0004 The Catalonian Biscuit - News and infomation in English about the Catalan Countries

 

 THE CATALONIAN BISCUIT

           LA GALETA DELS PAÏSOS CATALANS

 

 

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 independence

This page is: http://www.estelnet.com/catalunyacymru/catala/galeta_paisos_catalans.htm

 

 

 

ON THIS PAGE:

What is Catalonia and what are the Catalan Countries?

 

 

Map of the Catalan Countries - Andorra, The Principality (North and South), The Valencian Country, The Western Fringe, The Balearic Islands

 

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
29 636km2

 

 

 

 

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