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Ciudad Real (province)

Province of Ciudad Real
Province
Coat of arms of Province of Ciudad Real
Coat of arms
Map of Spain with Province of Ciudad Real highlighted
Map of Spain with Province of Ciudad Real highlighted
Coordinates: 39°00′N 4°00′W / 39.000°N 4.000°W / 39.000; -4.000Coordinates: 39°00′N 4°00′W / 39.000°N 4.000°W / 39.000; -4.000
Country Spain
Autonomous community Castile–La Mancha
Capital Ciudad Real
Government
 • President Nemesio de Lara Guerrero (PSOE)
Area
 • Total 19,813 km2 (7,650 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 3rd
  3.93% of Spain
Population (2005)
 • Total 506,864
 • Rank Ranked 30th
 • Density 26/km2 (66/sq mi)
  1.13% of Spain
Demonym(s) Ciudarrealeños
Official language(s) Spanish
Parliament Cortes Generales
Website www.dipucr.es

The province of Ciudad Real (pronounced: [θjuˈðað reˈal]; English: Royal City) is a province in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Cuenca, Albacete, Jaén, Córdoba, Badajoz, and Toledo. It is partly located in the old natural region of La Mancha. Its capital is Ciudad Real. It is the third biggest province of Spain, after Cáceres and Badajoz. The historical comarca Campo de Calatrava is located in the centre of the province.

Ciudad Real was one of the 49 provinces in which Spain was divided in the territorial reorganization of 1833, taking its name from its largest city and capital. Its limits corresponded more or less to the historical province of La Mancha, which was part of the kingdom of Toledo.

The autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha came into being on 15 November 1978, as one of several autonomous regions to be established by the Spanish central government. The new, hyphenated name was chosen in an effort to join together two distinct regions, that of the historic Castilla, which extended beyond the new autonomous region, and that of the smaller historic province of La Mancha. Initially a "pre-autonomous" region, the reorganisation proposal finally took effect one week after the Statute of Autonomy of Castilla–La Mancha was approved on 10 August 1982. Under this new arrangement, Castilla-La Mancha was subdivided into five provinces, Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, each named after its largest town and capital city. The province of Ciudad Real was further subdivided into six comarcas (administrative districts), these being:


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