a city in northern Spain, in the province of Oviedo in Asturias Region. Population, 187,000 (1970). Gijón is a port on the Bay of Biscay. As of 1975, it handled 11.2 million tons of freight annually, with coal as the major cargo. Gijón is a center of ferrous metallurgy and shipbuilding. Other industries include the production of textiles, glass, ceramics, tobacco, food, and building materials. There is fishing in the area.