983; the process was completed in 1996 after the independence for the cities of Ceuta and Melilla was passed. These regions were created either on the basis of being “historic nationalities,” possessing common historical characteristics, possessing a single historical and regional identity, or for being insular territories like the Canary and Balearic Islands. The purpose of the Spanish administrative divisions was to check and balance the forces of separatism which, after Franco´s death, threatened to tear the country apart. The Spanish administrative divisions are, however, forbidden by the Constitution to merge with one another.

The Spanish administrative divisions consist of fifty provinces, grouped into seventeen autonomous communities, and two autonomous cities. The autonomous communities are Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and Leon, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre and Valencia. The autonomous cities consist of Ceuta and Melilla. The islands of the Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera off the African coast are under direct Spanish administration.

The Spanish administrative divisions enjoy a high degree of autonomy. They have their own elected parliaments, governments, public administrations, budgets, and resources. Health and education systems are managed regionally, and besides, the Basque Country and Navarre also manage their own public finances. Catalonia and the Basque Country employ their own police force. The Spanish central government accounts for just 18% of public spending, while the Spanish administrative divisions manage 38% of the spending, the local councils 13% and the social-security system the rest.

The Spanish administrative divisions have their own government based on a division of powers. The government comprises the Legislative Assembly, whose members must be elected by a majority vote, a Government Council with executive and administrative functions and headed by a president who is elected by the Legislative Assembly and nominated by the King of Spain, and a Supreme Court of Justice, under the Supreme Court of the State, which heads the judicial organization within the autonomous community.

Autonomous communities is composed of provinces In turn, the provinces are divided into municipalities. These municipalities are granted autonomy to manage their internal affairs, and provinces are the territorial divisions designed to carry out the activities of the State. The autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla can enact regulations to execute laws, but they are denied the privilege of making their own laws. Spain is, therefore, recognized, to be one of the most decentralized countries in Europe, along with Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.