This research analyzes Spanish internal borders —i.e those separating Autonomous Communities (ACs)—. The starting hypothesis is that in highly decentralized countries, such is the Spanish case, internal borders can generate effects similar to those produced by external borders (between two or more nation-states). Specifically, this study seeks to analyze the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, located on the border between the ACs of Castilla y León and Madrid. The aim is to apply the theoretical framework of transboundary conservation, widely studied in the context of external borders, to a national park shared by two ACs. Moreover, since it is a national park —a type of protected area that goes far beyond nature conservation and has strong implications in other areas such as politics, tourism promotion or nation-building— the results not only allow us to understand the effects derived from the presence of an internal border, but also to discuss the Spanish national park system and the relations between the central state and the ACs. Qualitative research techniques, through semi-structured interviews to key stakeholders, are employed to grasp their perceptions as regards the managing of the Sierra Guadarrama National Park. This research proves that there is much room for improvement in the cooperation between ACs and that the figure of national park has strong politic ramifications.

Roberto Vila Lage, JUAN MANUEL TRILLO SANTAMARÍA
Department of Geography, University of Santiago de Compostela. ORCID:

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ID Abstract: 985