AVILA, a province of central Spain, astride the Central Sierras from the Plaza de Almanzor (2,592m.), the culminating point of the Sierra de Gredos, to the Sierra de Malag6n. Pop. 221,386; area, 3,1 o9sq.m. ; density, 67.3 per sq.m. South of the Sierra de Gredos, Avila extends to the river Tietar; it advances north for some distance across the plateau of Old Castile. On the level ground in the north, the centre of which is Arevalo, agriculture predominates, but the soils are poor, resting on out wash from the central Sierras. For the rest, Avila is a province of sierras, mainly granitic, rising step-like from the plateau to the Sierra de Gredos, and separated from each other by longitudinal valleys which are, in some cases, dried-up lake-bottoms along lines of structural weakness. Of these the best known are the Barco de Avila and the Valle de Ambles; the latter lies at the eastern end of an important structural line, giving a natural route from Plasencia to Avila. The head-waters of the rivers Alberche and Tietar, flowing to the Tagus, and of the Tormes and Adaja, flowing to the Duero, occupy these longitudinal valleys. The rais ing of stock, especially of the merino sheep (of which the purest breeds surviving in Spain are found in the central Sierras) is the principal industry (1924; 502,459 sheep) ; the forests are still in places important (1924; 187sq.m., mostly pine). The pastures and forests formed the basis of the life of the mediaeval communi ties, subdivided into sexmos, between which the area of the present province was divided. Nevertheless, 38% of the provin cial area is under cultivation, and of this, wheat, grown with and without irrigation, occupies nearly one-fourth and is increasing its acreage, with rye, barley, oats and maize following in order of importance. Modern methods are widely adopted ; production of cereals exceeds consumption, and a surplus is exported to other parts of Spain. The vine flourishes only in such areas as the Tietar and Alberche valleys, which produce wines of some repute; olive cultivation is confined to a few sheltered localities (Arenas de San Pedro, Cebreros) with very high yield. Estates are gener ally large ; there is often a shortage of labour, and harvesters are brought in from Galicia. The sierras formerly abounded in game, but the serious diminution of the ibex of the Sierra de Gredos led to the creation in 1905 of an ibex sanctuary with rights of chase reserved for the king of Spain. Avila, the capital, is the only large town. In elementary education the province stands comparatively high for Spain, though below the other provinces of Old Castile, with 37.58% of illiteracy.