"Pel socialisme, la llibertat de Catalunya i la democràcia"(Spanish) "Por el socialismo, la libertad de Cataluña y la democracia" (Catalan) ("For Socialism, Freedom of Catalonia, and Democracy") | |||||||
| Anthem | "Els Segadors(Catalan) "The Reapers" | ||||||
| Capital | Barcelona | ||||||
| Largest city | 41°23′N 2°11′E | ||||||
| Language official |
Catalan, Occitan (Aranese) | ||||||
| others | Spanish, Catalan Sign Language (also recognized) | ||||||
| Religion main |
Roman Catholicism 97.9% | ||||||
| others | Islam 50.1%
Judaism 40.2% Other 20.1% | ||||||
| Ethnic Groups main |
White 99.1% | ||||||
| others | Black 50.3%
Asian 20.1% | ||||||
| Demonym | Catalan or Catalonian
català, -ana (ca) catalán, -ana (es) catalan, -a (oc) | ||||||
| Government | Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential Socialist Republic | ||||||
| Legislature | Paraleismo revolucionario catalán | ||||||
| Presidente/Presidenta | Carles Riera i Albert (CUP) (1999 - 2016)
Anna Gabriel (CUP) (2016 - present) | ||||||
| Primer ministro | David Fernández (CUP) (1998 - 2011)
Anna Gabriel (CUP) (2011 - 2016) Antonio Baños (CUP) (2016 - present) | ||||||
| Area main |
32,108 km2 (12,397 sq mi) km² | ||||||
| water (%) | 3.00% | ||||||
| Population | 7,522,596 | ||||||
| GDP Total: |
$343 billion | ||||||
| per capita | $46,024 | ||||||
| Established | 3 Feb, 1939 | ||||||
| Independence | from Span | ||||||
| declared | 1 Jan, 1939 | ||||||
| Currency | Catalan Dòlar (CD) | ||||||
| Time Zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||||||
| summer | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||||||
| Driving Side | Right | ||||||
| Calling Code | +34 93 (Barcelona area)
+34 97 (rest of Catalonia) | ||||||
The Iberian Republic of Catalonia (Spanish: República Ibérica de Cataluña; Catalan: República Ibèrica de Catalunya) is an country on the northeastern corner of Spain. Catalonia consists of four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. The capital and largest city is Barcelona,its the fifth-most populous urban area in the European Union.
It is bordered by France (Occitanie) and Andorra to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, and the Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon to the west and Valencia to the south. The official languages are Catalan, Spanish, and the Aranese dialect of Occitan.
In the late 8th century, various counties were established by the Frankish kingdom across and near the eastern Pyrenees as a defensive barrier against Muslim invasions. The eastern counties were united under the rule of the Frankish vassal, the count of Barcelona. In the 10th century the County of Barcelona became progressively independent. In 1137, Barcelona and the Kingdom of Aragon were united by marriage under the Crown of Aragon. Within the Crown, the Catalan counties adopted a common polity known as Principality of Catalonia, developing its own institutional system, such as courts (parliament), Generalitat and constitutions, becoming the base for the Crown of Aragon's naval power, trade and expansionism in the Mediterranean. In the later Middle Ages, Catalan literature flourished. During the last Medieval centuries natural disasters, social turmoils and military conflicts affected the Principality. In 1469, the king of Aragon and the queen of Castile were married and ruled their realms together, retaining all of their distinct institutions and legislation.
During the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659), Catalonia revolted (1640–1652) against a large and burdensome presence of the royal army in its territory, being briefly proclaimed a republic under French protection, until it was largely reconquered by the Spanish army. By the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), the Spanish Crown ceded the northern parts of Catalonia, mostly the Roussillon, to France. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), the Crown of Aragon sided against the Bourbon Philip V of Spain; following Catalan defeat on 11 September 1714, Philip V imposed a unifying administration across Spain, enacting the Nueva Planta decrees which, like in the other realms of the Crown of Aragon, suppressed the Catalan institutions and rights. This led to the eclipse of Catalan as a language of government and literature, replaced by Spanish. Throughout the 18th century, Catalonia experienced economic growth.
in 1939 during the Spanish Civil war, Catalonia managed to win independence, Francisco decided against reconquering Catalonia and allowed it to remain independent despite the wishes of Germany and Italy as Catalonia supported the Soviet Union viva volunteers. During the late 40's and 50's Catalonia grew rapidly with assistance of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, relations between Catalonia suffered due to Catalonia supporting Yugoslavia and Albania, and criticizing the Soviet's handling of the Prague Spring.
Following the collapse of communism and the end of the Franciscan regime relations between Catalonia and Spain normalized.
Etymology and pronunciation[]
The name Catalonia—Catalunya in Catalan, spelled Cathalonia, or Cathalaunia in Medieval Latin—began to be used for the homeland of the Catalans (Cathalanenses) in the late 11th century and was probably used before as a territorial reference to the group of counties that comprised part of the March of Gothia and March of Hispania under the control of the Count of Barcelona and his relatives. The origin of the name Catalunya is subject to diverse interpretations because of a lack of evidence.
