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49-465: The 2003 Spanish local elections were held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect all 65,510 councillors in the 8,108 municipalities of Spain and all 1,036 seats in 38 provincial deputations . The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities , as well as local elections in the three foral deputations of the Basque Country and the ten island councils in

98-567: A consulate , has the right to vote in the local elections of the last municipality they resided in. A Spanish citizen born abroad must choose between the last municipality his or her mother or father last lived in. As of 2022, there were a total of 8,131 municipalities in Spain, including the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla . In the Principality of Asturias , municipalities are officially named concejos (councils). The average population of

147-399: A UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, El Hierro has limited construction to less than half of its total surface and buildings to two floors, maintaining its traditional look and social structure more than the other six major Canary Islands. The island is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife , and includes three municipalities: Valverde is situated in the northeast and Frontera in

196-613: A municipality is about 5,300, but this figure masks a huge range: the most populous Spanish municipality is the city of Madrid , with a population of 3,305,408 (2022) , while several rural municipalities have fewer than ten inhabitants ( Illán de Vacas , had a population of three in 2022 ). Almost 40% of the Spanish population resides in just 62 municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. 84% (6,817) of municipalities have less than 5,000 inhabitants. Castile and León alone account for 28% of municipalities but they constitute less than 6% of

245-512: A musical and human level, in a globalizing world. The festival is a contribution of the international artist community to El Hierro's "Sustainable Island" program and collaborates with scientists and sustainability-oriented organizations from around the world. The island of Hierro is mentioned (1) in Umberto Eco 's novel The Island of the Day Before ( L'isola del giorno prima , 1994), about

294-453: A party are highlighted in that party's colour. Provincial deputy share for different parties in the elections. The following table lists party control in provincial deputations. Gains for a party are highlighted in that party's colour. Municipalities of Spain Although provinces are groupings of municipalities , there is no implied hierarchy or primacy of one over the other. Instead

343-527: A period of hours or days. Local tsunami are likely to have been triggered by these landslides but no evidence has been found to confirm this. The Instituto Vulcanológico de Canarias (Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands) and National Geographic Institute 's seismic monitoring station located in Valverde detected increased seismic activity beginning on 17 July 2011. The seismic monitoring network

392-517: A pine forest with other evergreens. In 2000, El Hierro was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve , with 60% of its territory protected to preserve its natural and cultural diversity. Among cetaceans in these waters, it is notable that several species of lesser known beaked whales inhabit around the island. Like the rest of the Canary Islands chain, El Hierro is volcanic and sharply mountainous. One eruption has to date been recorded on

441-508: Is believed that the increase in arrivals in the Canary Islands is linked to the political and social crisis in Senegal ." El Hierro was used in various parts of Europe for more than 500 years as the prime meridian , especially outside of the future British Empire . By the 2nd century CE , Ptolemy already considered a definition of the zero meridian based on the westernmost piece of land in

490-498: Is broadly outlined by the 1985 Local Government Act. The Statutes of Autonomy of the various autonomous communities also contain provisions and many sectorial laws from national and autonomous community government determine the functions and powers of ayuntamientos. In general, municipalities enjoy a large degree of autonomy in their local affairs: many of the functions of the comarcas and provinces are municipal powers pooled together. All citizens of Spain are required to register in

539-400: Is composed of the mayor (Spanish: alcalde ), the deputy mayors (Spanish: tenientes de alcalde ) and the deliberative assembly ( pleno ) of councillors ( concejales ). Another form of local government used in small municipalities is the concejo abierto (open council), in which the deliberative assembly is formed by all the electors in the municipality. The operation of the municipalities

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588-565: Is the only airport in the island and also the island capital's airport: El Hierro's size and geography supports entirely endemic species including the critically endangered El Hierro giant lizard ( Gallotia simonyi ), for which there is a captive breeding programme, allowing its reintroduction. The non-barren parts of the interior rely on relief precipitation , not much more than the average of 19 rainfall days per year, high relative humidity and geothermal springs. This non-arid parts have thermophilous (geothermal heat-liking) juniper clumps and

637-548: The Balearic and Canary Islands . Municipalities in Spain were local corporations with independent legal personality . They had a governing body, the municipal council or corporation , composed of a mayor , deputy mayors and a plenary assembly of councillors. Voting for the local assemblies was on the basis of universal suffrage , with all nationals over eighteen, registered in the corresponding municipality and in full enjoyment of all political rights entitled to vote. The mayor

