The map at right shows the location of the département of the Pyrénées-Orientales, which roughly corresponds to the territory known as Northern Catalonia but also includes the district of Fenouillèdes ; the map at left shows Roussillon and Catalonia. Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier Fenouillèdes ( Occitan: Fenolhedés/Fenolheda, Catalan: Fenolledès/Fenolleda) is a French comarca and a traditional Occitan

Northern Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya Nord) is a term which is sometimes used, particularly in Catalan writings, to refer to the territory ceded to France by Spain in 1659. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The equivalent term in French, Catalogne du Nord, is only rarely used: the term Roussillon (in reference to the pre-Revolutionary province) is usually preferred. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The Kingdom of France was organised into Provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département Both Northern Catalonia and Roussillon correspond approximately to the modern French département of the Pyrénées-Orientales. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier

Geography

The Canigou (2785 m) seen from near Perpignan: the massif is roughly 60 km (40 miles) from the point where the photograph was taken. Canigou ( Catalan Canigó) (el 2785 m/9137 ft is a Mountain located in the Pyrenees of southern France.

Northern Catalonia forms a triangle between the Pyrenees to the south, the Corbières to the north-west and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés The Corbières are a mountain region in the Languedoc-Roussillon in soutwestern France. The Roussillon plain in the east, by far the most populated area, is formed by the flood plains of the Tech, Têt and Agly rivers (Catalan: Tec, Tet, Aglí). ||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a Stream or River that experiences occasional or periodic The Tech is a River in southern France, very close to the French- Spanish border The Têt (Tet is the largest River in Roussillon, southwestern France. The Agly River is a River of southwestern France. Its source is in the Corbières hills near Camps-sur-l'Agly. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official The districts of Vallespir and Conflent cover the upper valleys of the Tech and the Têt respectively. Vallespir is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. Conflent is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales The massif of the Canigou (Catalan: Canigó), 2785 m, dominates much of the territory. Canigou ( Catalan Canigó) (el 2785 m/9137 ft is a Mountain located in the Pyrenees of southern France. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official

The climate is of the Mediterranean type, with hot, dry summers and winters which are relatively mild, at least on the Roussillon plain where snow is rare. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide

The city of Perpignan (Catalan: Perpinyà) accounts for over a quarter of the population, over one-third of its urban area is taken into account, and is the only major administrative and service centre. Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Major road and rail links run north–south through Northern Catalonia between France and Spain, while a railway line also links Perpignan to Latour-de-Carol (Catalan: La Tor de Querol) via Prades (Catalan: Prada de Conflent or Prada). Latour-de-Carol (La Tor de Querol is a village and commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department and Languedoc-Roussillon region

Cerdagne

Haute-Cerdagne (Catalan: Alta Cerdanya) is geographically distinct from the rest of Northern Catalonia, lying to the south of the Pyrenean watershed in the upper valley of the Segre. French Cerdagne is the northern half of Cerdanya, which came under French control as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins It is a mountainous and sparsely-populated district, even taking into account the town of Llívia (pop. 1252 (2005)) which forms an enclave resting under Spanish sovereignty. Llívia is a town of Cerdanya, province of Gerona, Catalonia, Spain, that forms a Spanish Exclave surrounded by In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology

The district lies on the most direct route between Toulouse (Occitan: Tolosa de Lengadoc) and Barcelona (via Foix and Ripoll), and a railway line still links the two cities via Latour-de-Carol (Catalan: La Tor de Querol). Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Foix (fwa is a commune, the capital of the Ariège département in France. Ripoll is the capital of the comarca (county of Ripollès, in the province of Girona, Catalonia. Latour-de-Carol (La Tor de Querol is a village and commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department and Languedoc-Roussillon region Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official

Administrative history

Eighth to twelfth centuries

Northern Catalonia formed part of the Spanish Marches, established by Charlemagne as a buffer territory against the Moorish forces. The Marca Hispanica (or Spanish March, also March of Barcelona) was a Buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent As such, it was divided into feudal counties, Rosselló, Vallespir, Conflent north of the Pyrenees and Cerdanya to the south. The Comarca of Roussillon ( Catalan: Rosselló) is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Vallespir is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. Conflent is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales Cerdanya (Ceritania Cerdagne Cerdaña is a small region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain and which is historically one of the By the end of the ninth century, these counties had gained de facto independence from the Carolingian kings and operated as princely states (whose rulers nevertheless retained the title of count). The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the

