Editing Spain (section)

==== Autonomous communities ====
{{Main|Autonomous communities of Spain}}
{{See also|Nationalities and regions of Spain}}
{{Autonomous regions of Spain|float=right}}

Spain's autonomous communities are the first level administrative divisions of the country. They were created after the current constitution came into effect (in 1978) in recognition of the right to self-government of the "[[nationalities and regions of Spain|''nationalities'' and regions of Spain]]".{{sfn|Spanish Constitution|1978|loc=Article 143}} The autonomous communities were to comprise adjacent provinces with common historical, cultural, and economic traits. This territorial organisation, based on [[devolution]], is known in Spain as the "State of Autonomies" (''Estado de las Autonomías''). The basic institutional law of each autonomous community is the [[Statute of Autonomy]]. The Statutes of Autonomy establish the name of the community according to its historical and contemporary identity, the limits of its territories, the name and organisation of the institutions of government and the rights they enjoy according to the constitution.{{sfn|Spanish Constitution|1978|loc=Article 147}} This ongoing process of devolution means that, while officially a [[unitary state]], Spain is nevertheless one of the most [[decentralised]] countries in Europe, along with [[federation]]s like [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], and [[Switzerland]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/06/18/catalonia.vote/index.html|publisher=CNN|title=Catalonians vote for more autonomy|date=18 June 2006|access-date=13 August 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604012034/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/06/18/catalonia.vote/index.html|archive-date=4 June 2008}} See also: {{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/document/57/0,2340,en_2649_201185_34578361_1_1_1_1,00.html|title=Economic Survey: Spain 2005|access-date=13 August 2008|publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417005653/http://www.oecd.org/document/57/0,2340,en_2649_201185_34578361_1_1_1_1,00.html|archive-date=17 April 2008}} and {{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/topics/spain?folder=Profile-FactSheet|title=Country Briefings: Spain|access-date=9 August 2008|newspaper=The Economist|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014000013/http://www.economist.com/topics/spain?folder=Profile-FactSheet|archive-date=14 October 2012}} and {{cite web|url=http://www1.worldbank.org/wbiep/decentralization/Swiss%20Expertise/Muralt.pdf|title=Swiss Experience With Decentralized Government|access-date=13 August 2008|publisher=The World Bank|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819191608/http://www1.worldbank.org/wbiep/decentralization/Swiss%20Expertise/Muralt.pdf|archive-date=19 August 2008}}</ref>

Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country, which identified themselves as ''nationalities'', were granted self-government through a rapid process. Andalusia also identified itself as a nationality in its first Statute of Autonomy, even though it followed the longer process stipulated in the constitution for the rest of the country. Progressively, other communities in revisions to their Statutes of Autonomy have also taken that denomination in accordance with their historical and modern identities, such as the Valencian Community,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trobat.com/recursos/estatut-valencia.pdf|title=Estatut|language=es|access-date=20 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326021746/http://www.trobat.com/recursos/estatut-valencia.pdf|archive-date=26 March 2009}}</ref> the Canary Islands,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.gobiernodecanarias.org/tuestatuto/novedades.html#pre|title=Nuevo Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias|publisher=.gobiernodecanarias.org|access-date=30 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120074716/http://www2.gobiernodecanarias.org/tuestatuto/novedades.html|archive-date=20 January 2011}}</ref> the Balearic Islands,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caib.es/webcaib/govern_illes/estatut_autonomia/doc/estatut2007.ca.pdf|title=BOCAe32.QXD|language=ca|access-date=20 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711090828/http://www.caib.es/webcaib/govern_illes/estatut_autonomia/doc/estatut2007.ca.pdf|archive-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> and Aragon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://narros.congreso.es/constitucion/estatutos/estatutos.jsp?com=64&tipo=2&ini=1&fin=10&ini_sub=1&fin_sub=1|title=Estatuto de Autonomía de Aragón|publisher=Narros.congreso.es|access-date=20 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091211225055/http://narros.congreso.es/constitucion/estatutos/estatutos.jsp?com=64&tipo=2&ini=1&fin=10&ini_sub=1&fin_sub=1|archive-date=11 December 2009 }}</ref>

The autonomous communities have wide legislative and executive autonomy, with their own elected parliaments and governments as well as their own dedicated [[Public Administration of Spain|public administrations]]. The distribution of powers may be different for every community, as laid out in their Statutes of Autonomy, since devolution was intended to be asymmetrical. For instance, only two communities—the Basque Country and Navarre—have full fiscal autonomy based on ancient [[fuero|foral]] provisions. Nevertheless, each autonomous community is responsible for healthcare and education, among other public services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/spain/main-executive-and-legislative-bodies|title=Spain: Main executive and legislative bodies|publisher=European Commission|access-date=16 April 2024}}</ref> Beyond these competencies, the ''nationalities''—[[Andalusia]], the [[Pais Vasco|Basque Country]], [[Catalonia]], and [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]—were also devolved more powers than the rest of the communities, among them the ability of the regional president to dissolve the parliament and call for elections at any time. In addition, the Basque Country, the [[Canary Islands]], Catalonia, and [[Navarre]] each have autonomous police corps of their own: ''[[Ertzaintza]]'', ''[[Policía Canaria]]'', ''[[Mossos d'Esquadra]]'', and ''[[Policía Foral]]'' respectively. Other communities have more limited forces or none at all, like the ''Policía Autónoma Andaluza'' in [[Andalusia]] or [[BESCAM]] in Madrid.<ref name="cartujo">{{cite web|url=http://www.cartujo.org/pag(a9).htm|title=Unidad de Policía de la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía|publisher=Cartujo.org|access-date=23 October 2007|language=es|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107145807/http://www.cartujo.org/pag(a9).htm|archive-date=7 November 2007}}</ref>