In 1981, Spain’s main parties agreed to divide the country into 19 regions, including two city enclaves in northern Africa, Ceuta and Melilla. “Almost no Spanish politician knows the difference between a confederation and a federation.”What rights do the autonomous regions have? Some of the regions have more autonomy, notably Catalonia and the Basque Country, which have their own police forces. Two regions — the Basque Country and Navarra — also have independent fiscal systems, something that Catalonia demanded in 2012 but that Mr. Rajoy’s government refused. Two regions collect their own taxes; the other 15 are part of a Spanish tax redistribution system that transfers funds to poorer regions from richer ones, like Catalonia.

Source: New York Times October 29, 2017 13:31 UTC