The region elected its first parliament in 1981 following autonomy from Madrid. The Galego or Galician is the official language of the region, it is closely related to Portuguese and while most inhabitants understand it, only about half use it primarily.

In the 5th and 6th centuries Galicia was the centre of the kingdom of the German Suevi. Moorish rule followed but the king of Asturias liberated it during the 9th century. Its people's strong spirit of independence was shown during the Middle Ages when the feudal lords often rebelled against the crown and again in the early 19th century by the general resistance to occupation by Napoleonic forces Later in that same century Galicia was the scene of a somewhat surprising cultural and literary revival.

Galicia is a mountainous region, with several fast flowing rivers tumbling towards the Atlantic Ocean, of which the Mino is the most important. The area relies heavily on agriculture with extensive cattle and pig farming, food processing and fishing are also important. There is a large petroleum refinery at A Coruna and a strategic naval base at El Ferrol. Wind farms produce much of the region