686-521: The Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain ), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa , with a population of 11,659 (2023). Its capital is Valverde . At 268.51 square kilometres (103.67 sq mi), it is the second-smallest of the eight main islands of the Canaries. The name El Hierro , although spelled like the Spanish word for 'iron', is not related to that word. The H in

735-475: The European Union , and officially inaugurated in 2015, consists of five E-70 wind turbines capable of producing 11.5 megawatts of wind power to supply electricity for approximately 11,000 residents, an additional number of tourists, and three water desalination facilities. The hybrid wind/pumped hydro storage system stores surplus wind power by pumping water up 700 metres (approximately 2,300 feet) to

784-627: The Guanche word hero or herro , meaning 'cistern', could easily have lapsed into hierro by a process of folk etymology . It is believed that the Bimbaches had to construct cisterns to save fresh rainwater. The Gran diccionario guanche gives the meaning of the Guanche word hero in Spanish as "fuente" ('spring [water source]'). The ancient natives of the island, called Bimbaches , were subjected to Spanish rule by Jean de Béthencourt (d.1425) – more by

833-584: The Portuguese navigators in the early 15th century—after the First Voyage of Columbus in 1492 scholars and cartographers sometimes grouped them among the new world. The Paris elite considered El Hierro to be exactly 20° west of the Paris meridian ( 1 ⁄ 18 th of its relevant parallel of the globe). Old international maps (outside of Anglo-North American realms) often have a common grid with Paris degrees at

882-458: The bimbaches into slavery . Many Frenchmen and Galicians subsequently settled on the island. There was a revolt of the natives against the harsh treatment of the governor Lázaro Vizcaíno, but it was suppressed. There is evidence of at least three major landslides that have affected El Hierro in the last few hundred thousand years. The most recent of these was the 'El Golfo' landslide that occurred about 15,000 years ago, involving collapse of

931-467: The (known) world, giving a few maps with only positive, eastern longitudes. In 1634, in France, as ruled by Louis XIII and his minister Richelieu , it was decided that Ferro's meridian should be used as a key reference of maps, in consideration of the island's historic meridian and status as the westernmost-known land of peoples of the 'Known World' . Flores Island is the westernmost Azore discovered by

980-537: The 2011 eruption, fossils of single-celled marine organisms were found in restingolites, a type of tephra , that were released into the water. The climate of El Hierro depends on the area. The climate ranges are from subtropical Mediterranean ( Csa / Csb ) in the center of the island, to semi-arid ( BSh ) and to a desert climate ( BWh ) in coastal parts (according to the Köppen climate classification ). It has also tropical climate ( As ) influences on some areas, as

1029-460: The Ministry for Industry, Tourism and Commerce, El Hierro hopes to become the first island in the world to be self-sufficient for electrical energy. This will be achieved through a €54 million project combining a greater than 11- megawatt wind farm and two hydroelectric projects. This hydro and wind-power project, created by the local Gorona del Viento El Hierro consortium with financial aid from

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1078-425: The coldest month average temperature does not fall below 18 °C (64 °F), but as precipitation is significantly low, the arid/semi-arid climate overlaps with the tropical climate, and therefore, its official classification according to AEMET is semi-arid or arid, depending on the exact area of the island. The temperatures are very influenced by the ocean. This is the climate chart from El Hierro Airport , which

1127-459: The corresponding regional parliaments. For insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands , deputations were replaced by island councils in each of the islands or group of islands. For Majorca , Menorca and Ibiza – Formentera this figure was referred to in Spanish as consejo insular ( Catalan : consell insular ), whereas for Gran Canaria , Tenerife , Fuerteventura , La Gomera , El Hierro , Lanzarote and La Palma its name

1176-445: The country. The average land area of a Spanish municipality is about 62.23 km (24.03 sq mi), while the average population is about 5,988 people. Municipalities were first created by decree on 23 May 1812 as part of the liberal reforms associated with the new Spanish Constitution of 1812 and based on similar actions in revolutionary France. The idea was to rationalise and homogenise territorial organisation, do away with

