[Population and urbanization in the border areas of Spain and Portugal].

An analysis of population changes, including urbanization, that occurred in the border area between Spain and Portugal from the middle of the nineteenth century to 1991 is presented. The author first notes that this border has remained virtually unchanged since the thirteenth century. "The study proved that the border areas on the Iberian Peninsula are characterized by lower population density than in the remaining administrative units of the respective countries, by lower population growth indices, and also by the depopulation processes, especially intensive in the recent decades. It was also concluded that the administrative units (provinces, districts), which belong to the border zone, but are located at the sea coast, are in a more advantageous situation than those located inland, and the negative population processes either have smaller scale there or do not appear at all." (EXCERPT)