Valladolid
Province
Images from Rueda, a typical village of the province of Valladolid.
Images from Rueda, a typical village of the province of Valladolid.
Flag of Valladolid
Flag Coat of arms of Valladolid
Coat of arms
Map of Spain with Valladolid highlighted
Map of Spain with Valladolid highlighted
Coordinates: 41°35′N 4°40′WCoordinates: 41°35′N 4°40′W
Country Spain
Autonomous community Castile and León
Capital Valladolid
Area
• Total 8,110 km2 (3,130 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 28th
1.61% of Spain
Population (2015)
• Total 526,223
• Rank Ranked 29th
• Density 65/km2 (170/sq mi)
1.14% of Spain
Demonym(s) Spanish: Vallisoletano/a
Official language(s) Spanish
Parliament Cortes Generales
Website diputaciondevalladolid.es
Valladolid (Spanish: [baʎaðoˈlið] (About this sound listen)) is a province of northwest Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of 526,223 people in a total of 225 municipalities, an area of 8,110 km2 and a population density of 64.88 people per km2.

The capital is the city of Valladolid. It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, León, Palencia, Burgos, Segovia, Ávila, and Salamanca. It is, therefore, the only Spanish province surrounded only - and entirely - by other provinces of the same autonomous community. It's the only peninsular's province which doesn't have mountains.

Precisely because of its plain has a great strategic importance because it is an important communications hub. From the national point of view, is the track that connects Madrid with all the north of Spain, from Vigo (Galicia) until San Sebastián (Basque Country). From the international point of view, here goes the shortest land route that connects Portugal with France, from the north of Portugal (Porto) to the south of France (Hendaye).

It is very famous due to its gastronomy (lechazo -veal or lamb-, suckling pig, black pudding, sausage, breads, soups, vegetables ... ) and its wines with designations of origin, mainly the Ribera del Duero Denomination of Origin, the Rueda Denomination of Origin, the Cigales denomination of Origin and also the Toro Denomination of Origin and the Tierra de León Denomination of Origin.

The province once served as the capital of the Castilian court and the former capital of the Empire during the reigns of Emperor Carlos I, Philip II and Philip III, which explains why to this day it remains pregnant with castles and strongholds. The capital has an important historical - artistic heritage and one of the more important museums of sculpture of Europe. The province of Valladolid is specially famous for his processions of Holy Week, as much in the capital as in the localities of Medina de Rioseco and Medina del Campo.