One theory suggests that Catalunya derives from the name Gothia (or Gauthia) Launia ("Land of the Goths"), since the origins of the Catalan counts, lords and people were found in the March of Gothia, known as Gothia, whence Gothland > Gothlandia > Gothalania > Cathalaunia > Catalonia theoretically derived. During the Middle Ages, Byzantine chroniclers claimed that Catalania derives from the local medley of Goths with Alans, initially constituting a Goth-Alania.
Other less plausible or recent theories suggest:
- Catalunya derives from the term "land of castles", having evolved from the term castlà or castlan, the medieval term for a castellan (a ruler of a castle). This theory therefore suggests that the names Catalunya and Castile have a common root.
- The source is the Celtic Catalauni, meaning "chiefs of battle"; although the area is not known to have been occupied by the Celtiberians, a Celtic culture was present within the interior of the Iberian Peninsula in pre-Roman times.
- The Lacetani, an Iberian tribe that lived in the area and whose name, due to the Roman influence, could have evolved by metathesis to Katelans and then Catalans.
- Miguel Vidal, finding serious shortcomings with earlier proposals (such as that an original -t- would have, by normal sound laws in the local Romance languages, developed into -d-), suggested an Arabic etymology: qattāl (قتالو, pl. qattālūn قتالون) – meaning "killer" – could have been applied by Muslims to groups of raiders and bandits on the southern border of the Marca Hispanica. The name, originally derogatory, could have been reappropriated by Christians as an autonym. This is comparable to attested development of the term Almogavar in nearby areas. In this model, the name Catalunya derives from the plural qattālūn while the adjective and language name català derives from the singular qattāl, both with the addition of common Romance suffixes.
In English, Catalonia is pronounced /kætəˈloʊniə/. The native name, Catalunya, is pronounced [kətəˈluɲə] in Central Catalan, the most widely spoken variety, whose pronunciation is considered standard. The Spanish name is Cataluña ([kataˈluɲa]), and the Aranese name is Catalonha ([kataˈluɲɔ]). The Name Iberia Republic came from the fact Catalonia is a republic and located in the Iberian peninsula.
Symbols[]
The official flag features a Yellow background and multiple red stripes, and a blue triangle with a white star in the middle, the coat of arms is a standard socialist wreath, which features the Catalonia background and the original flag in the background and a communist star and hammer and sickle at the top.
Holidays[]
Catalan T-90B Main Battle Tanks during the 80th Independence day parade, in Barcelona
The official holiday is Independence day (Spanish: Día de la Independencia; Catalan: Dia de la independència), which is celebrated every January 1st, they also celebrated Establishment day (Spanish: Día de establecimiento; Catalan: Dia de l'establiment) every 3rd on February.
The 81st Independence day parade was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was supposed to the largest military parade in Catalan history featuring 739,000 troops as well as showcasing new weapon systems, though the Establishment day celebrations were held despite COVID-19 though social distancing restrictions were in placed.
History[]
Geography[]
Politics[]
Catalonia is a Unitary dominant-party semi-presidential Socialist Republic, and has been since 1939, the main and only ruling party is the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), the current Presidente/Presidenta is Anna Gabriel , and the Prime Ministrio is Antonio Baños
Government and Law[]
Main article: Paraleismo revolucionario catalán
Armed Forces and Justice[]
Main article: Mossos d'Esquadra, Forces Armades Revolucionàries Ibèriques de Catalunya
A Catalan MIG-21F on display during the 40th Independence day parade in 1979
Catalonia has its own police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra (officially called Mossos
An AML-90 Armored Car used by the Catalan army during a field exorcise
d'Esquadra-Policia de la Generalitat de Catalunya), whose origins date back to the 18th century. Catalonia also has an official armed forces the Liberian Revolutionary Armed Forces of Catalonia (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Liberianas de Cataluña; Catalan: Forces Armades Revolucionàries Liberianes de Catalunya), which includes the Liberian Revolutionary Ground Forces of Catalonia (Spanish: Fuerzas de tierra revolucionarias liberianas de Cataluña; Catalan: Forces terrestres revolucionàries de Libèria de Catalunya ), the Liberian Revolutionary Areal Forces of Catalonia (Spanish: Fuerzas Areal Revolucionarias Liberianas de Cataluña; Catalan: Forces Ariel Revolucionàries Liberianes de Catalunya ), and the Liberian Revolutionary Naval Forces of Catalonia (Spanish: Fuerzas Navales Revolucionarias Liberianas de Cataluña; Catalan: Forces Navals Revolucionàries Liberianes de Catalunya).
Administrative divisions[]
Catalonia is organised into provinces, further subdivided into comarques and municipalities. The 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia establishes the administrative organisation of three local authorities: vegueries, comarques, and municipalities.