As the seigneury of the counties became hereditary, the total number of Catalan counts fell steadily. One individual often had the charge of several counties, but these were not always transmitted on the basis of primogeniture. Primogeniture is the Common law right of the Firstborn son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings Hence Count Miró II the Young, third son of Wilfred I the Hairy, inherited the counties of Cerdanya and Conflent from his father in 897, and the counties of Besalú and Vallespir from his elder brother Sunyer I when the latter became Count of Barcelona in 911. Wilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, was Count of Urgell (870&ndash897 Cerdanya (870&ndash897 Barcelona (878&ndash897 Events By place Asia Emperor Uda of Japan is succeeded by Emperor Daigo. The County of Besalú or Besalu was one of the landlocked Medieval Catalan counties near the Mediterranean coastline Sunyer I was Count of Empúries and Roussillon (with the pagus of Perelada) from 834 to 841 The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century Events By Place Europe Autumn — Charles the Simple agrees to the Treaty of St

The Counts of Rosselló, in alliance with their cousins the Counts of Empuriés, tried to resist this dilution of their power. This is a list of the counts of Roussillon, in Catalan Rosselló. The County of Empúries or Ampurias was a medieval county centred on the town of Empúries and enclosing the Catalan region of Peralada. However the Counts of Barcelona steadily gain suzerainty over the other Catalan counts, a process which was virtually complete by the twelfth century. The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century The last Count of Rosselló, Girard II, left his title to the Crown of Aragon on his death in 1172 to prevent the territory passing to his illegitimate half-brothers. The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.

Under the Crown of Aragon

Royal administration in Catalonia under the Crown of Aragon was organised on the basis of vegueries, under the charge of a veguer appointed by the King of Aragon as Count of Barcelona. The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. The vegueria (pl vegueries; Castilian: veguería, Latin: vigeria) was the territorial jurisdiction of a veguer (Latin In Northern Catalonia, the vegueries followed closely the boundaries of the old counties. The district of Capcir was a sotsvegueria, based around the castle of Puigbalador (French: Puyvalador) but subordinate to the vegueria of Conflent. Capcir is an historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales.

The Treaty of Corbeil of 1258 confirmed the frontier between France and Aragon as the Cerbères, leaving the Occitan district of Fenolheda to France. The Treaty of Corbeil was an agreement signed on May 11, 1258, in Corbeil (today Corbeil-Essonnes, in the region of Île-de-France Occitania ( Occitan: Occitània) refers to the lands where Occitan is the traditional language in use though more recently viewed as a minority language Fenouillèdes ( Occitan: Fenolhedés/Fenolheda, Catalan: Fenolledès/Fenolleda) is a French comarca and a traditional Occitan

On the death of King James I the Conqueror in 1276, Northern Catalonia was combined with the Balearic Isles to form a new Kingdom of Mallorca, which passed to James II while the rest of the territory of the Crown of Aragon passed to his brother Peter III. James I the Conqueror ( Catalan: Jaume el Conqueridor, Aragonese: Chaime lo Conqueridor, Spanish: Jaime el Conquistador The Balearic Islands ( Catalan and official Illes Balears; Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an Archipelago in the western Mediterranean The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. James II (Jaume (died 1311 was King of Majorca and Lord of Montpellier from 1243 until his death Peter the Great ( Catalan: Pere el Gran, Spanish: Pedro el Grande; 1239 &ndash 2 November 1285) was the King of Aragon This division satisfied neither branch of the family, and the Kingdom of Mallorca was retaken militarily by the Crown of Aragon in 1344.

After the Treaty of the Pyrenees

Main article: Roussillon

The Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659 ceded Northern Catalonia to France, where it became the province of Roussillon. Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed in 1659 to end the war between France and Spain that had begun in 1635 during the Thirty Years' War. The French provinces were abolished at the Revolution (Law of 1789-12-22), and Roussillon was joined with the district of Fenouillèdes (Occitan: Fenolheda) to form the département of the Pyrénées-Orientales, with Perpignan (Perpinyà) as its administrative centre. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Fenouillèdes ( Occitan: Fenolhedés/Fenolheda, Catalan: Fenolledès/Fenolleda) is a French comarca and a traditional Occitan In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative

Present day

Main article: Pyrénées-Orientales

The département of the Pyrénées-Orientales is divided into the arrondissements of Céret (Catalan: Ceret), Perpignan (Perpinyà) and Prades (Prada), which are further divided into cantons and communes. Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. Céret (Ceret is a town and commune of the Pyrénées-Orientales département. Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative Prada SpA is an Italian high-fashion company (also referred to as fashion House or Label) specializing in Luxury goods for men and women The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. Perpignan and sixteen surrounding communes are also associated in the Communauté d'agglomération Têt Méditerranée, created in 2001. An agglomeration community ( French: communauté d'agglomération) is a metropolitan government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Enclaved in the southwest of the département there is the Spanish (Catalonia) exclave of Llívia. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Llívia is a town of Cerdanya, province of Gerona, Catalonia, Spain, that forms a Spanish Exclave surrounded by

