Principado de Asturias

The Principality of Asturias is situated in the northwest of Spain.The region lies between the Cantabrian Sea to the north, with 334 km of Atlantic coastline, and the clearly drawn natural boundary of the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain ranges to the south separating it from Central Spain. The geography of the Region presents a series of sharp contrasts: the high mountains of the Picos de Europa, the valleys of the interior, criss-crossed by numerous streams and rivers, and coast with its rocky headlands and multitude of beaches and coves.

The Principality of Asturias is one of the 17 self-governing Regions making up the Spanish State.The Regional Statute conferring powers of self-government in numerous areas was approved in 1981. The Capital of Asturias is Oviedo, the population is largely concentrated in the metropolitan area in the center of the Region, which is formed by the cities of Oviedo, Gijón, Avilés, Mieres and Langreo, where 80% of Asturias inhabitants have their home.

Historically, economic activity in Asturias has been concentrated in four main sectors: steel, mining, shipbuilding and agriculture. The balance is shifting and over the past few years Asturias has implemented a policy of reindustrialisation that has introduced a high level of diversity and modernization. Services as advanced engineering or software development, and industries such as environmental equipment or new materials are growing fast in Asturias. Right now, however, the sector most rapidly expanding in Asturias is chemicals.

Asturias GDP in 2003 was 16.522 million euros, 2.2% of the total for Spain. Regional GDP per capita was 15.363 euros. The industrial sector represents 15.65% of the Region’s gross value added, three percentage points above the national average. Services, which have grown strongly over the last decade, are the main constituent of regional GDP, providing 62.77% of the total. Construction contributes 11.50%, while the primary sector accounts for the remaining 2.58%.

The main products produced by the chemical sector are carbon-based chemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceutical products, cosmetic and paper. In addition, DuPont manufactures other specialized products. The main player in the carbon-base products sector is Industrial Química del Nalón, IQN, while Química Farmacéutica Bayer heads the pharmaceuticals sector and Empresa Nacional de Celulosa, ENCE, is the leading manufacturer of wood pulp for the paper industry.

The combined number of employees of the Chemical, and Plastic and Rubber Industries in Asturias represents 5% of the total Processing Industry of the region and 1.20% of both the Chemical Industry and Plastic and Rubber in Spain.