Extremadura is an autonomous community located in western region of Spain. It is bordered by Castile and Leon to the north, Portugal to the west, Andalusia to the south, and to the east by Castile-La Mancha. The community covers a total area 16,075 square miles. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions; the estimated population is 1,097,744.

Situated in the western central region of Spain, Merida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura. The city was given the status of being UNESCO world heritage site in 1993.

The Autonomous community of Extremadura was part of Lusitania, Portugal and a central western portion of the current day Spain. Merida, the capital city, was also the capital of the Roman Lusitania province. In 713 AD, Arabs invaded the region of Extremadura and ruled the region for five hundred years until 1230 when the Christian forces re-conquered the region.

Extremadura was believed to be the staging ground for Spanish conquerers and settlers in America. Francisco Pizarro, Gonzalo Pizarro, Hernan Cortes, Francisco de Orellana, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Hernando de Soto, Alvarado, and Valdivia. These explorers explored the Appalachians, Ozarks, Andes, Mississippi, Amazon, and the Pacific with the aid of medieval technology. They overthrew the Aztec and Inca empires and spread Catholicism far and wide – from Florida to California, and Colorado to Chile.

The autonomous community of Extremadura has a devolved government that functions in a constitutional monarchy. The President is the head of government; Jose Antonio Monago Terraza of the People’s Party is the current President of the community.

The community of Extremadura is a beautiful one and is home to a number of beautiful attractions. The fascinating city of Medira, Badajoz, Monfrague National Park, Trujillo, Guadalupe, Plasencia are the major tourist destinations in the country.