0004 The Catalonian Biscuit - News and infomation in
English about the Catalan Countries
|
Home Page
|
News and infomation in English
about the Catalan Countries
Per a la llengua, el poble, la terra – i la independència. In support of the language, the people, the land – and independenceThis page is: http://www.estelnet.com/catalunyacymru/catala/galeta_paisos_catalans.htm |
|
ON THIS PAGE:
What is Catalonia and what are the
Catalan Countries?
The
‘Catalan Countries' or simply 'Catalonia' is one of Europe's many stateless nations.
It is situated by the Mediterranean Sea, and most of the territory is in the
Iberian peninsula.
Politically,
part is an independent state (Andorra).
There
are three other territories: (1) the Principality of Catalonia (capital:
Barcelona). The greater part of the Principality is within the Castilian state
(Spain). but the area north of the Pyrenees is within the Francien state
(France).
(2)
the Balearic Islands (capital: Ciutat, also known as Palma) and
(3)
the Valencian Country (capital: València). These two territories are wholly
within the boundaries of the Castilian state.
Linguistically,
the land of the Catalans is Catalan-speaking, though policies to eradicate the
Catalan language, especially in the twentieth century, and replace it with Francien
(French) in the Francien-occupied part and Castilian (Spanish) in the lands
under Castilian occupation have relegated the native language to a secondary
position over much of the territory.
The policies of eradication are still pursued actively.
Els Països Catalans = Principat, Pais Valencià, Les Illes Balears, La Franja de Ponent, Andorra, Carxe, Alguer
Population: Països Catalans:
around 10 million; Compared with Cymru /
Wales: around 3 miliwn
Area: Països Catalans: 59,344 sq. km; Cymru / Wales : 20 786 sq. km
|
El
Principat |
|
|
|
|
||
|
Principat (Sud) under Castilian occupation – an autonomous region 20 591 km2 |
Principat (Nord) under Francien occupation 4 577 km2 |
La
Franja de Ponent under Castilian occupation – part of the autonomous region of Aragón 4
468 km2 |
Les
Illes Balears 5
014 km2 |
Pais Valencià 13 866 km2 and Carxe (an offshoot in the autonomous region of Castilla-La
Mancha) 300 km2 |
Andorra 453 km2 |
Alguer 75 km2 Town
on the island of Sardenya |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Relative sizes of the
areas of els Països Catalans
|
FRANJA |
|
|
|
|
FRANJA |
|
|
|
|
FRANJA |
|
|
|
|
FRANJA |
|
|
|
|
NORD |
|
|
|
|
NORD |
|
|
|
|
NORD |
|
|
|
|
NORD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
|
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
|
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
BAL |
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
BAL |
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
BAL |
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
BAL |
|
|
SUD |
VAL |
BAL |
AND |
END OF PAGE
Last updated: 2003-09-21