Territories that refuse to fade away: Insights from the Províncias of Northern Portugal and the Comarcas of Galicia (Spain)

Abstract

In this article we explore the interaction between the spatialities of the state and the spatial imaginaries by investigating the manifestation of territories beyond institutional practices. We want to understand the relevance of territories that, despite not being integrated into the political-administrative structure of the state, refuse to fade away. We examine deactivated supra-municipal divisions of two neighborhood states: the províncias of the Northern Portugal and the comarcas of Galicia (Spain). Both cases are examined through a combination of geohistorical analysis of the administrative organization of the states, alongside a revision of tangible and intangible practices of local stakeholders in which these territories persist. The exploration of geographical naming is a significant aspect of the analysis. The results indicate that both províncias and comarcas are currently mobilized by stakeholders with many purposes and assumed varied shapes to assert their existence from the bottom up. These are claimed as the suitable divisions of territory and used to contest the spatialities imposed by the state. The inclusion of the imaginaries associated with these territories on formal regional planning practices would lead to a future where the territorial diversity of the countries is acknowledged, and the endogenous characteristics embraced.