one of the most considerable divisions of the kingdom of Spain. It is bounded on the east by Aragon and Valencia, on the north by Old Castile and Aragon, on the west by Extremadura, and on the south by Cordova, Jaen, and Murcia. The superficial extent is 2583 square leagues, and the amount of its population was, in the year 1804, according to the census, 1,220,114 souls.
The civil divisions of New Castile are the provinces of Madrid, Guadalaxara, Cuenca, Toledo, and La Mancha. The description of Madrid, the capital of the Spanish monarchy, will be found under that article, and the other capitals of these five provinces in their several alphabetical places. New Castile may be generally described as a very healthy district; and though some considerable portions of it are very mountainous and barren, it is on the whole a fertile country; and the valleys are eminently so. It produces abundance of corn, wine, oil, and fruits of all kinds. It breeds a considerable number of cows, horse, mules, asses, pigs, and sheep; but it is very deficient in manufactures of almost every kind.
The most considerable mountains are the range called Iberica, which, commencing near the fountains of the Tagus, in the province of Aragon, enter New Castile by Cuenca. From Cuenca they may be traced to Toledo, between the rivers Tagus and Guadiana, with various projecting ramifications, till they terminate near the latter river, in the vicinity of Merida. Another range, beginning near the head of the Ebro, passes the sources of the Tagus and those of the Xarama, and, called Somosierra near Madrid, enters the province of Old Castile.
The rivers of this province are, the Manzanares, rising in the northern part of it; and passing by Madrid, after which it enters the Xarama, which is further increased by the streams of the Henares; and the Henares, which receives the waters of the Tajuña, and then flows into the Tagus, which latter crosses the province, and runs to Extremadura. The greatest complaint uttered against nature in New Castile is the want of water, which, except near these rivers, is very great, and produces much sterility.