NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Autonomous Community of Catalonia

Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya; Spanish: Cataluña; Aranese: Catalonha); is one of the seventeen autonomous communities that constitute Spain. The autonomous community of Catalonia covers an area of 31,950 km² with an official population of 6.8 million (2004). Immigrants represent 6.8 % of total population. Official languages are Catalan and Spanish, and Aranese in Val d'Aran. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Catalan or Valencian (CatalÃ , ValenciÃ ) is a Romance language understood by as many as 12 million people in portions of Spain, France, Andorra and Italy, although the majority of active Catalan speakers are in Spain. ... Aranese (Aranès or Aranais) is a dialect of Gascon (which is part of the Occitan language group of the Romance languages), spoken in Spain, where it is an official language. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of an Internet domain name. ... .cat is a top-level domain submitted to ICANN for approval as a sponsored TLD. It would be used to highlight Catalan language and culture. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ... Els Segadors (The Reapers) is the anthem of Catalonia. ... The Cortes Generales (English: General Courts) is the Spanish legislature. ... The Spanish Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... The Spanish Senate (Spanish: Senado) is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, Spains legislative branch. ... From 1359 to 1367, the highest-ranking deputy of the Generalitat de Catalunya filled the role of a president. ... Order: 127th President of the Generalitat de Catalunya First Minister: Josep BargallÃ³ i Valls (ERC) Term of office: December 16, 2003 â€“ present Preceded by: Jordi Pujol i Soley Succeeded by: incumbent Date of birth: Monday, January 13, 1941 Place of birth: Barcelona First Lady: Diana Garrigosa Political party: PSC Pasqual... Categories: Stub | Catalan political parties ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Catalan or Valencian (CatalÃ , ValenciÃ ) is a Romance language understood by as many as 12 million people in portions of Spain, France, Andorra and Italy, although the majority of active Catalan speakers are in Spain. ... Aranese (Aranès or Aranais) is a dialect of Gascon (which is part of the Occitan language group of the Romance languages), spoken in Spain, where it is an official language. ... Autonomous communities of Spain. ... Val dAran, a small valley (620. ...

Administration and Government of Catalonia

The Generalitat is the institution of government in Catalonia. It consists of a Parliament, a President and an Executive Council. [1] Generalitat de Catalunya is the official name of the autonomous system of government of Catalonia, in Europe. ...

The Parliament of Catalonia has 135 seats and serves as the legislative body of government.[2]

The President and the Executive Council serve as the executive authority and are elected by the Parliament. The Government of Catalonia comprises 16 departments or ministries. [3]

See comarques of Catalonia for the traditional, though not official, division in comarca (roughly equivalent to counties). Local administration consists of municipalities and provinces. Catalonia is divided into four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona. This is a list of the comarques (singular comarca) of Catalonia. ... This is a list of the comarques (singular comarca) of Catalonia. ... In addition to its seventeen autonomous communities, Spain is divided into fifty provinces. ... Barcelona is a province of eastern Spain, in the center of the autonomous community of Catalonia. ... Girona province Girona is a province of eastern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. ... Lleida province Lleida is a province of eastern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. ... Categories: Spain geography stubs | Catalonia | Provinces of Spain ...

Download high resolution version (1280x960, 274 KB)A river in Girona, Spain This picture was taken by me (Filip Maljkovic) on July 2nd, 2004 at 14:57, when I was in Girona on a tourist trip. ... Download high resolution version (1280x960, 274 KB)A river in Girona, Spain This picture was taken by me (Filip Maljkovic) on July 2nd, 2004 at 14:57, when I was in Girona on a tourist trip. ...

Rebirth of the Catalan self-government

After Franco's death (1975) and the adoption of a democratic Spanish constitution (1978), Catalonia recovered cultural and vast political powers. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... The Spanish Constitution of 1978 is the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Achievements

With a few exceptions, most of the justice system is administered by national judicial institutions. The law system is common to all Spanish territories except for the Civil law, which is regulated and administered independently within Catalonia [4]. Catalan Civil Law regulates an ombudsman (Síndic de Greuges) [5] to handle problems that may arise between private citizens or organizations and the Generalitat or other local governments. Generalitat de Catalunya is the official name of the autonomous system of government of Catalonia, in Europe. ...

The region has been continuously achieving higher levels of autonomy since 1979 based on its unique historical identity. After the Navarre and the Basque Country regions, Catalonia has the highest level of self-government in Spain. The Generalitat holds exclusive jurisdiction in various matters of culture, environment, communications, transportation, commerce, public safety and local governments. [6] In many aspects relating to education, health and justice, the region shares jurisdiction with the Spanish government. [7] One good example of Catalonia's high level of autonomy is its own police force Mossos d'Esquadra, who are currently in the process of taking over most of the role within Catalonia of the Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional, which are under the authority of the Spanish national government. However, even at the end of the substitution process in 2008 [8], the Spanish government will keep a few agents in the region for matters relating to terrorism and immigration. Like Mossos d'Esquadra, municipal police forces are under the authority of the government of Catalonia [9]. Navarre (Spanish Navarra, Basque Nafarroa) is an autonomous community and province of Spain. ... Capital Vitoria-Gasteiz Official languages Basque and Spanish Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 14th 7 234 kmÂ² 1,4% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 7th 2 108 281 5,0% 291,44/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Basque â€“ Spanish Basque euskal herritar, euskaldun vasco/a, vascongado/a Statute of Autonomy... Generalitat de Catalunya is the official name of the autonomous system of government of Catalonia, in Europe. ... Mossos dEsquadra (literal English: Boys of the Squad) is the police force of Catalonia, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. ... Guardia Civil (Civil Guard in Spanish) is the name of several police forces: Guardia Civil (Spain) Guardia Civil (Peru) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Policia Nacional is the countrywide police agency of Spain. ... Mossos dEsquadra (literal English: Boys of the Squad) is the police force of Catalonia, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. ...

As an autonomous community of Spain, Catalonia has no authority in international affairs. However, as the region had been gaining a high level of autonomy throughout the years, the Government of Catalonia had found the need to have some offices overseas. Most of these are to carry out duties in limited matters such as culture promotion, trade and foreign investment development, and even foreign labor contracting to ease problems with illegal immigration.

Current Contentions

Unlike the autonomous communities of Navarre and the Basque Country, Catalonia lacks its own fiscal system; thus the economic sustainment of the regional administration depends almost entirely on funds raised by national-government taxation and budgeted to Catalonia. This has become a mainstream issue, as the Catalan Statute of Autonomy is to be reformed in 2005 [14]. With widespread public support, plans to include a high degree of fiscal autonomy are being inked, after studies published by various universities confirmed high levels of fiscal deficit (that is, the region pays more than it receives)[15]. Navarre (Spanish Navarra, Basque Nafarroa) is an autonomous community and province of Spain. ... Capital Vitoria-Gasteiz Official languages Basque and Spanish Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 14th 7 234 kmÂ² 1,4% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 7th 2 108 281 5,0% 291,44/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Basque â€“ Spanish Basque euskal herritar, euskaldun vasco/a, vascongado/a Statute of Autonomy...

Language

Catalonia constitutes the original nucleus and the most important and extensive territory where Catalan is spoken. Catalan or Valencian (CatalÃ , ValenciÃ ) is a Romance language understood by as many as 12 million people in portions of Spain, France, Andorra and Italy, although the majority of active Catalan speakers are in Spain. ...

Catalan is one of the two official languages of Catalonia, as laid down in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy [16]; the other is Castilian (Spanish), which is the majority language of Spain and official in all of Spain as laid down by the 1978 Spanish Constitution. Catalonia has regulated its institutions and their various competencies within the framework the Spanish constitution provides in the "Sau Statute."

The similarity of Spanish and Catalan eases bilingualism, but they are certainly not dialects of a single language. Catalan is regarded by most linguists as being an Ibero-Romance language (the group that includes Spanish), but it has many features of Gallo-Romance languages such as French. The term bilingualism (from bi meaning two and lingua meaning language) can refer to rather different phenomena. ... Broadly conceived, linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and a linguist is someone who engages in this study. ... The formation of Iberian Romance languages followed more or less this process: A common Latin/Romance language with dialectal differences was spoken throughout the ancient Roman Empire. ... The Gallo-Romance branch of Romance languages includes French, Oïl languages, Catalan, and Occitan, among other languages. ...

Occitan, in its Aranese variety (a dialect of Gascon) is official and subject to special protection in the Val d'Aran (Aran Valley), which is notable, as this small region of 7,000 is the only place where Occitan (spoken mainly in France and some Italian valleys) has full official status. OC redirects here. ... Val dAran, a small valley (620. ...

The following information refers only to the Autonomous Region of Catalonia, and generally cannot be extrapolated to other Catalan-speaking territories.

Literacy

According to the 2001 Linguistic Census [17], about 5,900,000 people in Catalonia, nearly 95% of residents, understand the Catalan language. The percentage of people aged two and older who can speak, read and write Catalan is as follows:

Over the last 20 years, knowledge of Catalan has advanced significantly in all these areas, with the ability to write it having experienced the most pronounced increase, from 31.6% of the population in 1986 to 49.8% in 2001.

By age groups, those between 10 and 29 have the higher level of Catalan-language literacy (e.g., 98.2% aged 10–14 understand it, and 85.2% can write it); this is attributed to these individuals having received their full education in Catalan.

Geographically, Catalan is most understood in northeast Catalonia (Alt Pirineu, Val d'Aran), at 97.4%, followed by south and western Catalonia, whereas Barcelona's metropolitan area sees the lowest knowledge, at 93.8%. The situation is analogous for written-language skills, with central Catalonia scoring the highest percentages (61.4%), and Barcelona the lowest (46.4%). Val dAran, a small valley (620. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ...

Barcelona is one of the centers of Spanish book industry in Spanish and the main one for Catalan.

Social Use

According to a study carried out in 2003 by the Generalitat de Catalunya [18], Catalan is used by 50.1% of the population in everyday situations.

Significantly, over 55% of respondents use Spanish to address their parents (versus 42% who choose Catalan). This is attributed to massive immigration from Southern Spain on the second half of the 20th century up to the 1980s, as a consequence of which many Catalans have one or both parents from outside Catalonia. However, a majority (52.6%) use Catalan with their children (42.3% Spanish). This can be attributed to some Spanish-speaking citizens shifting from their mother tongue to Catalan at home.

Outside the family, 48.6% of the population indicate that they address strangers exclusively or preferentially in Catalan, while the proportion of those who use Spanish is 41.7%. 8.6% claim to use both equally.

See Catalan language for further information. Catalan or Valencian (CatalÃ , ValenciÃ ) is a Romance language understood by as many as 12 million people in portions of Spain, France, Andorra and Italy, although the majority of active Catalan speakers are in Spain. ...

Aranese

According to the 2001 Aranese Linguistic Census [19], knowledge of Aranese in the Occitan-speaking territory of Aran is as follows:

Comparing to previous data from 1996, the number of those able to understand Aranese has declined slightly (90.5% in 1996), while at the same time there has been a marginal increase in the number of those able to write it (24.97% in 1996).

By age groups, the largest percentage of those with knowledge of Aranese is in the 15-19 and 65-69 groups (both above 96%), while those aged 30-34 score lowest (just over 80%). Literacy is higher in the 10-19 group with over 88% declaring themselves able to read, and 76% able to write Aranese. Those over 80 are the least literate, with only about 1.5% of them being able to write the language.

According to their place of origin, it is significant to note that in the Val d'Aran those born outside Spain outnumber Spaniards born outside Aran and Catalonia in the active use of Aranese (17% of non-Spaniards can write Aranese, while the percentage for Spaniards excluding Catalans is 10%).

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 592 KB) Summary Actual Parliament of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, held in Barcelona Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 592 KB) Summary Actual Parliament of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, held in Barcelona Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ...

Politics of Catalonia

During the late 19th century and the 20th century, Catalonia was one of the centers of Spanish industrialization. The struggle between the Barcelonese conservative bourgeoisie and the working class, often immigrants from the rest of Spain, dominated Catalan politics. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Catalan nationalist and federalist movements arose in the nineteenth century, and when the Second Spanish Republic was declared in 1931 Catalonia became an autonomous region. In 1939, the fascist Francisco Franco came to power and suppressed Catalan autonomy and tried to suppress the Catalan language and Catalan culture. During the last decade of Franco's rule renewed nationalist sentiment built up in Catalonia. 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Hey. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Francisco Franco Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo TeÃ³dulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 â€“ November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as GeneralÃsimo Francisco Franco, was Head of State of Spain from 1936 until his death in 1975. ...

Franco died in 1975 and democracy was restored soon after. Once again Catalonia became an autonomous region within Spain. The Catalan nationalist leader Jordi Pujol came to power in the first regional elections in 1980 and his party, Convergence and Unity (Convergència i Unió or CiU), won successive elections for 23 years. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Jordi Pujol i Soley (born June 9, 1930) was the leader of the party Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) from 1974 to 2003. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Convergence and Unity (ConvergÃ¨ncia i UniÃ³, CiU) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ...

Terra Lliure ("Free Land"), widely deemed a terrorist group, tried to achieve independence through violence against Spanish interests and population, but it never achieved the support and results of Basque ETA and dissolved after negotiations with the national government. Terra Lliures symbol is based on the Estelada flag Terra Lliure (meaning â€œFree Landâ€ in Catalan) was a Catalan nationalist armed organization. ... According to the United States Department of Defense, terrorism is the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. ... It has been suggested that ETA military be merged into this article or section. ...

Despite his radical background Pujol became increasingly conservative in office and supported José María Aznar's conservative People's Party (PP) government in Madrid. Nationalist factions became increasingly dissatisfied with his rule, especially the ERC. At the same time the Catalan Socialists' Party (Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, PSC-PSOE), based in the industrial heartland of Barcelona, regained its strength. JosÃ© MarÃa Aznar LÃ³pez (born February 25, 1953, in Madrid, Spain) was President of the Spanish government from May 5, 1996 to April 17, 2004. ... From the left: Mariano Rajoy, Josep PiquÃ© and JosÃ© MarÃa Aznar during the proclamation act of Josep PiquÃ© in September 2003 The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is a large conservative political party in Spain. ... Logo of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party. ... Categories: Stub | Catalan political parties ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ...

One of the keys to Catalan politics is the fact that Barcelona, because it attracts migrants from all over Spain and Latin America, is a majority Spanish-speaking city, particularly in working-class areas, while the rural regions, and the middle- and upper-class urban areas, remain solidly Catalan-speaking. The Socialists have become the party of those who resent the dominance of middle-class Catalan nationalists over Barcelona. In any case, while Catalan is experiencing a spectacular revival, the dominating presence of Spanish-speakers will continue to make universal use of Catalan unlikely. Recently there has been an influx of African and East European immigrants, but this has not influenced the political system yet even though the demographic impact of immigration can clearly be seen on the streets.

At the regional elections held on November 16, 2003, at which Pujol retired, the combined parties of the left defeated the CiU for the first time and Pasqual Maragall i Mira became President of the Generalitat. Maragall's Socialists, however, actually lost seats: the big winners were the Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya or ERC), which favours full Catalan independence, and the Greens. While PSC mantains the post of President of the Generalitat (Maragall), ERC nominates the conseller primer (prime minister) — currently, Bargalló. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Order: 127th President of the Generalitat de Catalunya First Minister: Josep BargallÃ³ i Valls (ERC) Term of office: December 16, 2003 â€“ present Preceded by: Jordi Pujol i Soley Succeeded by: incumbent Date of birth: Monday, January 13, 1941 Place of birth: Barcelona First Lady: Diana Garrigosa Political party: PSC Pasqual... Generalitat de Catalunya is the official name of the autonomous system of government of Catalonia, in Europe. ... Logo of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party. ...

Parties

Convergence and Unity (Convergència i Unió, CiU) is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. ... California Department of Corrections Canadian Dairy Commission Career Development Course Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Child Development Center Citizens Development Corps Climate Diagnostics Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce Control Data Corporation Council for Disabled Children Connected Device Configuration... UDC may stand for: United Daughters of the Confederacy Unió Democràtica de Catalunya, the Democratic Union of Catalonia (see also: Politics of Spain) Union Démocratique du Centre, the Swiss Peoples Party (see also: Politics of Switzerland) Union du Centre, French for Union of the Center (see also: Politics of... Logo of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party. ... Categories: Politics stubs | Catalan political parties ... United and Alternative Left (Esquerra Unida i Alternativa) is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. ... From the left: Mariano Rajoy, Josep Piqué and José María Aznar during the proclamation act of Josep Piqué in September 2003 The Peoples Party (Spanish: Partido Popular) is a large liberal-conservative political party in Spain. ... PSC can mean: Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya Polar stratospheric cloud Postal Service Center Primary sclerosing cholangitis Premature stop codon Phylogenetic Species Concept - see Species This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español or PSOE) is one of the main parties of Spain. ...

Summary of votes and seats

Geography

The Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia borders on Comunidad Valenciana to the south, Aragon to the west, France and Andorra to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east and southeast. Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Spanish (Castilian) Area – total – % of Spain Ranked 8th 23 255 km² 4,6% Population – Total (2003) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 4th 4 326 708 10,3% 186,05/km² Demonym – English – Valencian – Spanish Valencian valencià/valenciana valenciano/valenciana Statute of Autonomy July 10... Capital Zaragoza Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th 47 719 kmÂ² 9,4% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 11th 1 217 514 2,9% 25,51/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Spanish Aragonese aragonÃ©s Statute of Autonomy August 16, 1982 ISO 3166-2 AR Parliamentary representation â€“ Congress seats â€“ Senate... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Alanic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ...

The Environment

Awareness of environmental problems tends to be much lower in Catalonia (and in Spain as a whole) than in Northern Europe. CO₂ emissions in Catalonia have increased by 40% since 1992 and 60% of the country's electricity comes from aging nuclear power stations (a figure exceeded in Europe only by France and Lithuania). Despite Catalonia's change of government in 2004 from a conservative CiU/PP alliance to a "red/green" tripartite coalition of PSC, ERC, and ICV parties, there is little evidence of greater concern for the environment. The ICV was put in charge of the Ministry of the Environment but has largely continued the outgoing administration's environmentally-unfriendly policies. The Ministry's decision to build the controversial Bracons tunnel through an area of outstanding natural beauty, and a scheme to site an incinerator burning 90,000 metric tonnes of industrial waste [20] in a heavily-populated valley are just two cases in point. Although Catalonia participates in many international environmental forums, the political will to pursue "green" polices is generally lacking. This may be explained by the greater acceptance of political corruption found in Southern Europe, the fragility of public institutions, and a lack of genuine commitment to grass-roots democracy.

Major rivers: Central Pyrenees The Pyrenees (French: PyrÃ©nÃ©es; Spanish: Pirineos; Occitan: PirenÃ¨us or PirenÃ¨as; Catalan Pirineus; Aragonese: PerinÃ©s; Basque: Pirinioak) are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. ... Val dAran, a small valley (620. ... Cerdagne (Catalan: Cerdanya; French: Cerdagne; Spanish: CerdaÃ±a) is a small region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain and which is historically one of the counties of Catalonia. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus). ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The FluviÃ is a river in Catalonia. ... See Ter for other meanings. ... Llobregat - The second greatest river in Catalonia, starts in Castellar de nHug (Berguedà), near Berga, ends in the Mediterranean Sea, near Barcelona. ... Foix is a small town and commune, the prÃ©fecture (capital) of the AriÃ¨ge dÃ©partement in France. ... This article is about the Spanish river. ... Noguera has multiple meanings: Noguera River is a river tributary to the Segre. ... Segre is a river tributary to the Ebre. ... For a village in Greece, see Valira, Greece Valira is the biggest river in Andorra, a tributary to the Segre, which in turn is a tributary to the Ebre. ...

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Catalonia

There are several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Catalonia: UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...

Tarraco was the ancient name of the city of Tarragone, in Spain, on the Mediterranean. ... A picture from the air Tarragona Ampitheatre Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. ... Romanesque St. ... The entrance to the park Parc GÃ¼ell (originally Park GÃ¼ell) is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the GrÃ cia district of Barcelona, Spain. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ... Palau GÃ¼ell Front entrance allowed horse drawn carriages to enter the home through one door and exit through the other. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ... Stylized stairway entrances on the roof. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ... The Monestir de Santa Maria de Poblet is a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1151, located in the comarca of Conca de BarberÃ , Catalonia. ... Palau de la MÃºsica Catalana The Palau de la MÃºsica Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, is a concert hall built between 1905 and 1908, designed by the Catalan architect LluÃs DomÃ¨nech i Montaner. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ... Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Catalan for Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul) in Barcelona, Catalonia, is a complex built between 1901 and 1930, designed by the Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ...

Traditions

Catalonia's festivals and traditions unify Catalan society and help to give it its particular character. Amongst the most striking of festive events are the correfocs, in which "devils" play with fire and with the people. These devils are not the incarnation of evil; they are sprightly and festive, dancing to the sound of the tambourine and the traditional gralla, while they set off their fireworks. Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 82 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 82 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Correfocs in Barcelona Catalonias festivals and traditions unify Catalan society and help to give it its particular character. ... The Devil is the name given to a supernatural entity who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. ... A large bonfire Fire is a form of combustion. ... Kocek with tambourine 19th c. ... The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House illuminated under New Years Eve Fireworks 2005 A fireworks event (also called a fireworks display or fireworks show) is a spectacular display of the effects produced by firework devices on various occasions. ...

Another tradition occurs during the spring festival day of Saint Jordi (Saint George, 23 April, also known as Book Day, coinciding with the anniversaries of the deaths of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes). Men give roses to women and women give a book to men as a present. The streets are full of people, book and flower stands. The Catalonian Government has encouraged the extension of this custom as a way to promote culture. Saint George (ca 275/280â€“April 23, 303) was a soldier of the Roman Empire and later Christian martyr. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra (September 29, 1547 â€“ April 23, 1616), was a Spanish author. ... Generalitat de Catalunya is the official name of the autonomous system of government of Catalonia, in Spain. ...

Perhaps the most spectacular of the Catalan festivals are those of the colles castelleres, groups of enthusiasts who form impressive human towers (up to ten people high). This is an old tradition of the Tarragona region, which has now spread to many parts of Catalonia, and has become a real spectacle, or sport, that attracts thousands of Catalans. Amongst other important festivities are the carnival in Vilanova i la Geltrú and the Patum in Berga. Castells are human towers that are traditionally built during festivals in many places in Catalonia, Spain. ... Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival parade is a public celebration, combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ... Vilanova i la GeltrÃº is the capital of the comarca of Garraf, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. ... Berga is the capital of the comarca of BerguedÃ , in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. ...

Then, there is the very special music of the cobles, the wind bands that play sardanes. The sardana is a circular, open dance, that originated in the Empordà region (north of the country by the Mediterranean sea) and the Pyrenees (Catalan Pirineus), and is now danced in many squares and streets. The sardana (Catalan plural sardanes) is a type of circle dance typical of Catalonia. ... There are two distinct dance categories called Round dance. ... EmpordÃ is a historical region of Catalonia, divided since 1936 into two comarques, Alt EmpordÃ and Baix EmpordÃ . Categories: Spain geography stubs ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Central Pyrenees The Pyrenees (French: PyrÃ©nÃ©es; Spanish: Pirineos; Occitan: PirenÃ¨us or PirenÃ¨as; Catalan Pirineus; Aragonese: PerinÃ©s; Basque: Pirinioak) are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. ...

As in other countries, there is a Santa Claus tradition. In Catalonia it is enacted in the very popular figure of the Tió de Nadal. A common portrayal of Santa Claus. ... The TiÃ³ de Nadal (roughly Christmas log), also known as TiÃ³ (log), or Tronca (trunk), is a mythological character in Catalan mythology relating to a Christmas tradition widespread in Catalonia. ...

The anthem of Catalonia is "Els Segadors" (The Reapers). National day is September 11, after the defeat and surrender of Barcelona to the French-Castilian army of Philip V of Spain during the War of Spanish Succession. Popular folk songs include "El Rossinyol", "La Balanguera" and "El Cant dels Ocells", which became something of an unofficial national anthem under the years of Franco's oppression. Such songs became popular all over the world with the success of the Orfeo Catala choir around the beginning of the 20th century. An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... Els Segadors (The Reapers) is the anthem of Catalonia. ... The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a country. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... Barcelona within BarcelonÃ¨s Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, and Spains second-largest city (after Madrid). ... King Philip V of Spain (December 19, 1683 â€“ July 9, 1746) or Philippe of Anjou, grandson of the French monarch Louis XIV, was king of Spain from 1700 to 1746, the first of the Bourbon dynasty in Spain. ... Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain. ...

The major football club FC Barcelona is "more than a club" and acts as an unofficial "national" team for Catalonia. This is despite the fact that "Barça" (as the team is popularly known) has had a remarkable number of Dutch players over the last few years, as well as two Dutch managers. FC Barcelona, also known as BarÃ§a, is a sports club in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain with sections in many different sports. ...

Televisió de Catalunya (the region's public television broadcasting corporation, which receives public funding from the Catalan government) strongly promotes the club and has business relationships with it. Their rival team in Barcelona is L'Espanyol. TelevisiÃ³ de Catalunya is Catalonias public broadcasting group is officially composed of 5 channels: TV3, Canal 33, K3, 3/24 and TVCi. ... RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (Catalan: Reial Club Esportiu Espanyol, Spanish: Real Club Deportivo Espanyol, English: Royal Spanish Sports Club) is a football club based in Barcelona, Spain. ...

See also

For other perspectives on the History of Catalonia, see also: History of Europe; History of Spain; History of France; Kings of Aragon. ... Famous Catalan (from Catalonia, Spain) people. ... Catalan cuisine is based on the ingredients of the Mediterranean area: fresh vegetables (especially tomato, garlic, aubergine, red pepper, and artichoke), wheat products (bread, pasta), olive oils, wines, legumes (beans, chick peas), all sorts of pork preparations (sausages, ham), all sorts of cheese, poultry, lamb, and many types of fish... Often, the flags listed below have two meanings. ... The actual catalan education system (according to the LOGSE) are classified like that: general regime (childrens education (educaciÃ³ infantil) , primary education (educaciÃ³ primÃ ria), secondary compulsory education(ESO), batxillerat, formaciÃ³ professional de grau mitjÃ i de grau superior (technical college) and special regime (artistic studies and language studies). ... Catalan Countries The term Catalan Countries (Catalan: PaÃ¯sos Catalans) refers to the concept of a nation including all territories where the Catalan language is spoken. ...

External links

class="preview" id="pv238"> Autonomous communities of Spain. ... Source: Sodipodis Clipart Gallery. ... Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator AndalucÃa por sÃ, para EspaÃ±a y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humanity) Capital Seville Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 2nd 87 268 kmÂ² 17,2% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 1st 7 478 432 17,9% 85,70... Capital Zaragoza Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th 47 719 kmÂ² 9,4% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 11th 1 217 514 2,9% 25,51/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Spanish Aragonese aragonÃ©s Statute of Autonomy August 16, 1982 ISO 3166-2 AR Parliamentary representation â€“ Congress seats â€“ Senate... Capital Oviedo Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 10th 10 604 kmÂ² 2,1% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 12th 1 056 789 2,5% 99,65/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Asturian â€“ Spanish Asturian asturianu/a, asturiano/a Statute of Autonomy January 11, 1982 Parliamentary representation â€“ Congress seats â€“ Senate seats... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official languages Catalan and Castilian Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th 4 992 kmÂ² 1,0% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 14th 916 968 2,2% 183,69/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Catalan â€“ Spanish Balearic balear balear Statute of Autonomy March 1, 1983 ISO 3166... Capital Vitoria-Gasteiz Official languages Basque and Spanish Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 14th 7 234 kmÂ² 1,4% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 7th 2 108 281 5,0% 291,44/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Basque â€“ Spanish Basque euskal herritar, euskaldun vasco/a, vascongado/a Statute of Autonomy... Capitals Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Santa Cruz de Tenerife Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th 7 447 kmÂ² 1,5% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 8th 1 843 755 4,4% 247,58/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Spanish Canary Islander (Canarian) canario/a Statute of Autonomy August 16... Capital Santander Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th 5 321 kmÂ² 1. ... Capital Toledo Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 3rd 79 463 km² 15,7% Population – Total (2003) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 9th 1 782 038 4,3% 22,43/km² Demonym – English – Spanish Castilian-Manchego castellano-manchego Statute of Autonomy August 16, 1982 ISO 3166-2 CM Parliamentary representation – Congress seats... Capital Valladolid Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 1st 94,223 kmÂ² 18,6% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 6th 2,480,369 5. ... Capital MÃ©rida Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 5th 41 634 kmÂ² 8,2% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 13th 1 073 050 2,6% 25,77/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Spanish â€” extremeÃ±o/a, castÃºo Statute of Autonomy February 26, 1983 ISO 3166-2 EX Parliamentary representation... Motto: Capital Santiago de Compostela Official languages Galician and Castilian Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 7th 29 574 kmÂ² 5,8% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 5th 2 737 370 6,5% 92,36/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Galician â€“ Spanish â€“ Portuguese Galician galego gallego galego Statute of Autonomy April... Capital Madrid Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 12th 8 028 kmÂ² 1,6% Population â€“ Total (2005) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 3rd 6 006 000 13,7% 737. ... Capital Murcia Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 9th 11 313 kmÂ² 2,2% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 10th 1 226 993 2,9% 108,46/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Spanish Murcian murciano/a Statute of Autonomy June 9, 1982 ISO 3166-2 MU Parliamentary representation â€“ Congress seats â€“ Senate... Navarre (Spanish Navarra, Basque Nafarroa) is an autonomous community and province of Spain. ... La Rioja is a province and autonomous community of northern Spain. ... Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Castillian (Spanish) Area â€“ total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 8th 23 255 kmÂ² 4,6% Population â€“ Total (2003) â€“ % of Spain â€“ Density Ranked 4th 4 326 708 10,3% 186,05/kmÂ² Demonym â€“ English â€“ Valencian â€“ Spanish Valencian valenciÃ /valenciana valenciano/valenciana Statute of Autonomy July 10... Ceuta is a Spanish exclave in North Africa, located on the northernmost tip of Maghreb, on the Mediterranean coast near the Strait of Gibraltar. ... Melilla is a Spanish exclave in North Africa, located on the northernmost tip of Maghreb, on the Mediterranean coast. ... In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain has five plazas de soberanÃa (places of sovereignty) near Morocco administrated directly by Madrids Government. ...

Categories: Comarcas of Spain | Catalonia | Autonomous communities of Spain | NUTS 2 Statistical Regions of Europe This is a list of the comarques (singular comarca) of Catalonia. ... Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya ; Spanish: CataluÃ±a ; Aranese: Catalonha ; French: Catalogne) is a formerly independent country in southern Europe, situated in the north-east of Spain and the adjoining portion of France. ... Scaled image of the Catalan Flag, downloaded from Wikipedia and resized by me, for use on Template:Comarques_of_Catalonia at a guess File links The following pages link to this file: Val dAran Barcelonès Maresme Baix Llobregat Alta Ribagorça Pallars Sobirà Pallars Jussà Priorat Alt Camp Alt Empord... Alt Camp is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Map of Alt Camp Province Girona Capital Figueres Largest city Figueres Demonym Population (2002) 99,321 Area 1,342. ... Alt PenedÃ¨s is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Seu dUrgell Largest city Seu dUrgell Demonym Population (2001) 19,105 hab. ... Alta RibagorÃ§a is one of the comarques of Catalonia. ... Anoia is a comarca (county) in central Catalonia, with its capital at Igualada. ... The comarca (county) of Bages lies in the center of Catalonia. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Tarragona Capital Reus Largest city Reus Demonym Population (2001) 145,675 hab. ... Baix Ebre is a comarca (county), on the coast in southernCatalonia. ... Baix EmpordÃ is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, one of the two into which EmpordÃ was divided in the comarcal division of 1936. ... Baix Llobregat is a comarca (county) on the coast of Catalonia. ... Baix PenedÃ¨s is a comarca (county) on the coast of Catalonia. ... Baixa Cerdanya is a comarca (county) in northern Catalonia, in the France and with the principality of Andorra. ... BarcelonÃ¨s is the most populous and economically important comarca (county) of Catalonia. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Barcelona Capital Berga Largest city Berga Demonym Population (2001) 37,995 hab. ... Conca de BarberÃ is a comarca (county) in Tarragona province, Catalonia, Spain. ... Garraf is a comarca (a county) in Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital les Borges Blanques Largest city les Borges Blanques Demonym Population (2002) 18,999 Area 799. ... Garrotxa is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... GironÃ¨s is a comarca (county) in eastern Catalonia, bordering Selva, Baix EmpordÃ , Alt EmpordÃ and Garrotxa. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Catalonia Capital MatarÃ³ Largest city MatarÃ³ Demonym m. ... MontsiÃ is the southernmost comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Balaguer Largest city Balaguer Demonym Population (2001) 34,744 Area 1,733. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Barcelona Capital Vic Largest city Vic Demonym m: osonenc f: osonenca Population (2002) 129,543 Area 1,263. ... Pallars JussÃ is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Sort Largest city Sort Demonym Population (2001) 6,147 Area 1,355. ... Pla de lEstany is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Mollerussa Largest city Mollerussa Demonym Population (2002) 30,934 Area 304. ... Priorat is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Móra dEbre Largest city Móra dEbre Demonym Population (2001) 2,656 hab. ... RipollÃ¨s is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Cervera Largest city Cervera Demonym Population (2001) 18,497 Area 721. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Lleida Largest city Lleida Demonym Population (2001) 166,090 Area 1,393. ... Selva is a coastal comarca (county) in Catalonia, located between the mountain range known as the Serralada Transversal or Puigsacalm and the Costa Brava (part of the Mediterranean coast). ... SolsonÃ¨s is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... TarragonÃ¨s is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Terra Alta is a sparsely populated inland comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. ... Other Catalan comarques Province Lleida Capital Tàrrega Largest city Tàrrega Demonym Population (2001) 31,026 Area 586. ... Val dAran, a small valley (620. ... VallÃ¨s Occidental is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... VallÃ¨s Oriental is a comarca (county) in Catalonia. ... Roussillon (Catalan Rosselló) is one of the historical Catalan Countries corresponding roughly to the present-day southern French département of Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees). ... Alta Cerdanya or French Cerdanya (French Cerdagne) is an alternative name for the portion of historical Cerdanya, south of the top crest of the Pyrenees, that was ceded to the French crown by the Treaty of the Pyrenees (France and for this reason was chosen as the place to build... Capcir is a catalan comarca, in North Catalonia, and presently under French administration. ... Conflent is a Catalan comarca in North Catalonia, and currently under French administration. ... Mount CanigÃ³ (2785m), a Catalan landmark Roussillon (Catalan RossellÃ³; Spanish RosellÃ³n) is one of the historical Catalan Countries corresponding roughly to the present-day southern French dÃ©partement of PyrÃ©nÃ©es-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees). ... Vallespir is a Catalan comarca, in North Catalonia and currently under French administration. ...

Contents

Administration and Government of Catalonia GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");