The territory of the Pyrénées-Orientales divided into "comarques" according to Joan Becat (Atles de Catalunya Nord, 1977). This is a list of the comarques (singular "comarca") of Catalonia ( Spain)

As is common, the present-day arrondissements do not correspond to pre-Revolutionary boundaries. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The arrondissement of Prades (Prada) covers the whole of Haute-Cerdagne (Alta Cerdanya) and Conflent (including Capcir), as well as about a third of Fenolheda (not part of the province of Roussillon). The arrondissement of Prades is an arrondissement of France located in the Pyrénées-Orientales département ( Northern Catalonia French Cerdagne is the northern half of Cerdanya, which came under French control as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern Conflent is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales Capcir is an historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. Fenouillèdes ( Occitan: Fenolhedés/Fenolheda, Catalan: Fenolledès/Fenolleda) is a French comarca and a traditional Occitan The arrondissement of Céret covers the whole of Vallespir but also the Côte Vermeille (Costa Vermella), which was historically under the control of the counts and veguers of Rosselló at Perpinyà (Perpignan). The arrondissement of Céret is an arrondissement of France located in the Pyrénées-Orientales département ( Northern Catalonia Vallespir is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. The Côte Vermeille (Vermilion coast in the Roussillon department of south west France stretches from Argeles-sur-Mer to border village Cerbère, quaint Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative

Catalan writers sometimes speak of the "comarques of Northern Catalonia". This is a list of the comarques (singular "comarca") of Catalonia ( Spain) Unlike the autonomous community of Catalonia, these comarques have no administrative significance, although they usually correspond to a certain historical and geographical unity. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. A commonly used division is that of Joan Becat in his 1977 work Atles de Catalunya Nord, which follows closely the boundaries of the former vegueries except insofar as it promotes the former sotsvegueria of Capcir (177 km², pop. 1532 (1990)) to a full comarca. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology

Languages

Extension of traditionally Catalan speaking municipalities in Pyrénées-Orientales

French is the official language in these municipalities. Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Catalan, in its Northern Catalan variety, is estimated to be spoken by a quarter of the population^[1], but understood by a higher percentage. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Northern Catalan is an Eastern Catalan Dialect mostly spoken in Northern Catalonia, but also extending in the northeast part of Southern Catalonia

Its public usage was forbidden by means of a Louis XIV royal decree in 1700 prohibitting the usage of Catalan language in official documents^[2]. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Then in the 1950s, after centuries of being forbidden in education, Catalan language could be taken 1 hour per week in secondary school. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive In the 1970s, the Arrels Association and la Bressola network of private schools started to offer complete bilingual French/Catalan classes from nursery up to secondary education^[3]. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970.

On December 10, 2007, the General Council of Pyrénées-Orientales officially recognized Catalan as one of the languages of the departement, along French and Occitan language (in Fenouillèdes)^[4], with the goal to further promote it in public life and education. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan

See also

• Language policy in France
• Roussillon - historical county. France has one Official language, the French language. The French government does not regulate the choice of language in publications by individuals but Roussillon ( French: Roussillon, ʀusiˈjɔ̃ Catalan: Rosselló, pronounced; Spanish: Rosellón, pronounced) is
• Sport in Catalonia

References

1. ^ CRUSCAT - El coneixement del català
2. ^ http://www.crdp-montpellier.fr/cd66/artscult/fichesVauban/cdvauban/PERIODES/moyenagetempsmodernes/chateaucollioureinterdictioncatalan.pdf
3. ^ http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/document/catala/an/i5/i5.html
4. ^ Charte en faveur du Catalan

External links

• "Catalunya del Nord" from the Enciclopèdia catalana

Media

• Flaix FM radio station
• Ràdio Arrels radio station
• Catalunya Info radio station
• La Clau magazine in Catalan & French
• Mil Dimonis magazine
• Editorial del Trabucaire publishing house
• Llibreria Catalana Catalan bookstore in Perpinyà (Perpignan)

Associations

• La Bressola – organises primary education in Catalan
• La Porta dels Paisos Catalans
• Aire Nou de Bao

Essays

• Qui som els catalans del nord? (Who are the Northern Catalans?)
• Catalan, Occitan and French toponomy in Northern Catalonia

Miscellaneous sites

• Catalunya-Nord.com
• VilaWeb Catalunya Nord