Leonese people

The Leonese (Leonese: Llïoneses; Spanish: Leoneses) are the inhabitants of León whose homeland is the former Kingdom of León.

The Leonese Kingdom was an independent kingdom in the Middle Ages, keeping its status as a kingdom under the Spanish rule until the 1833 territorial division of Spain. The languages of the Leonese people are Leonese and Spanish in Spain, and Mirandese (Leonese) and Portuguese in Portugal.

Geography and demographics

Political and administrative divisions

The former Kingdom of León was divided into three historical regions: Asturias, León, and Extremadura, with the eastern territories into Castile. The Spanish division of 1833 recognised as Leonese the provinces of León, Salamanca, and Zamora. They are now part of Castile and León.

There are Leonese minorities in the District of Bragança that maintain Leonese culture and Leonese language, mainly in the northwest (Riodonor, Guadramil) and in the Land of Miranda, where a Leonese dialect known as Mirandês was officially recognized by the Parliament of Portugal.