Ávila is naturally divided into two sections, differing completely in soil and climate. The northern portion is generally level; the soil is of indifferent quality, strong and marly in a few places, but rocky in all the valleys of the Sierra de Ávila; and the climate alternates from severe cold in winter to extreme heat in summer. The population of this part is mainly agricultural. The southern division, however, is one mass of rugged granitic sierras, interspersed with sheltered and well-watered valleys, abounding with rich vegetation.[citation needed]
The winter, especially in the elevated region of the Paramera and the wastelands of Ávila, is long and severe, but the climate is not unhealthy.[clarification needed][citation needed]
The principal mountain chains are the Guadarrama, separating this province from Madrid; the Paramera and Sierra de Ávila, west of the Guadarrama; and the vast wall of the Sierra de Gredos along the southern frontier, where its outstanding peaks rise from around 6,000 to 8,000 feet (1,800 to 2,400 m). Pico Almanzor is the highest point. The ridges which ramify from the Paramera are covered with valuable forests of beeches, oaks and firs, presenting a striking contrast to the bare peaks of the Sierra de Gredos.[citation needed]
The main rivers stemming from the Sierra de Gredos are the Alberche, the Tiétar, and the Tormes.[1] The first two belong to the Tagus basin, while the latter belongs to the Douro catchment area. Meanwhile, the Adaja, another Douro tributary whose source lies at the cut-off point of the Sierra de Ávila and La Serrota, carries little water in the Summer.[1]
The first recorded inhabitants of Ávila were the Celts, who left behind a number of large stone statues of bulls called Verracos, with the largest number of surviving examples in Ávila. The area of the province was conquered by the Romans around 192 B.C. After the Roman Empire fell, the area became part of the Visigothic Kingdom, and it is from this period we have many of the earliest records of the towns of Ávila.
The population of the territory comprising the current-day province of Ávila greatly decreased since the late 16th century and the first half of the 17th century, taking over nearly two centuries to recover the late 16th century population.[2]
