CORUNNA (La Coruna), a province in north-west Spain; forming part of Galicia, and bounded on the east by Lugo, south by Pontevedra, west and north by the Atlantic ocean. Pop. (193o) 767,608; area, 3,o5isq.m. The coast of Corunna is broken by a series of promontories separated by bays and estuaries which often extend for many miles inland. These afford sites for shel tered ports but the coast, though well lighted, is dangerous owing to frequent gales and fogs in winter and spring. The chief head lands are Cape Ortegal and Cape de Vares, the most northerly points in Spain, and Capes Finisterre and Torifiana in the west. The principal bays are those of Santa Marta, Ferrol and Corunna, on the north; Corcubion, Muros y Noya and Arosa, on the west. The interior of the province, though mountainous, is not high and the climate is singularly mild and equable, but the rainfall is very heavy. The slopes are covered with woods and pastures and in the valleys beans, onions, potatoes and fruit are grown for ex port. The broken nature of the country discourages cereal grow ing, but in limited areas heavy crops of maize, wheat and rye are obtained. The wines of Corunna are heady and of inferior flavour. Cattle-breeding is important, though the export of live-stock, once considerable, has declined, owing to foreign competition. In 1924 the cattle of the province numbered nearly 5oo,000 head, over 12% of the total for all Spain. Along the coast there are valuable fisheries of sardines, lobsters, hake and other fish. A little tin, tungsten, iron and copper are mined. The chief exports are farm produce and fish; the imports, coal and manufactured goods from England, petroleum from the United States, salt fish from Nor way and Newfoundland, and timber, hides, colonial produce and salt. Means of communication are very inadequate. A main rail way line links Corunna with Lugo and Madrid, with a branch to El Ferrol in the north and a line running south through Santiago to Vigo and Oporto. Elsewhere the inhabitants are dependent on very indifferent roads.
The principal ports are Corunna (pop. 1930, 74,132) and El Ferrol (35,563); the chief inland towns, Santiago de Compostela (38,27o), Ortigueira (20,614), Ribeira (16,87o), Carballo (15, 127). These are described in separate articles. Muros (10,282), Noya (10,975), Serantes (11,648) are minor trading and fishing ports and Corcubion is a small coaling station. (For a description of the peasantry, who are distinguished in many respects from those inhabiting other parts of Spain, see GALICIA.)