Extremadura is an autonomous community located in the southwestern area of the Iberian Peninsula. It is composed of the two most extensive provinces in Spain: Cáceres and Badajoz. It limits to the north with the provinces of Salamanca,Ávila, to the south with Huelva, Seville and Córdoba. To the east, with Toledo and Ciudad Real and to the west, with Portugal. Its capital is Merida, a city recognized by the Statute of Autonomy and the Statute of Capitality as the seat of the Junta de Extremadura. The total population of Extremadura on January 1,2018 was 1 070 586 inhabitants according to the INE. It has several denominations of origin such as: Ribera del Guadiana in wines. Dehesa de Extremadura in ham.
Torta del Casar, cheese from La Serena and cheese from Ibores in cheeses. Aceite Gata-Hurdes, Monterrubio oil in olive oil and other materials such as paprika de la Vera, veal from Extremadura, lamb from Extremadura, honey Villuercas-Ibores or cherries from Valle del Jerte. The climate of its territory is warm in the south and temperate, and even cold, in the north. The tourism sector is concentrated in the cities of Mérida, Cáceres, Plasencia, Badajoz, Trujillo, Garganta la Olla, Cuacos de Yuste, Guadalupe or Hervás, and in regions such as Valle del Jerte, Valle del Ambroz or La Vera. The highest peak in the region is the Calvitero, located in the northeast of the province of Cáceres, in the Valle del Jerte, with 2405 meters above sea level.
Two of the most important rivers of the Iberian Peninsula pass through Extremadura: the Tagus, and the Guadiana. Thanks to them, quality agriculture is produced, with products such as paprika, tomatoes, tobacco and rice. The Kingdom of León and the Kingdom of Castile conquered the Taifa of Badajoz between the 12th and 13th centuries. After the formation of the Crown of Castile by the union of both kingdoms in 1230, the province of Extremadura was created in 1371. Extremadura is the birthplace of the most famous conquerors of the New World: Francisco Pizarro and Hernán Cortés, conquerors of the Inca empires and Aztec, respectively, and Pedro de Valdivia, conqueror of Chile. Many other important conquerors were also born in Extremadura.
The Extremadura Day is celebrated on September 8, which coincides with the Catholic feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe as patroness of Extremadura. On August 18,2018, Extremadura's Day of Languages was celebrated for the first time.