Spain was the leading European power in the early imperial rivalry for control of North America and for centuries, dominated the Southeastern and Southwestern parts of what was later the United States -- particularly the States of Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
See all translations. uk â /ÉËËtÉn.É.mÉs/ us â /ÉËËtÉË.nÉ.mÉs/. âº independent and having the power to make your own decisions. âº an autonomous organization, country, or region is independent and has the freedom to govern itself: an autonomous region/province/republic/council.
The term is also used for other self-governing units, such as a parish, a corporation, or a religious sect. A test of autonomy is the recognition that the group may make the rules governing its internal affairs. Political autonomy is frequently based on cultural and ethnic differences.