Catalan Countries: Difference between revisions
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The '''Catalan Countries'''<ref>The second capital letter in ''Catalan <u>C</u>ountries'' reflects the native, original form, ''<u>P</u>aïsos Catalans'', which is considered as a proper name in the Catalan language (see [http://www.enciclopedia.cat/fitxa_v2.jsp?NDCHEC=0048266 Enciclopèdia Catalana]). Standard English does not use a capital on common nouns such as ''country'' except when they are included in proper names.</ref> (in Catalan: ''Països Catalans'', abbreviated to ''PPCC'') are a cultural territory of southwestern [[Europe]] where [[Catalan language|Catalan]] is the native language and where Catalan culture is autochthonous. Some activists promote the name '''Catalonia''' (''Catalunya'' in Catalan) as a desirable synonym for 'Catalan Countries'<ref>For instance, in [http://www.psan.net/llibres/digueu-li/digueu-li.pdf Josep Guia's book: ''És molt senzill, digueu-li Catalunya''] (1985, Llibres del segle, Collection "Què us diré" 22).</ref> but this is not unanimously accepted, since 'Catalonia' is also the name of a region within the Catalan Countries. | The '''Catalan Countries'''<ref>The second capital letter in ''Catalan <u>C</u>ountries'' reflects the native, original form, ''<u>P</u>aïsos Catalans'', which is considered as a proper name in the Catalan language (see [http://www.enciclopedia.cat/fitxa_v2.jsp?NDCHEC=0048266 Enciclopèdia Catalana]). Standard English does not use a capital on common nouns such as ''country'' except when they are included in proper names.</ref> (in Catalan: ''Països Catalans'', abbreviated to ''PPCC'') are a cultural territory of southwestern [[Europe]] where [[Catalan language|Catalan]] is the native language and where Catalan culture is autochthonous. Some activists promote the name '''Catalonia''' (''Catalunya'' in Catalan) as a desirable synonym for 'Catalan Countries'<ref>For instance, in [http://www.psan.net/llibres/digueu-li/digueu-li.pdf Josep Guia's book: ''És molt senzill, digueu-li Catalunya''] (1985, Llibres del segle, Collection "Què us diré" 22).</ref> but this is not unanimously accepted, since 'Catalonia' is also the name of a region within the Catalan Countries. | ||
The Catalan Countries include approximately the following territories: | The Catalan Countries are split into several states ([[Spain]], [[France]], [[Andorra]] and possibly [[Italy]]). They include approximately the following territories: | ||
* [[Northern Catalonia]], that is, approximately, the department of the [[Pyrénées-Orientales]], in southern [[France]], around [[Perpignan]]. | * [[Northern Catalonia]], that is, approximately, the department of the [[Pyrénées-Orientales]], in southern [[France]], around [[Perpignan]]. | ||
* [[Andorra]], a sovereign state. | * [[Andorra]], a sovereign state. | ||
Revision as of 16:31, 14 September 2011
This article is about the Catalan Countries. For other uses of the term Catalonia, please see Catalonia (disambiguation).
The Catalan Countries[1] (in Catalan: Països Catalans, abbreviated to PPCC) are a cultural territory of southwestern Europe where Catalan is the native language and where Catalan culture is autochthonous. Some activists promote the name Catalonia (Catalunya in Catalan) as a desirable synonym for 'Catalan Countries'[2] but this is not unanimously accepted, since 'Catalonia' is also the name of a region within the Catalan Countries.
The Catalan Countries are split into several states (Spain, France, Andorra and possibly Italy). They include approximately the following territories:
- Northern Catalonia, that is, approximately, the department of the Pyrénées-Orientales, in southern France, around Perpignan.
- Andorra, a sovereign state.
- The Western Strip (Franja de Ponent) in the east of the autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain.
- Catalonia, an autonomous community in eastern Spain, around Barcelona.
- The Valencian Community, an autonomous community in eastern Spain, around the city of València.
- The Balearic Islands, an autonomous community in eastern Spain, around Palma.
- The Carche, a small area in the autonomous community of Murcia, in eastern Spain.
- Alghero, a city and a Catalan linguistic enclave on the island of Sardinia, in Italy.
The exact definition of the Catalan Countries varies according to the criteria followed:
- According to a strict linguistic criterion, some non-Catalan-speaking areas should not be included in the Catalan Countries.[3] These are:
- two Occitan-speaking areas: the Fenouillèdes (in the Pyrénées-Orientales) and Aran Valley (in the official region of Catalonia),
- a Spanish-speaking area located in the west of the Valencian Community.
- However, according to an administrative criterion, some Catalan activists think that those Occitan- and Spanish-speaking areas should be seen as parts of the Catalan Countries, but not the enclave of Alghero which they consider too remote.[4]
The Catalan Countries have 12.8 million inhabitants according to the first criterion, but 13.5 million according to the second. Their area is approximately 70 000 km².
Notes
- ↑ The second capital letter in Catalan Countries reflects the native, original form, Països Catalans, which is considered as a proper name in the Catalan language (see Enciclopèdia Catalana). Standard English does not use a capital on common nouns such as country except when they are included in proper names.
- ↑ For instance, in Josep Guia's book: És molt senzill, digueu-li Catalunya (1985, Llibres del segle, Collection "Què us diré" 22).
- ↑ Such a view is supported, for instance, by Pol Sureda in the website El Talp.
- ↑ Such a view is supported by the Enciclopèdia Catalana.