Leonese people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| approx. more than 1 million people worldwide | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Castilian Spanish (majority), Leonese (minority), Mirandese (minority in Portugal). | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Asturians, Castilians, other Spanish peoples, Portuguese |
The Leonese (Leonese: Llïoneses; Spanish: Leoneses) are the native inhabitants of León whose homeland is the former Kingdom of León.
The Leonese Kingdom was an independent kingdom in the Middle Ages until 1230 when it was joined to the Kingdom of Castile (from 1296 to 1301 the Kingdom of León was again independent); after the re-union with Castile in 1301 it remained a kingdom until 1833, but as part of a united Spain from 1479. In 1833 it was divided into three provinces. The languages of the Leonese people are Leonese and Castilian Spanish in Spain, and Mirandese (Leonese) and Portuguese in Portugal.
The former Kingdom of León was divided into three historical regions: Asturias, León, and Extremadura, with the eastern territories into Castile. The Spanish division of 1833 recognised as Leonese the provinces of León, Salamanca, and Zamora. They are now part of Castile and León.
There are Leonese minorities in the District of Bragança that maintain Leonese culture and Leonese language, mainly in the northwest (Riodonor, Guadramil) and in the Land of Miranda, where a Leonese dialect known as Mirandês was officially recognized by the Parliament of Portugal.
The Leonese language (Llingua Llïonesa in Leonese) developed from Vulgar Latin.
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Wikipedia