Asturias

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, philosopher, politician, Enlightenment thinker. The current CEO is Édouard Michelin. Severo Ochoa, 1959 Nobel Prize winner for Medicine. An interesting history tidbit; Allied forces relied heavily on Michelin maps to plan the invasion of Normandy during Operation Overlord in the Second World War. Letizia, Princess of Asturias, a native of Oviedo and wife of Felipe, Prince of Asturias. Michelin publishes various series of road maps, mostly of France but also on European countries, Africa, Thailand and the United States. Fernando Alonso, Formula 1 racing driver, 2005 World Champion. The city maps in both the Red and the Green guides are of high quality, and are linked to the smaller-scale road maps.

Leopoldo Alas, 19th century author of La Regenta, a seminal work in the Spanish literary canon. It now publishes several additional guides as well as digital map and guide products. There are also services to Barcelona, Salamanca, León, Valladolid, La Coruña, Bilbao, Seville, San Sebastián, Paris, Brussels or Nice, to name just a few. Michelin has long published two guidebook series, the Red Guides to hotels and restaurants and the Green Guides for tourism. It links Avilés, Gijón, Oviedo and Mieres with Madrid, several times a day. Main article: Michelin Guide. There is also a bus service within and without the region, run by the ALSA company. Bibendum made a brief guest appearance in Asterix as the chariot wheel dealer in Asterix in Switzerland.

FEVE rail company links also the center of the region with Eastern and Western Asturias. The slimming of the logo reflected both lower-profile, smaller tyres on sport compact automobiles and a more athletic, slimmer, and trimmer Bib. Major stops are the regional capital, Oviedo, and the main coastal city, Gijón. By the 1980's, Bibendum was being shown as a running Bib, and in 1998, a slimmed-down version became the company's new logo; his vision had improved, and he had long since given up smoking. Spain's national RENFE rail network also serves Asturias well; trains regularly depart to and from the Spanish interior. O'Galop's logo was based on bicycle tyres, and wore glasses and smoked a cigar. Eastern Asturias is now quite easily reached from Santander. His shape has changed over the years.

Internal Spanish carriers such as Iberia and Spanair also serve Asturias, direct from Madrid and Barcelona, Brussels, London, Paris, Seville and others. The name of the plump tyre-man has entered the language to describe the appearance of someone obese or wearing comically bulky clothing: "How can I wrap up warm without looking like the Michelin Man?". A UK-based international carrier, Easyjet, began daily flights to the airport in March 2005. At the latest, it was in 1908, when Michelin commissioned Curnonsky to write a newspaper column signed "Bibendum". Asturias is served by Ranon Airport (OVD), which is about an hour's road journey from Oviedo, near the northwest coast and the industrial town of Avilés. It is unclear when the word "Bibendum" came to be the name of the character himself. These subsidies are lately in doubt, given the expansion of the Union in 2004 to include the poorer states of the former Communist bloc. The 1898 poster showed him offering the toast Nunc est bibendum ("Cheers!" in Latin) to his scrawny competitors with a glass full of road hazards, with the title and the tag "'À votre santé': Le pneu Michelin boit l'obstacle" ('Cheers!': The Michelin tire drinks/soaks up obstacles).

Asturias has benefited extensively since 1986 from European Union investment in roads and other essential infrastructure, though there has also been some controversy regarding how these funds are spent, for example, on miners' pensions. Today, Bibendum is one of the world's most recognized trademarks, representing Michelin in over 150 countries. Large out-of-town retail parks have opened near the region's largest cities (Gijón and Oviedo), whilst the ever-present Spanish construction industry appears to continue to thrive. André Michelin apparently commissioned the creation of this jolly, rotund figure after his brother, Édouard, observed that a display of stacked tyres resembled a human form. Regional economic growth is below the broader Spanish rate, though in recent years growth in service industries has helped reduce Asturias's high rate of unemployment. The company's symbol is Bibendum, the Michelin Man, introduced in 1898 by French artist O'Galop (pseudonym of Marius Rossillon), and one of the world's oldest trademarks. The steel industry is now in decline, as is mining, as a result of competition from Eastern Europe, high costs of production, and declines in global steel demand. [2].

The industry created many jobs which resulted in significant migration from other provinces in Spain, mainly Extremadura, Andalucía and Castilla y León. In December 2005 and as a result of the difficult relationship with the sport's governing body, Michelin announced they will not extend their involvement in Formula One beyond the 2006 season. The then state-owned ENSIDESA company is now part of the privatised ARCELOR Group. Michelin criticised the move claiming "this event illustrates F1's problems of incoherent decision-making and lack of transparency." [1]. The main regional industry, though, is steel: in the times of Francisco Franco´s dictatorship, it was one of the most powerful in the world. In a public rebuke FIA President Max Mosley wrote "There are simple arguments for a single tyre and if [Michelin boss Edouard Michelin] is not aware of this he shows an almost comical lack of knowledge of modern Formula One." Another disagreement has been the reintroduction of tyre changes during pit-stops from 2006. Production of milk and its derivatives has also been traditionally strong, with products from the Central Lechera Asturiana being exported all over Spain. Michelin criticised the FIA's intention to move to a single source (i.e one brand) tyre from 2008 and threatened to withdraw from the sport.

