Hispania

Hispania was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula, encompassing modern-day Spain and Portugal, as well as Andorra, and a small part of modern France. The Romans initially divided the peninsula into two provinces: Hispania Citerior ("Nearer Hispania") and Hispania Ulterior ("Further Hispania").

The Roman presence in Hispania began during the Second Punic War in the late 3rd century BC, initially as a military theater against the Carthaginians. Gradual Roman conquest and administration followed, lasting for several centuries. Over time, the provinces were reorganized, notably by Augustus into Hispania Tarraconensis, Hispania Baetica, and Lusitania.

Hispania was a significant source of wealth and resources for the Roman Empire, providing minerals (such as gold, silver, and iron), agricultural products (including grain, olive oil, and wine), and soldiers. It was also heavily Romanized, with the adoption of Roman law, language (Latin, which evolved into Spanish and Portuguese), customs, and infrastructure (roads, aqueducts, cities).

Important Roman cities in Hispania included Tarraco (Tarragona), Emerita Augusta (Mérida), and Corduba (Córdoba). Numerous Roman emperors, such as Trajan, Hadrian, and Theodosius I, were born in Hispania, highlighting the region's importance within the empire.

The Roman control of Hispania gradually weakened in the 5th century AD, leading to the arrival and eventual establishment of Germanic tribes, most notably the Visigoths, who established a kingdom that would last until the Islamic conquest in the 8th century. The Roman legacy in Hispania profoundly shaped the peninsula's subsequent history, culture, and languages.