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16-773: The river joins the Miño river in Os Peares, in the province of Ourense . Generally, the hierarchy between rivers is performed by taking into account which junction has more volume and length. In this case, as with the Esla and Pisuerga with the Duero, the Sil has flows larger than the Miño at the junction. There is a saying that goes, "The Miño has the fame, but the Sil gives it water" (in Spanish, El Miño lleva la fama y el Sil le da el agua ). The Sil river also surpasses

32-452: Is a province of Spain , in the southeastern part of the autonomous community of Galicia . It is bordered by the provinces of Pontevedra to the west, Lugo to the north, León and Zamora , (which both belong to Castile and León ) to the east, and by Portugal to the south. With an area of 7,278 square km., it is the only landlocked province in Galicia. The provincial capital, Ourense ,

48-536: Is a town and municipality in the southeast of the province of Ourense , in the autonomous community of Galicia , Spain . The population of the municipality is about 14,433. It is located 70 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Ourense and 15 kilometers north of the Portuguese city of Chaves . The Tâmega River flows through the town. In the Middle Ages it was known as Santa María de Verín. The town

64-475: Is actually in the neighboring Monterrei , which is the Castle of Monterrei , a huge complex looming over the rather non-descript urban area. To reach the castle you drive about two kilometers in the direction of Ourense on the old highway, turning off on the right to climb two kilometers, passing a winery on the left. There is a parador next to the castle. The Castle of Monterrei played an important role throughout

80-546: Is also considerable pig breeding and potato growing, especially around the area of Xinzo da Limia, in the drained lakebed of Antela, which until the 1960s was the largest fresh-water lake in Spain. The province has several protected areas and some natural parks, including: Of the province's population of 309,986 (2018), about 30 per cent in the capital, Ourense, with 105,000 inhabitants. There are 92 municipalities in Ourense. Other than

96-525: Is linked with Madrid and Ourense by the four-lane A-52 (Autovia das Rias Baixas) and by the N-525. The main railway line linking Ourense to Madrid passes through mountains north of the town, but the nearest station is at La Gudiña, 31 km to the east. Verín is a town of services with declining agricultural activity. There is a denominated wine region — Monterrei —located in the surrounding area. There are also three mineral water bottling plants in

112-464: Is the largest population centre, with the rest of the province being predominantly rural. Ourense (in Galician ) is the official name adopted by Parliament in Spain, according to Law 2/1998. Ourense is surrounded by mountains on all sides. These mountains historically isolated the province from the more populated Galician coast. Until a highway was built in recent years linking Ourense with Vigo in

128-473: The Indoeuropean root *sei- 'drip, run, humid'. This article about a location in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Spain is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Province of Ourense Ourense ( Galician: [owˈɾɛnsɪ] ; Spanish : Orense [oˈɾense] )

144-501: The Lindoso reservoir is on this river as it crosses the border into Portugal. The Tâmega River , another important Portuguese river begins north of Verín . The mountainous terrain and isolation have kept the province economically challenged and encouraged much emigration to the rest of Spain and to the New World. There is some wine production along the Miño valley and near Verín . There

160-513: The Miño in length by about 20 kilometres (12 mi). The Sil runs through the León districts of Babia, Laciana , El Bierzo and La Cabrera, and Ourense Valdeorras , among other locations across Villablino , Ponferrada , O Barco de Valdeorras , A Rúa , Quiroga and Ribas de Sil . The river has been a rich source of alluvial gold, and was most extensively exploited during the Roman period, following

176-504: The Portuguese-Spanish wars, having been strategically built on the frontier for the purpose. It was more than a castle since included within the perimeter were a monastery, a hospital and a small town which was abandoned in the 19th century. The castle itself is more impressive from afar than at closer look, but the view from the heights is worth the drive up. At night it is lit up and you can see it for miles on clear nights, even from

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192-606: The capital city of Ourense. One of the largest poultry processing companies is also located in the industrial zone near that city. The province has also four wine regions , out of five in the whole region of Galicia. Ribeiro , Ribeira Sacra , Monterrei and Valdeorras . Although not a major tourist center, tourism contributes somewhat to the economy. The river valleys attract holidaymakers, and there are several preserved medieval towns ( Allariz and Ribadavia ). 42°10′N 7°30′W  /  42.167°N 7.500°W  / 42.167; -7.500 Ver%C3%ADn Verín

208-449: The capital the most important are O Barco de Valdeorras , Verín , Ribadavia , Allariz , A Rua , O Carballiño , Viana do Bolo , and Xinzo de Limia . As of 2018, Ourense has the lowest birthrate of any Spanish province, posting a population growth rate of -2,993. The historical population is given in the following chart: Industries include chemical manufacture, milk production, water bottling near Verín, and clothing manufacture near

224-432: The conquest of north-west Spain by Augustus in 25 BC. The upper reaches of the river possessed large placer deposits, and the region around Las Médulas yielded large amounts of gold. It was extracted using hydraulic mining , involving the building of numerous aqueducts to expose and wash the alluvial formations. According to Pokorny and to E. Bascuas , "Sil" would belong to the old European hydronymy , derived from

240-660: The town: Cabreiroá, Fontenova and Sousas. Carnival here is one of the most original in Spain with the Cigarrón, masked figures running through the streets brandishing whips and making an interesting sound caused by cow bells tied to their waists (See zanpantzar for a similar tradition in the Pyrenees ). Everything has a medieval air, with little influence from the Brazilian-style carnival , which has become popular in other Spanish and Portuguese cities. Verín major tourist site

256-591: The west and Benavente in the east, the only quick way for people to enter or leave the province was by railway. The principal river system is the Miño-Sil, the fertile valleys of which produce corn (maize) and grapes for wine. Due to the many rapids these rivers are not navigable, but they have been harnessed for hydroelectric power. The Sil flows through a deep canyon and has become a sought-after tourist site for its river cruises and views. The Limia River begins north of Xinzo de Limia and flows south towards Portugal;

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