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{{dablink|This article is for the Catalan Countries. For other uses, see [[Catalonia (disambiguation)]].}}
{{dambigbox|the Catalan Countries|Catalonia}}
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, article "Països Catalans"]). 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'',<ref>Pronounced [pəˈizus kətəˈlans] or regionally [paˈizos kataˈlans].</ref> 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 one constituent region within the Catalan Countries.


The '''Catalan Countries''' (in Catalan: ''Països Catalans'') are a cultural country of South West [[Europe]] where [[Catalan language|Catalan]] is the native language and where the Catalan culture is autochtonous. They include approximately the following territories:
===Extent===
* ''[[Northern Catalonia]]'', that is the department of the [[Pyrénées-Orientales]], in southern [[France]], around [[Perpignan]].
The Catalan Countries are split into several states: [[Spain]], [[France]], [[Andorra]] and possibly [[Italy]]. They include approximately the following territories:
* ''[[Andorra]]'', a sovereign state.
*In the Spanish state:
* The ''[[Western Strip]]'' ''(Franja de Ponent)'' in the East of the autonomous community of [[Aragon]], in [[Spain]].
** '''''[[Catalonia (autonomous community)|Catalonia]]''''' in the narrow sense, also called unofficially the ''Principality'' (''Catalunya, el Principat''), an autonomous region<ref>In Spain, autonomous regions are officially called "autonomous comunities".</ref> whose capital is [[Barcelona]].
* ''[[Catalonia (autonomous community)|Catalonia]]'', an autonomous community in Eastern Spain, around [[Barcelona]].
** The '''''[[Western Strip]]''''' or simply the '''''Strip''''' (''la Franja de Ponent, la Franja'') in the autonomous region of [[Aragon]].
* The ''[[Valencian Country]]'', an autonomous community in Eastern Spain, around [[València]].
** The '''''[[Valencian Country]]''''' (''el País Valencià''), an autonomous region whose capital is [[city of València|València]].
* The ''[[Balearic Islands]]'', an autonomous community in Eastern Spain, around [[Palma]].
** The '''''[[Balearic Islands]]''''' (''les Illes Balears, les Illes''), an archipelago and an autonomous region comprising [[Menorca]], [[Mallorca]] and [[Ibiza|Eivissa/Ibiza]] and whose capital is [[Palma]].
* The ''[[Carche]]'', a little area in the autonomous community of [[Murcia (autonomous community)|Murcia]], in Eastern Spain.
** The '''''[[Carche]]''''' (''el Carxe''), a small area in the autonomous region of [[Murcia (autonomous community)|Murcia]].
* ''[[Alghero]]'', a city and a Catalan linguistic enclave in the island of [[Sardinia]], in [[Italy]].
*In the French state:
** '''''[[North Catalonia]]''''' (''Catalunya Nord''), that is, the greatest part of the department of the [[Pyrénées-Orientales]], around [[Perpignan]].
* '''''[[Andorra]]''''' (''Andorra''), a sovereign state.
*In the Italian state:
** Possibly '''''[[Alghero]]''''' (''l'Alguer''), a city and a Catalan linguistic enclave on the island of [[Sardinia]].


The exact definition of the Catalan Countries varies according to the criteria followed:
===Discussed territories===
* According to stricty linguistic criteria, some non-Catalan-speaking areas may be not included the Catalans Countries. These are the Occitan area of the [[Fenouillèdes]] in the Pyrénées-Orientales, the Occitan area of [[Aran Valley]] in Catalonia and the peripherical, Spanish-speaking areas of the Valencian Country.
The exact definition of the Catalan Countries varies according to the criteria followed.
* Though, according to administrative criteria, 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.


Some Catalan activists propose to call '''Catalonia''' (''Catalunya'') the whole of the Catalan Countries.
According to a strict linguistic criterion, some non-Catalan-speaking areas should not be included in the Catalan Countries.<ref>Such a view is supported, for instance, by Pol Sureda in the website [http://webs.racocatala.cat/eltalp/cart1.htm El Talp].</ref> These are:
*Two areas where [[Occitan language|Occitan]] is the traditional language instead of Catalan: the [[Fenouillèdes]] (in the Pyrénées-Orientales) and [[Aran Valley]] (in the official region of Catalonia),
*A large arera where [[Spanish language|Spanish]] is the only language, located in the west and the far south of the Valencian Country.
 
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.<ref>Such a view is supported by the [http://www.enciclopedia.cat/fitxa_v2.jsp?NDCHEC=0048266 Enciclopèdia Catalana].</ref>
 
===Area and population===
The Catalan Countries size 59&nbsp;671 km²<ref>See [http://www.enciclopedia.cat/fitxa_v2.jsp?NDCHEC=0048266 Enciclopèdia Catalana, article "Països Catalans"].</ref> and have 13&nbsp;422&nbsp;117 inhabitants<ref>Demographic data of 2008 and 2009.</ref> according to the strictly linguistic criterion (Catalan-speaking area). They would size 69&nbsp;823 km² and have 14&nbsp;157&nbsp;638 inhabitants if Occitan and Spanish-speaking peripheries were included.
 
==Notes==
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 16:38, 18 September 2011

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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,[2] 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"[3] but this is not unanimously accepted, since Catalonia is also the name of one constituent region within the Catalan Countries.

Extent

The Catalan Countries are split into several states: Spain, France, Andorra and possibly Italy. They include approximately the following territories:

Discussed territories

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.[5] These are:

  • Two areas where Occitan is the traditional language instead of Catalan: the Fenouillèdes (in the Pyrénées-Orientales) and Aran Valley (in the official region of Catalonia),
  • A large arera where Spanish is the only language, located in the west and the far south of the Valencian Country.

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.[6]

Area and population

The Catalan Countries size 59 671 km²[7] and have 13 422 117 inhabitants[8] according to the strictly linguistic criterion (Catalan-speaking area). They would size 69 823 km² and have 14 157 638 inhabitants if Occitan and Spanish-speaking peripheries were included.

Notes

  1. ↑ 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, article "Països Catalans"). Standard English does not use a capital on common nouns such as country except when they are included in proper names.
  2. ↑ Pronounced [pəˈizus kətəˈlans] or regionally [paˈizos kataˈlans].
  3. ↑ For instance, in Josep Guia's book: És molt senzill, digueu-li Catalunya (1985, Llibres del segle, Collection "Què us diré" 22).
  4. ↑ In Spain, autonomous regions are officially called "autonomous comunities".
  5. ↑ Such a view is supported, for instance, by Pol Sureda in the website El Talp.
  6. ↑ Such a view is supported by the Enciclopèdia Catalana.
  7. ↑ See Enciclopèdia Catalana, article "Països Catalans".
  8. ↑ Demographic data of 2008 and 2009.
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