TheCartularies of Valpuesta from the monastery Santa María de Valpuesta, in Burgos, are considered to be the oldest known documents containing words written in theSpanish language.[2]
The province has an area of 14,300 km2 (5,500 sq mi) and a population of approximately 375,000 of whom nearly half live in the capital. The other locations higher than 20,000 inhabitants apart from Burgos areMiranda de Ebro andAranda de Duero, both very industrialized. TheSierra de la Demanda, the northwesternmost end of theSistema Ibérico where lies thePico San Millán, is located in Burgos Province.[3]
In theAtapuerca area, archaeologists have found evidence of occupation by hominids and humans for more than one million years. Discoveries have included the earliest hominid skull in Europe.
In the fifth century, theVisigoths drove back theSuevi. In the eighth century, the Arabs occupied all ofCastiles.Alfonso III the Great,king of León reconquered the area around the middle of the ninth century, and built many castles for the defence of Christendom. Gradually the area was reconquered. The region came to be known as Castile (Latincastella), i.e. "land of castles". In the eleventh century, Burgos became the capital of theKingdom of Castile.
The province of Burgos is divided into 371 municipalities, being the Spanish province with the highest number, although many of them have fewer than 100 inhabitants.
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