Province of Burgos

The name of the province derives from that of its capital, the city of Burgos, and therefore shares the same etymological origin. There are several possible origins for the toponymy. When the city was founded, the inhabitants of the surrounding country moved into the fortified village, whose Visigothic name of Burgos signified consolidated walled villages (Gothic baurgs). The cities Burgas in Bulgaria and numerous cities containing the Germanic burg "city" such as Hamburg have a similar literal composition. The city began to be called Caput Castellae ("Cabeza de Castilla" or "Head of Castile"). == Overview ==

Since 1964, archaeologists have been working at numerous areas of the Archaeological Site of Atapuerca, where they have found ancient hominid and human remains, the former dating to more than one million years ago, with artefacts from the Palaeolithic and Bronze Ages of man. The site has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The province has an area of and a population of approximately 375,000 of whom nearly half live in the capital. The other locations higher than 20,000 inhabitants apart from Burgos are Miranda de Ebro and Aranda de Duero, both very industrialized. The Sierra de la Demanda, the northwesternmost end of the Sistema Ibérico where lies the Pico San Millán, is located in Burgos Province. The most important rivers in the province are the Ebro and the Duero. The river Duero is in the south of the province and leads to the Atlantic Ocean at Porto, Portugal. Planted near it is a notable vineyard, Ribera de Duero. The north and south-east of the province are mountainous. The Ebro flows to the Mediterranean Sea. In Valpuesta the oldest texts in the Spanish language has been found, dating from the tenth century. Transportation is developed through a wide net of highways and roads. Besides, the province is served by the Burgos Airport, and The High-speed rail AVE. ==History==

In the Atapuerca area, archaeologists have found evidence of occupation by hominids and humans for more than one million years. Discoveries have included the earliest hominid skull in Europe. The Celtiberian region that became Burgos was inhabited by the Morgobos, Turmodigi, Berones and perhaps also the Pellendones, the last inhabitants of the northern part of the Celtiberian region. According to the Greek historian Ptolemy, the principal cities included: Brabum, Sisara, Deobrigula (nowadays Tardajos), Ambisna Segiasamon (Sasamón) and Verovesca (Briviesca). Under Roman colonization, it was part of Hispania Citerior ("Hither Spain") and then Hispania Tarraconensis. In the fifth century, the Visigoths drove back the Suevi. In the eighth century, the Arabs occupied all of Castiles. Alfonso III the Great, king of León reconquered the area around the middle of the ninth century, and built many castles for the defence of Christendom. Gradually the area was reconquered. The region came to be known as Castile (Latin castella), i.e. "land of castles". In the eleventh century, Burgos became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile. == Government and politics ==

, headquarters of the Provincial Government. The Province of Burgos was established by the Royal Decree of 29 October 1833, driven by the minister Javier de Burgos, like the rest of the provinces of the country (see: 1833 territorial division of Spain). This division considered the common historic, cultural, and economic characteristics of each territory. The government and administration of the province of Burgos is the responsibility of the , as outlined in the statute of autonomy of Castile and León. Its headquarters are located in the Provincial Palace of Burgos. Political divisions Today, the province does not have official political divisions, but historically it has been divided into several comarcas. The province of Burgos is divided in 10 comarcas (a Spanish term for shires). • Las Merindades • Páramos • Valle del Ebro • La Bureba • Montes de Oca • Alfoz de Burgos • Sierra de la Demanda • Odra y Pisuerga • Arlanza • Ribera del Duero == Demography ==

Population trends Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:28 PlotArea = left:40 bottom:40 top:20 right:20 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:420 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:50 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:10 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo PlotData= color:skyblue width:20 shift:(-50,-5) fontsize:M anchor:till bar:1877 from:0 till:335 text:335,395 bar:1887 from:0 till:343 text:342,988 bar:1900 from:0 till:339 text:338,828 bar:1910 from:0 till:347 text:346,694 bar:1920 from:0 till:336 text:336,472 bar:1930 from:0 till:355 text:355,299 bar:1940 from:0 till:379 text:378,580 bar:1950 from:0 till:397 text:397,048 bar:1960 from:0 till:381 text:380,791 bar:1970 from:0 till:358 text:358,075 bar:1981 from:0 till:363 text:362,825 bar:1991 from:0 till:356 text:355,646 bar:2001 from:0 till:350 text:349,810 bar:2011 from:0 till:376 text:375,657 bar:2021 from:0 till:356 text:356,042 TextData= pos:(35,20) fontsize:M text:"Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE" Demographic indicators Population Burgos is the third most populous province of Castile and León, with 359,948 people in 2024 (INE). It represents around 15% of the community's total population. It holds approximately 0.75% of the national population and ranks 36th among Spanish provinces. It shows limited demographic growth compared to other provinces in Castile and León, with a generally stagnant or declining population trend. The province is characterized by an ageing population and strong rural depopulation, although its main urban areas maintain greater demographic stability. Immigration As of 2025, immigrants in the province of Burgos represented 10.8% of the population, with 39,030 immigrants holding a residence card. This represents a significant increase compared to the year 2000, when the foreign population accounted for less than 1% of the total (0.6% exactly). The growth has been particularly notable since the early 2000s, driven by both economic migration and more recent international mobility trends. Composition of the population The population of Burgos shows a balanced gender distribution and a significant weight in the middle-aged and elderly brackets. As of 2025, 59.7% of the population was between 18 and 64 years old. 25.6% were aged 65 years or more, while children and adolescents (0–17 years) represented 14.7%. Total Population of the Province (2025) • Males: 181,482 (50%) • Females: 181,181 (50%) • Total: 362,663 People by age • 0–19 years: 60,370 (16.6%) • 20–39 years: 72,710 (20.0%) • 40–59 years: 109,057 (30.1%) • Over 60 years: 120,526 (33.3%) Most populous municipalities The twenty most populated municipalities in the province of Burgos are the following (INE 2024): Considering that the metropolitan area of Burgos has around 200,000 inhabitants, including municipalities such as Alfoz de Quintanadueñas, Villagonzalo Pedernales, and Arcos de la Llana, there is a strong concentration of population around the capital. Together with the urban areas of Burgos, Aranda de Duero, and Miranda de Ebro—accounting for over 75% of the provincial population—this creates a clear contrast with the province’s rural areas. Much of the territory is affected by depopulation, with many small municipalities having very low population levels, often below 100 inhabitants. File:Burgos city view facing south east.jpg|Burgos File:Miranda de Ebro - panorámica urbana desde el Castillo 1.jpg|Miranda de Ebro File:Aranda de Duero - Ayuntamiento 4.JPG|Aranda de Duero File:Briviesca - Colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor 5.jpg|Briviesca == Administrative divisions ==

The province of Burgos is divided into 371 municipalities, being the Spanish province with the highest number, although many of them have fewer than 100 inhabitants. == See also ==