For many centuries the backbone of the Asturian economy was coal mining, steel production and fishing. The most high profile disagreement was the United States Grand Prix and the acrimony afterwards. Asturian cheeses, especially Cabrales, are also famous throughout Spain and beyond; Asturias is often called "the land of cheeses" (el pais de los quesos) due to the product's diversity and quality in this region. Michelin have had a difficult relationship with the sport's governing body (the FIA) since around 2003 and this escalated to apparent disdain between the two parties during the 2005 season. Apple groves foster the production of the traditional alcoholic drink, a natural cider (sidra). Additionally, they announced that they would provide 20,000 complimentary tickets for the 2006 race to spectators who had attended the 2005 event. The most famous regional dish is Fabada Asturiana, a rich stew made with large white beans (fabes), shoulder of pork (lacón), black sausage (morcilla), spicy sausage (chorizo) and saffron (azafrán). The company committed to refunding the price of all tickets for the race.

Asturias is especially known for its seafood. On June 28, Michelin announced that it would offer compensation to all race fans who had purchased tickets for the Grand Prix. VIRTUAL TOURS (with over 450 photographs) http://www.asturiasenimagenes.com/. Following the 2005 United States Grand Prix, where Michelin would not allow the Formula One teams it supplies to race due to safety concerns, Michelin's share price fell by 2.5% (though it recovered later the same day). Best viewed at low tide. Michelin in contrast had much more testing and race data due to the larger number of teams running their tyres. The unusual rock formation on the beach at Buelna village: east of Llanes. This was in part due to new regulations stating that tyres must last the whole race distance (and qualifying) and also due to the fact with only one top team running Bridgestone tyres (Ferrari), they alone were responsible for much of the development work.

The coastal way (senda costera) between Pendueles and Llanes: This partly-paved nature route takes in some of Asturias' most spectacular coastal scenery, such as the noisy bufones (large water spouts created naturally by the erosion of the sea) and the Playa de Ballota. Michelin's tyres were initially uncompetitive compared to rival Bridgestone's, however by 2005 Michelin were totally dominant. La Mesa (The Table): an unusually-shaped peak above the village of Tuiza de Arriba, high in the Ubiñas mountain range south of Oviedo. Toyota joined F1 in 2002 with Michelin tyres and McLaren and Minardi also signed up with the company. The Dobra River: south of Cangas de Onís, famous for its unusual colour and natural beauty. In that first year they supplied Williams, Jaguar, Benetton (renamed Renault in 2002) and Prost. Of particular interest in this exemplary settlement are the traditional horreo grain silos, raised on stilts so as to keep field mice from getting at the grain. Michelin stopped supplying Formula One teams in 1984 but returned to Formula One in 2001.

Ceceda village: east of Oviedo along the N634 road. Two years later, they bought out Uniroyal Inc., a business founded in 1892 as the United States Rubber Company. Other places of interest are.... Goodrich Company founded in 1870. The Asturian coast: especially the beaches in and around the summer resort of Llanes, and the Playa del Silencio near Cudillero fishing village. In 1988, Michelin acquired the tyre and rubber manufacturing divisions of the American B.F. The Reconquista and eventual unification of all Spain is therefore said to have started in this very location. Michelin owned the automobile manufacturer Citroën between 1934 and 1976.

The shrine to the Virgin Mary of Covadonga and the mountain lakes (los lagos), near Cangas de Onís: Legend has it that in the 8th century, the Virgin blessed Asturian Christian forces with a well-timed signal to attack Spain's Moorish conquerors, thereby taking the invaders by surprise. Incorporated on May 28, 1889, Michelin's activities date back to 1830 in vulcanized rubber, before they moved into tyres for bicycles and later for cars. Weather permitting, it can be viewed clearly from Camarmeña village, near Las Arenas de Cabrales. . The Picos de Europa National park, and other parts of the Asturian mountain range: The most famous peak in the park is the Picu Urriellu, also known as Naranjo de Bulnes (2519 m), a molar-shaped mountain which glows orange in the evening sun, hence its name. The tyre manufacturing subsidiary is officially called Manufacture Française des Pneumatiques Michelin, "Michelin tyre manufacturing company of France". Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, a prerromanic church and a prerromanic castle build by the first Asturian kings are held in the Naranco mountain. However, it is also famous for for its Red and Green travel guides, for the Michelin stars the Red Guide awards to restaurants for their cooking, for its road maps, and for its historic emblem Bibendum, the Michelin Man.

Oviedo, the capital city of Asturias: Nowadays is a cosmopolite city where art, culture and tradition are found in the town center. Michelin (full name: Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin) (Euronext: ML) based in Clermont-Ferrand, France in the Auvergne région of France, is primarily a tyre manufacturer. Major attractions include.... Annual rainfall is above 900 mm in all the region (Gijón-Xixón, 971 mm), increasing as we move from the coast to the interior, and reaching its peak in Picos de Europa ( Amieva, 1800 mm). Both rain and sunshine are regular weather features of Asturian winters.

