Blood groups of the Cantabrian and Asturian populations (Spain)

The genetic polymorphism of eight red cell antigenic systems was examined in two population samples from Cantabria (north Spain). No significant differences were found between the autochthonous and the resident populations. The results obtained are compared with those for other populations in the north of Spain. The low frequency of the B allele of the AB0 system and the high frequency of the ‘cde’ haplotype of the Rh system in the Cantabrain and Asturian population suggests that the anthropological characteristics of these two systems, which hitherto have been attributed to the Basques, also apply to the western neighbouring regions.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1572670/

Cantabria is a region in the north of Spain. It has 563,000 people living in it. In Cantabria most people speak Spanish. The people of Cantabria have autonomy in Spain, which means they have their own local government and much control over their region. The capital is Santander. This city is on the coast of the Cantabrian Sea and is very popular with tourists. Cantabria belongs to the Green Spain, the name given to the strip of land between the Cantabrian Sea and the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain.

The Online Etymology Dictionary states the root cant- is said to come from the Celtic for “rock” or “rocky”, while -abr was a common suffix used in Celtic regions.

The Astures or Asturs, also named Astyrs, were the Hispano-Celtic inhabitants of the northwest area of Hispania that now comprises almost the entire modern autonomous community of Principality of Asturias, the modern province of León, and the northern part of the modern province of Zamora (all in Spain), and eastern Trás os Montes in Portugal.