Aragon

To the southeast lies ARAGON composed of two large mountainous areas on either side of a zone of hills and plains in the broad Ebro valley. It is made up of three provinces: Huesca, the northern area; Teruel, the southern and least populated; and Zaragoza, the largest and most densely populated, centered on the Ebro valley.

Along the floor of the Ebro valley numerous towns have grown up along the river or on parallel terraces, especially at the mouths of lateral valleys. The chief reason for this is historical, as the Ebro valley was always an important route for the people moving in from the coastal area. The region is not suited to intense agricultural development because of low rainfall, distributed irregularly throughout the year.

Other centers of population are situated in the valleys of the Cinca and Gallego rivers. The inhabitants of the Pyrenean valleys have a very simple economy, almost entirely based on sheep and oxen rearing, and forest products. Another populated area is along the Jiloca River valley which is equally divided between the provinces of Saragossa and Teruel.