1225-573: The crater of an extinct volcano. When winds are calm or when demand exceeds supply, water is released from the crater to generate 11.3 MW of electricity, filling a smaller artificial basin created at the bottom of the extinct volcano. Water in the lower basin is then pumped back up again to the upper reservoir when there is excess wind power. The closed-loop hybrid wind/hydro system is expected to save approximately US$ 4M per year (calculated with January 2011 oil prices) previously spent on about 40,000 barrels of crude oil imported annually, attempting to make

1274-470: The following scale: Councillors of municipalities with populations between 100 and 250 inhabitants were elected under an open list partial block voting , with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties and for up to four candidates. Additionally, municipalities below 100 inhabitants, as well as those whose geographical location or the best management of municipal interests or other circumstances made it advisable, were to be organized through

1323-463: The island completely self-sufficient for electrical energy. 2016 was the first whole year for the power plant and it reached 40.7% of the total demand, reducing consumption of diesel by 6,000 tonnes. In 2017, the share climbed to 46.5%. The installation also powers a desalination plant that provides fresh water. In early 2018, El Hierro covered its entire electricity demand between 25 January and 12 February with its renewable resource base, avoiding

1372-565: The island emerged from the ocean as a triangle of basaltic dykes topped with a volcanic cone more than 2,000 metres high. With continued activity resulting in the island expanding to have the largest number of volcanoes in the Canaries (over 500 cones, another 300 covered by more recent deposits), together with approximately 70 caves and volcanic galleries, including the Cueva de Don Justo whose collection of channels exceeds 6 km. Landslides, plant erosion and seasonal wind erosion have reduced

1421-578: The island of El Hierro) is taken from her sanctuary in La Dehesa (in the municipality of La Frontera ) and carried to the capital of the island, Valverde , making a tour of 44 kilometres and running through all the towns of El Hierro. The annual festival of the Virgin is celebrated every September 24. The official natural symbols associated with El Hierro are Gallotia simonyi machadoi (El Hierro giant lizard) and Juniperus phoenicea (Sabina). According to

1470-467: The island, but is not confirmed: from the Volcan de Lomo Negro vent in 1793, lasting a month. A submarine eruption occurred, however, offshore La Restinga village in 2011/2012. Except as landscaped at its harbour towns the shore is rocky and in places precipitous. El Hierro is a 268.71-square-kilometre (103.75 sq mi) island, formed late, about 1.2 million years ago after three successive eruptions,

1519-445: The municipality they live in, and after doing so, they are juridically considered "neighbors" (residents) of the municipality, a designation that grants them various rights and privileges, and which entail certain obligations as well, including the right to vote or be elected for public office in said municipality. The right to vote in municipal elections is extended to Spanish citizens living abroad. A Spaniard abroad, upon registering in

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1568-563: The name of the metal is derived from the F of Latin ferrum (compare higo for 'fig'), a phonetic mutation that was complete by the end of the Middle Ages. The confusion with the name of the metal had effects on the international naming of the island. As early as the 16th century, maps and texts called the island after the word for 'iron' in other languages: Portuguese Ferro , French l'île de Fer , and Latin Insula Ferri . Nevertheless,

1617-526: The northern flank of the island. The landslide formed the El Golfo valley and created a debris avalanche with a volume of 150–180 km . Turbidite deposits related to this landslide have been recognized in drill cores from the Agadir Basin to the north of the Canary Islands. Detailed analysis of these deposits suggests that the slope failure did not occur as a single event but a series of smaller failures over

1666-637: The open council system ( Spanish : régimen de concejo abierto ), in which voters would directly elect the local major. The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they sought election: Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform

1715-476: The origin of the name ero or erro or yerro is not definitely known. It is thought to be derived from one of several words in the Guanche language of the pre-Hispanic inhabitants, known as Bimbaches . Juan de Abreu Galindo (in a manuscript translated and published by George Glas in 1764) gives the native name of the island as Esero (or Eseró ), meaning 'strong'. Richard Henry Major , however, in notes on his translation of Le Canarien , observes that

1764-424: The population of Spain. A European report said that one of the most important problems facing local governments in Spain is the very high number of little towns with a low number of inhabitants. The area of the municipal territory (Spanish: término municipal ) usually ranges 2–40 km , but some municipalities span across a much larger area, up to the 1,750.33 km of Cáceres ', the largest municipality in

1813-422: The prior feudal system and provide equality before the law of all citizens. Between 1812 and 1931, the legislation regarding municipal organisation was changed more than 20 times, and there were 20 addition and unsuccessful proposals for change. El Hierro El Hierro ( Spanish: [el ˈʝero] ), nicknamed Isla del Meridiano (the "Meridian Island"), is the farthest south and west of

