system
Context: Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces (, ; sing. "provincia"). Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de soberanía are not part of any provinces. 

The layout of Spain's provinces closely follows the pattern of the territorial division of the country carried out in 1833. The only major change of provincial borders since that time has been the sub-division of the Canary Islands into two provinces rather than one. 

Historically, the provinces served mainly as transmission belts for policies enacted in Madrid, as Spain was a highly centralised state for most of its history. The importance of the provinces has declined since the adoption of the system of autonomous communities in the period of the Spanish transition to democracy. They nevertheless remain electoral districts for national elections and as geographical references: for instance in postal addresses and telephone codes. 

A small town would normally be identified as being in, say, Valladolid province rather than the autonomous community of Castile and León. The provinces were the "building-blocks" from which the autonomous communities were created. Consequently, no province is divided between more than one of these communities. 

Most of the provinces—with the exception of Álava/Araba, Asturias/Asturies, Bizkaia/Vizcaya, Cantabria, Gipuzkoa/Gipúzcoa, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares, La Rioja, and Nafarroa/Navarra—are named after their principal town. Only two capitals of autonomous communities—Mérida in Extremadura and Santiago de Compostela in Galicia—are not also the capitals of provinces.
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What were provinces historically for?
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transmission belts for policies enacted
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Where are they enacted?
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in Madrid
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What location is divided into fifty provinces?
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Spain
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and?
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its autonomous communities
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What are most provinces named after?
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their principal town
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How many aren't?
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Eight
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How many are not the provinces' capital?
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Two
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Which are they?
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Mérida and Santiago de Compostela
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What made the province more unimportant?
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the adoption of the system of autonomous communities
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How many locations do not belong to any province?
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Three
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What are they?
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Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de soberanía