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- Kingdom founded in the 10th century,
- occupying the central plateau of Spain. Its
- union with Aragon in 1479, based on the
- marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, effected
- the foundation of the Spanish state, which at
- the time was occupied and ruled by the Moors.
- Castile comprised the two great basins
- separated by the Sierra de Gredos and the
- Sierra de Guadarrama, known traditionally as
- Old and New Castile. The area now forms the
- regions of Castilla-Leon and Castilla-La
- Mancha. The kingdom of Castile grew from a
- small area in the north. In the 11th century,
- Old Castile was united with Leon; in 1085 the
- kingdom of Toledo was captured from the Moors
- and became New Castile, with Toledo the
- capital of the whole. Castile was united with
- Aragon in 1479, and in 1492, after routing
- the Moors, Ferdinand and Isabella established
- the Catholic kingdom of Spain.
-