Borja | |||
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Municipality | |||
Borja in 2004
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Location in Spain | |||
Coordinates: 41°49′N 1°32′W / 41.817°N 1.533°W | |||
Country | Spain | ||
Autonomous community | Aragon | ||
Province | Zaragoza | ||
Comarca | Campo de Borja | ||
Government | |||
• Alcalde | Miguel Arilla Andía (PAR) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 107 km2 (41 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 448 m (1,470 ft) | ||
Population (2014) | |||
• Total | 4,931 | ||
• Density | 46/km2 (120/sq mi) | ||
Demonym(s) | Borjanos | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 50540 | ||
Website | Official website |
Borja is a town and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, community of Aragon, north-eastern Spain. As of 2014, its population was of 4,931.
The municipality borders with Ablitas (in Navarre) Agón, Ainzón, Alberite de San Juan, Albeta, Ambel, Bulbuente, El Buste, Fréscano, Magallón, Maleján, Mallén, Tabuenca, Tarazona, and Vera de Moncayo. It is the administrative seat of the comarca of Campo de Borja.
The town's origins date back to the 5th century BC, when a Celtiberian settlement, known as Bursau or Bursao, existed near the current ruins of the castle. After the Roman conquest (1st century BC) also the slopes of the hill were populated, though the town started to expand significantly only after the Muslim conquest in the 8th century AD.
In the 12th century it was conquered by the Christians from the north, and in the 15th/16th centuries it was converted into a military fortress against the Castillan invasions, but at the same time received much of its historical architectural heritage, with numerous churches and palaces. It received the title of "city" by King Alfonso V of Aragon in 1438. During the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, the Jews, forming an important part of the Borjan community, were expelled.