List of Autonomous communities and capitals of Spain

Written and Fact-checked by Whereig Editors | Last Updated On: May 22, 2026

In Spain, "comunidades" refers to the autonomous communities or regions that make up the country. Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities, each with its own government, parliament, and administrative structure. The autonomous communities were established in the 1970s following the country's transition to democracy, and they have varying degrees of autonomy depending on their specific status and history.

Spain is a country in Southwestern Europe located on the Iberian Peninsula and bordered by Portugal, France, Andorra, Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities for governance and regional administration. Madrid is the national capital and also the largest city in Spain.

The country includes mountain ranges, coastal plains, river valleys, Mediterranean beaches, islands, forests, and historic cities spread across Europe and North Africa. Different autonomous communities are known for tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, finance, wine production, and cultural heritage.

Key Facts

National capital: Madrid
Total population: 49,000,000 (Official estimate 2025)
Total area: 505,990 km² (195,364 sq miles)
Currency: Euro (€ , EUR)
Bordering countries: Portugal, France, Andorra, Gibraltar (UK)
Total Autonomous Communities: 17
Total Autonomous Cities: 2

List of Autonomous Communities and Capitals of Spain

Total administrative divisions shown: 19 | Combined population: 49,000,000 | Combined area: 505,990 km²

#	Autonomous Community / City	Capital City	Geographic Region	Area (km²)	Population (Latest Estimate)
1	Andalusia	Seville	Southern Spain	87,268	8,600,000
2	Aragon	Zaragoza	Northeastern Interior	47,720	1,350,000
3	Asturias	Oviedo	Northern Coast	10,604	1,000,000
4	Balearic Islands	Palma	Mediterranean Islands	4,992	1,250,000
5	Basque Country	Vitoria-Gasteiz	Northern Spain	7,234	2,250,000
6	Canary Islands	Las Palmas / Santa Cruz de Tenerife	Atlantic Islands	7,493	2,300,000
7	Cantabria	Santander	Northern Coast	5,321	590,000
8	Castile and León	Valladolid	North-Central Plateau	94,226	2,350,000
9	Castilla-La Mancha	Toledo	Central Spain	79,463	2,100,000
10	Catalonia	Barcelona	Northeastern Coast	32,108	8,100,000
11	Extremadura	Mérida	Western Spain	41,635	1,050,000
12	Galicia	Santiago de Compostela	Northwestern Coast	29,574	2,700,000
13	La Rioja	Logroño	Ebro Valley	5,045	320,000
14	Community of Madrid	Madrid	Central Plateau	8,028	7,000,000
15	Region of Murcia	Murcia	Southeastern Coast	11,314	1,600,000
16	Navarre	Pamplona	Pyrenean Region	10,391	680,000
17	Valencian Community	Valencia	Eastern Mediterranean Coast	23,255	5,300,000
18	Ceuta	Ceuta	North African Coast	18	85,000
19	Melilla	Melilla	North African Coast	12	87,000

Largest Autonomous Communities by Area

Castile and León - 36,381 sq mi (94,226 km²)
Andalusia - 33,694 sq mi (87,268 km²)
Castilla-La Mancha - 30,681 sq mi (79,463 km²)
Aragon - 18,425 sq mi (47,720 km²)
Extremadura - 16,075 sq mi (41,635 km²)
Catalonia - 12,397 sq mi (32,108 km²)
Galicia - 11,419 sq mi (29,574 km²)
Valencian Community - 8,979 sq mi (23,255 km²)

Most Populous Autonomous Communities

Andalusia - Population: 8,600,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Catalonia - Population: 8,100,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Community of Madrid - Population: 7,000,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Valencian Community - Population: 5,300,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Galicia - Population: 2,700,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Castile and León - Population: 2,350,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Canary Islands - Population: 2,300,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Basque Country - Population: 2,250,000 (Official Estimate 2025)

Smallest Autonomous Communities and Cities by Area

Melilla - 5 sq mi (12 km²)
Ceuta - 7 sq mi (18 km²)
Balearic Islands - 1,927 sq mi (4,992 km²)
La Rioja - 1,948 sq mi (5,045 km²)
Cantabria - 2,054 sq mi (5,321 km²)
Basque Country - 2,793 sq mi (7,234 km²)

Autonomous Communities by Geographic Grouping

Atlantic Islands: Canary Islands
Central Plateau: Community of Madrid
Central Spain: Castilla-La Mancha
Eastern Mediterranean Coast: Valencian Community
Ebro Valley: La Rioja
Mediterranean Islands: Balearic Islands
North African Coast: Ceuta, Melilla
North-Central Plateau: Castile and León
Northeastern Coast: Catalonia
Northeastern Interior: Aragon
Northern Coast: Asturias, Cantabria
Northern Spain: Basque Country
Northwestern Coast: Galicia
Pyrenean Region: Navarre
Southeastern Coast: Region of Murcia
Southern Spain: Andalusia
Western Spain: Extremadura

Autonomous Communities with Coastline

Andalusia
Asturias
Balearic Islands
Basque Country
Canary Islands
Cantabria
Catalonia
Galicia
Murcia
Valencian Community
Ceuta
Melilla

Autonomous Communities Sharing Borders with Other Countries

Portugal: Galicia, Castile and León, Extremadura, Andalusia
France: Basque Country, Navarre, Aragon, Catalonia
Andorra: Catalonia
Gibraltar (UK): Andalusia
Morocco: Ceuta, Melilla

Major Economic Activities by Autonomous Community

Autonomous Community	Main Economic Activity	Known For
Community of Madrid	Finance and services	National capital and business hub
Catalonia	Manufacturing and tourism	Barcelona and industrial economy
Andalusia	Agriculture and tourism	Olive production and Mediterranean resorts
Basque Country	Industry and technology	Advanced manufacturing and ports
Valencian Community	Tourism and agriculture	Citrus farming and beaches
Canary Islands	Tourism	Atlantic island resorts and volcanic landscapes

Important Natural and Cultural Areas

Sagrada Família: Catalonia
Alhambra Palace: Andalusia
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral: Galicia
Prado Museum: Community of Madrid
Teide National Park: Canary Islands
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao: Basque Country

Sources

World Countries and Capitals

South America Countries Location Maps