1862-526: The process of negotiation than by military action. Béthencourt had as his ally and negotiator Augeron, brother of the island's native monarch. Augeron had been captured years before by the Europeans and now served as mediator between the Europeans and the Guanches. In return for control over the island, Béthencourt promised to respect the liberty of the natives, but his son eventually broke his promise, selling many of

1911-483: The relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election being called. Provincial deputations were the governing bodies of provinces in Spain , having an administration role of municipal activities and composed of a provincial president, an administrative body, and a plenary. Basque provinces had foral deputations instead—called Juntas Generales —, whereas deputations for single-province autonomous communities were abolished: their functions transferred to

1960-514: The size and height of the island. The current highest point is in the middle of the island, in Malpaso, at 1,501 metres (4,925 ft) high. Like all of the Canary Islands, El Hierro is a tourist destination. It is served by a small airport— El Hierro Airport at Valverde—and a ferry terminal at Puerto de la Estaca , both of which connect to Tenerife . Though El Hierro has a Parador , hotel accommodations are generally in small family enterprises; as

2009-504: The top and Ferro degrees (offset by 20 from Paris) at the bottom. Louis Feuillée also worked on this problem in 1724. The most important festival of El Hierro is the Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes , held every four years, on the first Saturday of July (the last occasion was in 2021, and the next will be in 2025). During the festival, the Virgin of the Kings ( Virgen de los Reyes , patron saint of

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2058-415: The total number of tremors had exceeded 4,000. Between 4;15 and 4:20 a.m. on 10 October 2011 the earthquake swarm changed behaviour and produced a harmonic tremor . Harmonic tremors are produced by magma movements and can indicate that an eruption has begun. Later the same day a small submarine eruption began, 7 km south of La Restinga . On 11 October the volcanic threat level at La Restinga

2107-463: The two entities are defined according to the authority or jurisdiction of each ( Spanish : competencias ). Some autonomous communities also group municipalities into entities known as comarcas (districts) or mancomunidades (commonwealths). The governing body in most municipalities is called ayuntamiento ( municipal council or corporation ), a term often also used to refer to the municipal headquarters (city/town hall). The ayuntamiento

2156-424: The use of polluting energy sources for more than 560 hours in 2018—and a total of almost 2,000 hours since it started operating. The Bimbache openART Festival and Global Initiative for Arts and Sustainability, founded in 2005 by German-born guitarist Torsten de Winkel and other community activists, is a non-profit effort at creating an interdisciplinary platform which seeks to bridge traditional divides, both on

2205-407: The west, both contain several villages. The seat of the island government ( cabildo insular ) is in the town of Valverde, which houses approximately half of the island's population. El Hierro and the Canaries have become bases for migration out of Africa. In early October 2023 boats carrying well over one thousand migrants had arrived within a few days many of them on "Spanish Lampedusa ". "It

2254-527: Was cabildo insular . Most deputations were indirectly elected by local councillors from municipalities in each judicial district . Seats were allocated to provincial deputations based on the following scale: Island councils and foral deputations were elected directly by electors under their own, specific electoral regulations. Councillor share for different parties in the elections. The following table lists party control in provincial capitals, as well as in municipalities above or around 75,000. Gains for

2303-529: Was in turn elected by the plenary assembly, with a legal clause providing for the candidate of the most-voted party to be automatically elected to the post in the event no other candidate was to gather an absolute majority of votes. Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation , with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each local council. Councillors were allocated to municipal councils based on

2352-406: Was increased in density on 21 July to allow better detection and location of the seismic events. There was an earthquake swarm with in excess of 400 minor tremors between 20 July and 24 July; by 27 July a further 320 earthquakes had been recorded. On 25 August there were reports that some horizontal deformation had been detected, but that there was no unusual vertical deformation. At that time,

2401-418: Was raised from "yellow" to "red" after minor rockfalls on the slopes above the town. Temporary evacuation of the 600 inhabitants was ordered and, despite a reduction in activity, they were still unable to return 20 days later. As of 7 November 2011 a confirmed surtseyan type of eruption phase has started at the fissure. On 4 December 2011 the eruption was ongoing with vigorous phreatic bubbles emerging. After

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