SPAHIS, horsemen in the Ottoman army, chiefly raised in Asia. The great strength of the grand seignior's army consists in the janisaries, who are the foot; and the spahis, who are the horse.
THE kingdom of Spain, which occupies by far the greater portion of the south-western peninsula of Europe, is bounded on the north by the bay of Biscay and Pyrenean mountains, which separate it from France; on the east by the Mediterranean sea; on the south by the straits of Gibraltar, which divide it from the African kingdom of Morocco; and on the west, partly by the Atlantic ocean, but chiefly by the narrow kingdom of Portugal. This last is the only artificial boundary of the Spanish territory, and consists of ideal lines, except in three parts, where the river Minho to the north, and the Douro and the Chanca, till its junction with the Guadiana to the east, form rather more natural limits.
From Cape Ortegal in N. Lat. , to the rock of Gibraltar, in N. Lat. , the continent of Spain extends through nearly of latitude, while its extent from west to east, viz. from Cape Finisterre in Long. from Greenwich to Cape Creus, or Croix, in Long. from the same meridian, comprehends nearly of longitude. In British miles, its length from north to south, viz. from Cape Penas to Gibraltar, may be estimated at 550 miles, while its medium breadth may be computed at 440. According to De Laborde, its superficial extent, exclusive of Portugal, is 25,137 square French leagues, or about 21,000 square English leagues.
Besides the continental part of Spain, this monarchy comprehends several islands in the Mediterranean, espe-
cially Majorca, Minorca, and Iviça; the Canary islands, and several places on the north-western coast of Africa; the Philippine and Ladronne islands; together with an immense territory both in North and South America, comprehending Mexico or New Spain, New Mexico, the island of Cuba, Porto Rico, &c. in North America, and in the southern part of that continent, the greatest portion of Terra Firma, Peru, Chili, almost the whole of Paraguay, with an extensive territory lying on the banks of the river Plate.
The usual division of the Spanish continent is into fourteen provinces, viz. those of CATALONIA, ARAGON, and NAVARRE, on the confines of France; BISCAY, ASTURIAS, and GALLICIA, on the shores of the Atlantic; LEON and ESTREMADURA, on the side of Portugal; ANDALUSIA chiefly on the straits of Gibraltar; GRANADA, MURCIA, and VALENCIA, on the shores of the Mediterranean; OLD and NEW CASTILE in the centre.
The latest writer on the geography of Spain, De Laborde, reckons only 13 provinces, as he includes Granada under Andalusia. In the following table we have brought together the most important circumstances respecting each of these provinces, viz. the subdivisions, extent in square British miles, population at the end of the 18th century, and chief towns; and we have arranged the provinces in the order followed by Laborde.