Alt Maestrat county displays the characteristic traits of Southern European shrinking rural areas (importance of agriculture, mountain conditions and remoteness), while being in the relative proximity of dynamic industrial clusters and economic centres. Alt Maestrat is therefore a transition area between the wealthy coastal plain and the inner demographic desert of Spain. Since 1991, population has decreased by 25%, and the ageing index has increased from 200 to 302 (more than double the national average). Historical development patterns have fostered the concentration of infrastructure, population, and activity on the coastal areas, resulting in economic marginalisation of this particular area.

Identity:

Case study: Alt Maestrat, Castellón

Country: Spain (ES) 

Project: European Shrinking Rural Areas: Challenges, Actions and Perspectives for Territorial Governance (ESCAPE)

Delivery: 12/2020

Population: 6,872

Classification: Group of LAUs