Spanish Urban Systems and Migration Patterns
1. Urban Relations in Spain
1.1. City System Dynamics
Cities within Spain’s urban system are interconnected through economic flows (goods, capital, investment), people, and other factors (political, administrative, cultural). Key characteristics of these relationships include:
- Madrid’s strong ties with all other cities, particularly Barcelona.
- Barcelona’s comparatively weaker influence, though significant in the eastern mainland and Balearic Islands.
- Strong integration in the northeast quadrant, with robust connections between Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, and Zaragoza.
- Weaker and incomplete relationships in other parts of the system, with dominant flows between cities and their surrounding rural areas or towns. The area with the greatest disconnect between cities is around Portugal (excluding Galicia). Disconnections also exist in the southern central plains, and relations between Andalusian and Levantine cities are mild.
2. City System Evolution
2.1. The Urban System
Mainland Spain’s urban system is marked by the central location of its largest urban area, Madrid, surrounded by a peripheral urban axis and a sparsely urbanized interior.
- Galician Atlantic Axis: Extends along the coast between Ferrol and Vigo.
- Cantabrian Axis: A discontinuous axis encompassing the Asturian triangle (Oviedo-Gijón-Avilés), Santander, and the Basque triangle (Bilbao-San Sebastián-Vitoria), with branches inland to Leon, Burgos, and Logroño.
- Mediterranean Axis: Stretching from Girona to Cartagena. This dynamic axis boasts diversified industry and a strong service sector, especially tourism.
- Ebro Valley Axis: Connects the Mediterranean and Cantabrian axes, with Zaragoza as its main city.
- Andalusian Axis: A two-fold axis. The coastal stretch between Almería and Huelva is dynamic, specializing in trade, tourism, and technologically advanced agriculture. The Guadalquivir axis (Seville-Córdoba-Jaén) is less dynamic.
The interior peninsula lacks integrated urban axes.
2.2. EU Enlargement
2.2.1. The Enlargement Process
Entry requirements, established in 1993 (Copenhagen criteria), include a democratic system, a functioning market economy, and the capacity to fulfill membership obligations.
- 1951 & 1957: Founding members: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
- 1973: Denmark, Ireland, and the UK joined.
- 1981-1986: Southern expansion with Greece (1981), Portugal, and Spain (1986), whose entries were delayed due to prior authoritarian regimes.
- 1995: Sweden, Finland, and Austria joined.
- 2004: Largest expansion: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta.
- 2007: Romania and Bulgaria joined. The economic crisis has since stalled further enlargement.
Political Consequences: Expansions have positively impacted peace and democracy by bridging former Cold War divides and requiring democratic systems in new members.
Economic Consequences:
- Expansion of the single market.
- Diversification of economic activities.
- Increased internal inequalities, as newer members have lower GDP per capita, making them primary beneficiaries of territorial cohesion policies.
Cultural and Environmental Consequences: Cultural enrichment and reduced ecological risks through the implementation of EU environmental legislation.
2.3. Internal Migration
- Multidirectional Flows: More diverse origins and destinations. Migrants increasingly originate from urban areas, moving to small and medium-sized towns, and even rural areas within their province or autonomous region.
- Labor Migration: Young adults (20-39) moving to dynamic economic centers, primarily within their region or province. Positive net migration in Mediterranean areas (excluding Barcelona) and the Ebro Valley (excluding Zaragoza). Fluctuating balances in formerly emigration-heavy provinces (like Granada), experiencing swallow migration (temporary) linked to economic conditions and labor market flexibility. Increased geographical mobility required by businesses. Negative balances in traditional immigration destinations (Madrid, Barcelona, Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa, Zaragoza) and traditional emigration sources (Ávila, Zamora, Burgos, Ciudad Real, Teruel, Asturias). Increased intra-provincial and intra-regional migration leveraging endogenous resources.
- Growing role of foreigners in internal migration, particularly those from outside Spain, with Madrid as a redistribution hub, especially towards the Mediterranean coast and Andalusia.
Residential Migration: Primarily intra-urban, between city centers and peripheral areas, or from large cities to cheaper neighboring provinces (e.g., Guadalajara and Toledo from Madrid).
Counter-urbanization trend in emigration areas (return migration of retirees or early retirees).
3. External Migration
Spain transitioned from an emigration country (mid-19th century to 1973) to an immigration hub.
3.1. Transoceanic Migration (to America)
Primarily to Latin America, secondarily to the US, Canada, and Australia. Often permanent and assisted.
- Mid-19th Century – WWI (1914): High emigration from Atlantic regions (Galicia, Asturias, Canary Islands) to Argentina (agricultural pampas), Cuba (sugar plantations), and Brazil (coffee). Migrants were typically young, single males.
- 1914-1945: Decline due to World Wars and the Great Depression.
- 1945-1960: Partial recovery, with continued emigration from Galicia and the Canary Islands, primarily to Venezuela (oil), Argentina, and Brazil. Shift towards industrial and technical workers, and skilled farmers.
- Post-1960: Transoceanic migration largely ceased, with return migration becoming dominant.