Provinces of Spain
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| Provinces of Spain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | Province |
| Location | Kingdom of Spain |
| Found in | Autonomous communities |
| Created by | Royal Decree (30/11/1833) |
| Created |
|
| Number | 50 |
| Populations | 95,258–6,458,684 |
| Areas | 1,980–21,766 km2 |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions | |
A province in Spain[note 1] is a territorial division defined as a collection of municipalities.[1][2][3] The current provinces of Spain correspond by and large to the provinces created under the purview of the 1833 territorial re-organization of Spain, with a similar predecessor from 1822 (during the Trienio Liberal) and an earlier precedent in the 1810 Napoleonic division of Spain into 84 prefectures.[4] There are many other groupings of municipalities that comprise the local government of Spain.[5]
The boundaries of provinces can only be altered by the Spanish Parliament,[1] giving rise to the common view that the 17 autonomous communities are subdivided into 50 provinces. In reality, the system is not hierarchical but defined according to jurisdiction (Spanish: