Catalans
Salvador Dalí · Pablo Casals · Antoni Gaudí · Jacint Verdaguer
Total population
Over 7 Million. Image File history File links Catalan_people. ... Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquis of Pubol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989), was a Spanish surrealist painter born in Figueres, Catalonia (Spain). ... Casals redirects here. ... Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (Riudoms or Reus, 25 June 1852 – Barcelona, 10 June 1926) – sometimes referred to by the Spanish translation of his name, Antonio Gaudí – was a Spanish architect from Catalonia, who belonged to the Modernisme (Art Nouveau) movement and was famous for his unique style and highly individualistic... Jacint Verdaguer. ...
Regions with significant populations
Spain: 6,858,000 [1] France: 100,000 [2] Andorra: 31,000 [3] Italy: 20,000 [4] Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Chile, other parts of Latin America and some parts of USA like Miami and California.
Language(s)
Catalan; Castilian, French, Occitan, Italian, Sardinian.
Religion(s)
Roman Catholicism, Atheism, Agnosticism.
Related ethnic groups
Other Spanish peoples, other Latin peoples, kabyle peoples.

Map of the Catalan countries

The Catalan people are divided among four countries:
COUNTRY	REGION
Spain	Catalonia  Valencia  Balearic Islands  Aragon (Western Strip area)  Murcia (Carxe area)
France	Northern Catalonia
Andorra	Catalan is the official language
Italy	The city of L'Alguer

The Catalans are an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is Catalonia, or the Principality of Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya, or Principat de Catalunya), which is a historical region in southern Europe, embracing a territory situated in the north-east of Spain and an adjoining portion of southern France. It is divided between the autonomous communities of Catalonia and Aragon (in a borderland called La Franja) in Spain, and Northern Catalonia in France (due to the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659). In addition, there are other adjacent and nearby Mediterranean areas which are home to Catalan speakers. These areas include: Andorra, a small historical country in the Pyrenees, the Land of Valencia, the Balearic Islands and El Carxe (a Catalan-speaking region of Murcia) in Spain as a result of the Reconquista and the city of L'Alguer in the Italian island of Sardinia due to the Catalan rule of the Mediterranean during the ages of the Crown of Aragon. All these territories make up what is known as the Catalan Countries. Most understand the Catalan language but only a part of the population can speak it, and today all of them also speak the official language of their respective states^[1]. Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Occitan (IPA AmE: ), known also as Lenga dòc or Langue doc (native name: occitan [1], lenga dòc [2]; native nickname: la lenga nòstra [3] i. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... “Catholic Church” redirects here. ... “Atheist” redirects here. ... Agnosticism (from the Greek a, meaning without, and Gnosticism or gnosis, meaning knowledge) is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims—particularly metaphysical claims regarding theology, afterlife or the existence of God, gods, deities, or even ultimate reality—is unknown or, depending on the form of agnosticism... “Spaniard” redirects here. ... The Latin peoples are those linguistic-cultural groups that speak one of the Romance languages, which are languages descended from Vulgar Latin. ... The Kabyles are a Berber people whose traditional homeland is highlands of Kabylie (or Kabylia) in northeastern Algeria. ... Grafitti at Belfast. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 543 pixelsFull resolution (3228 × 2190 pixel, file size: 189 KB, MIME type: image/png) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Catalonia. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Capital Valencia Official language(s) Valencian and Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 8th  23,255 km²  4. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Balearic_Islands. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Aragon. ... Capital Zaragoza Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47,719 km²  9. ... Language distribution in Aragon Map of Catalan Countries with current political borders Franja de Ponent (IPA: ; Catalan for Western Strip), Francha de Lebán (Aragonese for Eastern Strip), Franja de Aragón, or simply La Franja, refers to four comarques in the east of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, which... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Region_of_Murcia. ... Capital Murcia Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 9th  11 313 km²  2,2% Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 10th  1 226 993  2,9%  108,46/km² 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... Carxe is a city in Spain. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Northern Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya Nord; Spanish: Cataluña del Norte o Cataluña Transpirenaica; French: Catalogne Nord or Pays Catalan) is the name mainly used by the Catalan-speaking community to refer to the part of the historic Principality of Catalonia that came under French governance through the signing of... Image File history File links Flag_of_Andorra. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Alghero-Stemma. ... Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alghero (LAlguer in Catalan and SAlighera in Sardinian), is a town of about 35,000 inhabitants (down from 54,300 inhabitants since early 20th century) in Italy. ... Historical regions in Spain are those that are granted by the 1978 Constitution a special status as autonomous communities. ... A homeland is the concept of the territory to which one belongs; usually, the country in which a particular nationality was born. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... This article is about the historic territory. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ... Look up Region in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Autonomous communities of Spain. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... Capital Zaragoza Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47,719 km²  9. ... Borderland refers to a shared universe created by Terri Windling, and to a fictional place within that universe. ... Language distribution in Aragon Map of Catalan Countries with current political borders Franja de Ponent (IPA: ; Catalan for Western Strip), Francha de Lebán (Aragonese for Eastern Strip), Franja de Aragón, or simply La Franja, refers to four comarques in the east of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, which... Northern Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya Nord; Spanish: Cataluña del Norte o Cataluña Transpirenaica; French: Catalogne Nord or Pays Catalan) is the name mainly used by the Catalan-speaking community to refer to the part of the historic Principality of Catalonia that came under French governance through the signing of... The Treaty of the Pyrenees was a treaty signed in 1659 to end the war between France and Spain that had begun in 1635 during the Thirty Years War. ... // Events May 25 - Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees For the mountains in Victoria, Australia, see Pyrenees (Victoria). ... Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Castilian (Spanish) Area  â€“ total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 8th  23,255 km²  4. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... now. ... This article is about the Spanish city. ... For other senses of this word, see Reconquista (disambiguation). ... Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alghero (LAlguer in Catalan and SAlighera in Sardinian), is a town of about 35,000 inhabitants (down from 54,300 inhabitants since early 20th century) in Italy. ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... 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. ... Coat of arms of the King of Aragon, 15th century. ... Grafitti at Belfast. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ...

Historical background

Main language areas in Iberia circa 200 BC.

The history of Catalonia entails major events that have shaped the western Mediterranean and local histories that often overlap with those of modern Spain and France. The area that is now Catalonia was inhabited by early Iberian peoples and later Celts who morphed into a localized variant known as Celtiberians by the 8th century BCE. These groups came under the rule of various invading groups starting with the Phoenicians and Carthaginians who set-up colonies along the coast including Barcino (present-day Barcelona) itself. Following the Punic Wars, the Romans replaced the Carthaginians as the dominant power in Catalonia by 206 BCE and established Latin as the official language and imparted a distinctly Roman culture upon the local population that merged with Roman colonists from the Italian peninsula. An early precursor to the Catalan language began to develop from a local vulgarized form of Latin before and during the collapse of the Roman Empire. Various Germanic tribes arrived following nearly six centuries of Roman rule which had completely transformed the area into the Roman province of Tarraconensis. The Visigoths established themselves in the 5th century CE and would rule the area until 718 when Muslim Arab-Berbers conquered the region and held it for close to a century. The Franks held back small Muslim raiding parties which had penetrated virtually unchallenged as far as central France and Frankish suzerainty became established over much of present-day Catalonia. Larger wars with the Muslims began with the Spanish March which led to the beginnings of the reconquista (reconquest) by Catalonian forces of most of Catalonia by the year 801. It was during this period that a Catalan national identity fully emerged as Barcelona became an important center for Christian forces in the Iberian peninsula. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC - 200s BC - 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC Years: 205 BC 204 BC 203 BC 202 BC 201 BC - 200 BC - 199 BC 198 BC... The territory that now constitutes the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, and the adjoining Catalan region of France, was first settled during the Middle Palaeolithic. ... The Lady of Baza, made by Iberians The Iberians were an ancient, Pre-Indo-European people who inhabited the east and southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in prehistoric and historic times. ... This article is about the European people. ... Main language areas in Iberia circa 200 BC. The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians)[1] were a Celtic people of late La Tène culture living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain and northern Portugal, before and during the Roman Empire. ... “BCE” redirects here. ... Phoenicia (or Phenicia ,[1] from Biblical Phenice [1]) was an ancient civilization centered in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coast of modern day Lebanon and Syria. ... Roman Carthage with former military harbor Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in Tunisia and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ... The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Satellite view of the Peninsula in spring The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Italian: Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the greatest peninsulas of Europe, spanning 1,000 km from the Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. ... A province is a territorial unit, almost always a country subdivision. ... Roman Imperial province of Hispania Tarraconensis, 120 AD Hispania Tarraconensis was a Roman province in what is known today as modern Spain. ... Migrations The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe (the Ostrogoths being the other). ... Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism Arab woman from Ramallah wearing traditional dress in 1915. ... Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... Suzerainty refers to a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy but controls its foreign affairs. ... The Marca Hispanica (Spanish Mark or March) was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, first set up by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier to keep the Muslim Moors out of the Frankish Kingdom. ... For other senses of this word, see Reconquista (disambiguation). ... Events December 28 - Louis the Vrome occupies Barcelona. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ...

Catalonia emerged from the conflicts in Muslim Spain as a regional power as Christian rulers entrenched themselves in the region during the Carolingian period. Rulers such as Wilfred the Hairy became masters of a larger territory encompassing Catalonia. The Crown of Aragon included Catalonia, Aragon, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. The marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon and the conquest of the last Muslim kingdom of Granada in 1492, tied Catalonia politically to the fate of the new Spanish kingdom, while a regional culture continued to survive and thrive. Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ... Statue in Madrid (L.S. Carmona, 1750-53). ... Coat of arms of the King of Aragon, 15th century. ... Capital Zaragoza Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47,719 km²  9. ... History of Spain Series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History The Aragonese Empire was the regime... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Isabella I (April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504) was Queen regnant of Castile and Leon. ... Ferdinand II the Catholic (Spanish: , Catalan: , Aragonese: ; March 10, 1452 – January 23, 1516) was king of Aragon (1479–1516), Castile, Sicily (1468–1516), Naples (1504–1516), Valencia, Sardinia and Navarre and Count of Barcelona. ... For other uses, see Granada (disambiguation). ... Also film, 1492: Conquest of Paradise. ...

Some sporadic regional unrest led to conflicts as with the 1640 revolt by the Catalans known as the Reapers' War. This conflict embroiled Spain in a larger war with France as many Catalan nobles allied themselves with Louis XIII. The war continued until 1659 and ended with the Peace of the Pyrenees which effectively partitioned Catalonia as the northern tip of the March came under French rule, while the rest remained under Spanish hegemony. Still restive under Spanish rule, the Catalans rebelled against Bourbon rule during the War of the Spanish Succession that started in 1705 and ended in 1714. The Catalan failure to defend the perpetuation of Habsburgian dynasty in Spain culminated in the surrender of Barcelona on September 11, 1714, which came to be commemorated as Catalonia's National day. The Uprising of Catalonia (known in Catalan as the “Guerra dels Segadors” or Reapers War) affected a large part of Catalonia between the years of 1640 and 1659. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Treaty of the Pyrenees was a treaty signed in 1659 to end the war between France and Spain that had begun in 1635 during the Thirty Years War. ... Hegemony (pronounced or ) (Greek: ) is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. ... Combatants Habsburg Empire England (1701-6) Great Britain (1707-14)[1] Dutch Republic Kingdom of Portugal Crown of Aragon Duchy of Savoy [2] Kingdom of France Kingdom of Spain Electorate of Bavaria Hungarian Rebels [3] Commanders Eugene of Savoy Margrave of Baden Count Starhemberg Duke of Marlborough Marquis de Ruvigny... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Battle of Gangut, by Maurice Baquoi, 1724-27. ... Floral offerings to the monuments of Rafael Casanova in Barcelona Fossar de les Moreres, general view A giant seafood Paella being cooked on the National Day of Catalonia 2003 in the village square of Cornudella de Montsant. ...

During the Napoleonic Wars, much of Catalonia was seized by French forces by 1813 as France ruled the entire region briefly until driven out by British and Spanish armies in 1814. Catalan uprisings continued throughout the 19th century to no avail. In France, strong assimilationist policies integrated many Catalans into French society, while in Spain a Catalan identity was increasingly suppressed in favor of a national identity. The Catalans regained autonomy during the Spanish Second Republic from 1932 until Francisco Franco's nationalist forces retook Catalonia by 1939. It was not until 1975 and the death of Franco that the Catalans began to fully regain their right to a national identity, which was established by the Spanish Constitution of 1978. Since this period, Catalan nationalism has emerged as a political force mainly in Spain that seeks to attain ever greater autonomy and/or independence for Catalans in Spain and France and total political control of the principality of Andorra. Combatants Austria[1] Portugal Prussia[1] Russia[2] Sicily  Spain[3]  Sweden United Kingdom[4] French Empire Holland Italy Naples [5] Duchy of Warsaw Bavaria[6] Saxony[7] Denmark-Norway [8] Commanders Archduke Charles Prince Schwarzenberg Karl Mack von Leiberich João Francisco de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun Gebhard von... Flag of the Second Spanish Republic The Second Spanish Republic (1931 – 1939) was the second and last period in Spanish history in which the election of both the positions of Head of State and Head of government were in the hands of the people. ... “Franco” redirects here. ... The Spanish Constitution of 1978 is the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. ... Catalan nationalism, or Catalanism, is a political movement that advocates for an increased political autonomy of Catalonia, if not independence itself, from Spain and France. ... A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ...

Geography

The vast majority of Catalans reside in Spain, where they number over 6,500,000. At least 100,000 Catalan speakers live in France, while over 31,000 live in Andorra and 20,000 in Italy (principally in Sardinia). An indeterminate number of Catalans emigrated to the Americas during the height of the Spanish Empire with important colonies establishing themselves in Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, as well as throughout mainland Latin America. [5] For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... An anachronous map of the Spanish Empire (1492-1898). ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Culture and society

The Catalans continue to exhibit a distinct culture shaped by a history often set apart from their neighbors and due to their interaction with both France and the rest of Spain. Described by author Walter Starkie in The Road to Santiago as a subtle people, he sums up their national character with a local term seny (pronounced senh) meaning common sense or a pragmatic attitude towards life. The masia or mas is a defining characteristic of the Catalonian countryside and includes a large house, land, cattle, and an extended family, but this tradition is in decline as the nuclear family has begun to replace the old ways. While Catalans in Spain have attained the right to speak their ancestral language and declare themselves a distinct people, the situation in France has been drastically different as French policies have favored assimilating the Catalans which has reduced the number of citizens who still identify themselves as such within the French Republic. The tiny state of Andorra is the only country where Catalan is the only official language (although Spanish and/or French is also universally spoken).

Language

The Catalan language is a Romance language of the Iberian group. It shares many features with other Iberian languages such as Castilian and Portuguese and some with French and Italian, and is the language nearest to Occitan. Apart from the most spoken dialect, Central Catalan, there are some other varieties (which some, under political motivations, have considered separate languages) notably: Valencian, North-Western Catalan and Balearic. The number of Catalan speakers is well over 7 million, but exact figures are difficult to obtain - especially for those in France who speak Catalan only as their second language. Catalan is the only official language of Andorra. It is co-official in the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia, in the latter under the name of Valencian. It has no official status in Northern Catalonia, La Franja and El Carxe. Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Occitan (IPA AmE: ), known also as Lenga dòc or Langue doc (native name: occitan [1], lenga dòc [2]; native nickname: la lenga nòstra [3] i. ... Catalan dialectal map Central Catalan is the Eastern Catalan dialect with the highest demographic weight, since it is commonly spoken in densely populated areas such as the whole Barcelona province, the eastern half of Tarragona province and most part of Girona province; except for it is northern part, where there... Valencian (valencià) is the historical, traditional, and official name used in the Valencian Community (Spain) to refer to the language spoken therein, also known as Catalan (català) in the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands; in the country of Andorra; in the southern French region of... This page deals with language. ... Dialectal map of Catalan Language North-Western Catalan is the Western Catalan dialect spoken in the western part of Catalonia (around Ebre basin) and La Franja. ... Balearic is the Catalan variant spoken in the Balearic Islands (Spanish las Islas Baleares), Spain. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Capital Valencia Official languages Valencian (Catalan) and Castilian (Spanish) Area  â€“ total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 8th  23,255 km²  4. ... Northern Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya Nord; Spanish: Cataluña del Norte o Cataluña Transpirenaica; French: Catalogne Nord or Pays Catalan) is the name mainly used by the Catalan-speaking community to refer to the part of the historic Principality of Catalonia that came under French governance through the signing of... Language distribution in Aragon Map of Catalan Countries with current political borders Franja de Ponent (IPA: ; Catalan for Western Strip), Francha de Lebán (Aragonese for Eastern Strip), Franja de Aragón, or simply La Franja, refers to four comarques in the east of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, which... now. ...

Traditional clothes

The traditional clothes (now, practically only used in folkloric celebrations) included the barretina and the "faixa" among men and "ret" among women. The traditional footwear was the espardenya. Jacint Verdaguer wearing a barretina A barretina is a traditional Catalan hat that was frequently worn by men, especially in the countryside, until the 19th century. ...

Traditional diet

The Catalan diet is part of the Mediterranean diet. They fry with olive oil. Milk is widely consumed, especially cows' milk. Catalan people eat fowl more than the red meat of the English diet, and like to eat young cows (vedella), sheep (xai) and no bulls. The digestion of the English diet used to be considered hard by the Catalan people. For cuisine, see Cuisine of the Mediterranean. ... For the Popeye character, see Olive Oyl. ...

There are three main daily meals:

• In the morning: a very light breakfast, consisting of fruit or fruit juice, milk, coffee or pa amb tomàquet "bread with tomato". Although it's considered less consistent than the British breakfast, Catalan breakfast are also important; people tend to divide its breakfast into two parts: one early in the morning, before going to work or study (first breakfast), and the other one between 10:00 and 12:00 (second breakfast).
• After noon (roughly from 13:00 to 14:30): the main meal of the day. Usually three dishes: the first consisting of pasta or vegetables, the second of meat or fish and the third of fruit or yogurt. It is usual to drink moderate quantities of wine.
• In the evening (roughly from 21:00 to 22:30): more food than in the morning but less than at lunch. Very often only a single big dish and fruit.

In Catalan gastronomy, embotits (a wide variety of Catalan sausages) are very important; these are pork sausages such as botifarra or fuet. In the past, bread (similar to French bread) figured heavily in the Catalan diet; now it is used mainly in the morning (second breakfast, especially among young students and some workers) and supplements the noon meal, at home and in restaurants. Bread is still popular among Catalans; some Catalan fast-food restaurants don't serve hamburgers but a wide variety of sandwiches. Pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) is a typical preparation of Catalan cuisine that consists of bread -optionally toasted- with tomato rubbed over and seasoned with olive oil and salt. ... Botifarra (pronounced ) is a typical Catalan sausage made of raw pork and spices. ... Fuet is a Catalan thin, cured dry sausage of pork meat in a pork gut. ...

In the past, the poor ate soup each day and rice on Thursday and Sunday. For other uses, see Soup (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rice (disambiguation). ...

The discipline of abstinence, not eating meat during Lent, was once very strong but has practically disappeared in the 20th century. This article is about the food. ... It has been suggested that Cuaresma be merged into this article or section. ...

Spicy food is rare in the Catalan diet but there are quite spicy sauces such as allioli or romesco. Allioli (from all i oli, Catalan/Valencian for garlic and oil, pronounced ah-yee-OH-lee, IPA ) is a typical paste of Valencia and Catalonia. ... Romesco, also called romescu, is a sauce originating in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, that is typically made from garlic, almonds, olive oil and a mixture of peppers and/or chillis. ...

Traditional dishes

One type of Catalan dish is escudella soup, which contains chick peas, potatoes, and vegetables such as green cabbage, celery, carrot and turnip, and meats like botifarra (a Catalan sausage), pork feet, salted ham, chicken and veal, among others. In Northern Catalonia it's sometimes called ollada. Escudella is a Catalan stew. ...

Other Catalan dishes are: calçots (similar to leeks, and often eaten with a romesco sauce), and escalivada. Calçot is a variety of scallion known as Blanca Grande Tardana from Lleida. ... For other uses, see Leek (disambiguation). ... Romesco, also called romescu, is a sauce originating in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, that is typically made from garlic, almonds, olive oil and a mixture of peppers and/or chillis. ... Escalivada is a typical preparation of Catalan cuisine that consists of several types of grilled vegetables like eggplants (genus Solanum), sweet red peppers (genus Capsicum), red tomatoes, and sweet onions. ...

Religion

The majority of Catalans are of Roman Catholic tradition, while significant numbers of Catalans profess either no religion or appear to be atheists or agnostics. “Catholic Church” redirects here. ...

Social conditions

Catalonia has traditionally been one of the richest and most well developed regions of Spain. Barcelona is the most industrialized metropolis and is both a regional capital and a magnet for various migrants from other regions in Spain as well as foreign immigrants. Catalan people have made numerous contributions from art and architecture to film and science. Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ...

Identity and nationalism

Due to the continued identification with a distinct national identity, many support Catalan nationalism or Catalan independentism in Spain and, to a lesser extent, in France. Catalan nationalism, or Catalanism, is a political movement that advocates for an increased political autonomy of Catalonia, if not independence itself, from Spain and France. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catalan nationalism. ...

Famous Catalans

Main article: List of Catalans

This is a list of famous Catalan people (people from the European region of Catalonia, one of the Autonomoues Communities of Spain). ...

See also

• Valencia
• Catalonia
• History of Catalonia
• Catalan Countries
• Catalan independentism
• Catalan myths and legends
• Andorra

Capital Valencia Official language(s) Valencian and Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 8th  23,255 km²  4. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... The territory that now constitutes the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, and the adjoining Catalan region of France, was first settled during the Middle Palaeolithic. ... Grafitti at Belfast. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catalan nationalism. ... Catalan myths and legends are the traditional myths and legends of the Catalan-speaking world, especially Catalonia itself, passed down for generations as part of that regions popular culture. ...

References

• Balcells, Albert et al. Catalan Nationalism : Past and Present (Palgrave Macmillan, 1995).
• Collier, Basil. Catalan France (J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd., 1939).
• Conversi, Daniele. The Basques, the Catalans and Spain: Alternative Routes to Nationalist Mobilization (University of Nevada Press, 1997).
• Guibernau, Montserrat. Catalan Nationalism: Francoism, Transition and Democracy (Routledge, 2004).
• Hargreaves, John. Freedom for Catalonia?: Catalan Nationalism, Spanish Identity and the Barcelona Olympic Games (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
• Simonis, Damien. Lonely Planet Catalunya & the Costa Brava (Lonely Planet Publications, 2003).
• Starkie, Walter. The Road to Santiago (John Murray, 2003).
• Michelin THE GREEN GUIDE France (Michelin Travel Publications, 2000).

Puntual references

1. ^ See Catalan_language#Number_of_Catalan_speakers

Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ...

Online references

• US Library of Congress Country Studies: Spain, The Catalans
• Ethnologue for Catalan language
• Lletra. Catalan Literature Online
• Catalans in France
• Catalan Resources
• Catalan Identity
• Museum of the History of Catalonia
• Catalanism
• Catalan Dancing
• The Spirit of Catalonia. 1946 book by Oxford Professor Dr. Josep Trueta