Spanish has a wealth of special adjectives for inhabitants of countries and towns. By contrast with similar adjectives in English (Mancunian, Liverpudlian, etc), the Spanish ones are in extremely common use. It is difficult to predict which of the several suffixes available will combine with a particular name, and sometimes the adjective will be unrelated to the name, or derive from an older name.

The following list includes the commoner of these adjectives, and those which are not immediately recognizable.

España → español or hispano (R3)

NOTE the use of hispano- in compounds, eg hispanoárabe.

note: Spain is frequently referred to as la Península(peninsula), especially when distinguishing between the mainland and Baleares and Canarias.

Regions

1. Andalucía → andaluz

2. Aragón → aragonésormaño/mañico (R1)

3. (las Islas) Baleares → balear

4. (las Islas) Canarias → canarioorguanche

5. note: The Canaries are also referred to simply as Las Islas.

6. Cantabria → cántabro

7. note: la Cordillera Cantábrica, el Mar Cantábrico

8. Castilla → castellano

9. Cataluña → catalán

10. Extremadura → extremeño

11. Galicia → gallego

12. el País Vasco → vascooreuskadi (invariable), the latter preferred by Basques

13. note: Vascongado is used chiefly in the expression las Provincias Vascongadas. Vascuence is used for the Basque language (also euskera).

Towns

1. Alcalá de Henares → complutense

2. note: complutense is also used of the Madrid University which was transferred from Alcalá.

3. Ávila → abulense

4. Barcelona → barcelonés

5. note: Barcelona is also frequently referred to, especially in journalistic R3, as la Ciudad Condal.

6. […]