The cold is especially felt in the mountains, where snow is present from November till May. Winters are fairly mild but with some very cold snaps. Summers are generally humid and warm, with considerable sunshine, but also some rain. The climate of Asturias, as with the rest of northwest Spain, is more varied than that of southern parts of the country.

Most of Asturias' beaches are sandy, clean and bordered by steep cliffs, on top of which it is not unusual to see grazing livestock. Notable examples include the Playa del Silencio (Beach of Silence) near the fishing village of Cudillero (west of Gijón), as well as the many beaches surrounding the summer resort of Llanes, such as the Barro, Ballota and Torimbia (the latter a predominantly nudist beach). The Asturian coastline is extensive, with hundreds of beaches, coves and natural sea caves. Perhaps surprisingly, climate change appears to have benefited the ski stations in recent times: relatively heavy snowfalls sustained the stations in the winters of 2003/2004 and 2004/2005.

In this era of climate change snow fall is unpredictable, but the skiing season generally runs from December to April inclusive. Asturias has two impressive ski stations, San Isidro and Pajares, both of which are easily accessed by road from the capital, Oviedo. The Cantabrian mountains offer opportunities for activities such as climbing, walking, skiing and caving, and extend some 200 kilometres in total, as far as Galicia province to the west of Asturias, and Cantabria province to the east. Other notable features of this predominantly-limestone range are the Parque Natural de Redes in the central east, the central Ubiñas south of Oviedo, and the Parque Natural de Somiedo in the west.

The Picos de Europa National Park forms the eastern range and contains the highest and arguably most spectacular mountains, rising to 2648 metres at the Torrecerredo peak. The Cantabrian mountain range (Cordillera Cantábrica) is Asturias' natural border with León province to the south. The key features of Asturian geography are its rugged cliffy coast and its mountainous interior. Since 1999 the President of the Government of Asturias has been Vicente Álvarez Areces, of the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE).

The Asturian regional government holds comprehensive competencies in important areas such as health, education and protection of the environment. In 1982 Asturias became an Autonomous Community within the decentralized territorial structure established by the Constitution of 1978. The province's name was restored fully after the return of democracy to Spain, in 1977. With Franco eventually gaining control of all Spain, Asturias - traditionally linked to the Spanish crown - was known merely as the 'Province of Oviedo' from 1936 until Franco's death in 1975.

As a result, Asturias remained loyal to the democratic republican government during the war, and was the scene of an extraordinary defence in extreme terrain, the Battle of El Mazuco. Troops under the command of Francisco Franco were brought from the North African colonies to put down the rebellion and a ferocious oppression followed. In 1934, the left-wing workers' movement fought the right-wing government of the Second Spanish Republic in the so-called 'Revolution of Asturias'. Like all Spain, Asturias played its part in the events that led up to and include the Spanish Civil War.

The heritage of these wealthy families can still be seen in Asturias today: many large 'modernista' villas are dotted across the region, as well as cultural institutions such as free schools and public libraries. These entrepreneurs were known collectively as 'Indianos', for having visited and made their fortunes in the West Indies and beyond. At the same time there was significant migration to the Americas; those who succeeded overseas often returned to their native land much wealthier. The Industrial Revolution came to Asturias with the discovery and systematic exploitation of coal and iron resources.

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, a polimath and prominent reformer and politician of the late 18th century, was born in the seaside town of Gijón (Xixón in the Asturian language). The renowned thinker Benito de Feijoo settled in the Benedictine Monastery of San Vicente, Oviedo. During the 18th Century, Asturias was one of the centres of the Spanish Enlightenment. After the fading of the 'Regnum Astorum' (Kingdom of Asturias), this historic land survived as a marginal territory in the north of Spain, although it provided the Spanish court with high-ranking aristocrats and played an important role in the colonisation of the Americas.

For this reason since the 14th century the heir to the Spanish throne automatically takes the title Prince of Asturias, much as the heir to the British throne is the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. Due to its situation and difficult terrain, the territories along the north coast of Spain were never part of Islamic Spain; the north served as the nucleus of a small Christian enclave, the Kingdom of Asturias, which was linked to Spain's visigoth kingdom. . Asturias is bordered to the east by Cantabria, to the south by Castilla y León, to the west by Galicia, and to the north by the Cantabrian Sea.

See also List of municipalities in Asturias, Comarcas of Asturias.. Other towns include Mieres, Langreo, Pola de Siero, Cangas de Onís, Cangas del Narcea, Grado, Pola de Lena, Pola de Laviana, El Entrego, Villaviciosa, and Llanes. The capital is Oviedo, and other noteworthy cities are the major seaport Gijón, the largest city in Asturias, and the industrial town of Avilés. It is situated on the north coast facing the Cantabrian Sea (Mar Cantábrico, the Spanish name for the Bay of Biscay).

The Principality of Asturias (Asturian: Principau d'Asturies or Asturies) has an extensive history and is an autonomous community within the country of Spain.