The concept of the Catalan Countries includes territories of the following sovereign states: |
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| COUNTRY | REGION |
|---|---|
 Spain |
 Aragon (for Western Strip) Balearic Islands Catalonia Murcia (for Carxe).svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Land_of_Valencia_(2x3_ratio).svg.png){kind=small} Valencia |
 France |
 The region called le Pays Catalan (in France) or Catalunya Nord (in Catalonia) in the Pyrénées-Orientales department |
 Italy |
 The city of L'Alguer |
 Andorra |
Catalan is the official language |
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The Catalan term Països Catalans (often translated into English as Catalan Countries) refers to the territories of Catalan language. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official [1]
There is no universal territorial definition of the Països Catalans. It may refer strictly to the territories in which the varieties of Catalan are traditionally spoken, or the entire political entities in which Catalan has some official status, in spite of the fact that those entities include areas where Catalan is not actually spoken (the map to the right covers this latter usage).
Contents |
Different meanings
Països Catalans is a polysemic expression and so it has different meanings depending on the context. Polysemy ( or) (from the Greek πολυσημεία = "multiple meaning" is the capacity for a sign (e These can be roughly classified in two groups: linguistic or political, the political definition of the concept being the widest, since it also encompasses the linguistic side of it.
As a linguistic term, Països Catalans is used in a similar fashion to the English Anglosphere, the French Francophonie, the Portuguese Lusofonia or the Spanish Hispanophonie. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of Anglophone ( English -speaking nations which share historical political and cultural characteristics rooted 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 La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Europe Portugal Portuguese is spoken as a first language in Portugal by 10 The term Hispanophone ( hispanoparlante, hispanohablante or hispanófono, in Spanish) denotes Spanish-speakers and relation to the Spanish-speaking
As a political term it refers to a number of political projects[2] as advocated by Catalan independentism. Catalan independentism is a Political movement which supports the independence of Catalonia from Spain and France, this is usually These, based on the linguistic fact, argue for the existence of a common national identity that would surpass the limits of each territory covered by this concept and would apply also to the remaining ones. These movements advocate for "political collaboration"[3] amongst these territories. This often stands for their union and political independence[4]. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising As a consequence of the opposition these political projects have received –notably in some of the territories described by this concept[5]– some cultural institutions avoid the usage of Països Catalans in some contexts, as a means to prevent any political interpretation; in these cases, equivalent expressions (such as Catalan-speaking countries) or others (such as the linguistic domain of Catalan language) are used instead. [6]
Component Regions
Catalan is spoken in:
- the Spanish autonomous communities of
- Catalonia —even though in the comarca of Val d'Aran Occitan is considered the language proper to that territory—
- the Balearic Islands and
- as Valencian, in the Valencian Community, with the exception of some western comarcas where Spanish is the only language spoken;
- El Carxe, a small Valencian-speaking area in the Spanish autonomous community of Murcia;
- Andorra, a European microstate;
- most of the French department of the Pyrénées-Orientales, also called le Pays Catalan (Catalan Country) in French or Catalunya (del) Nord (Northern Catalonia) in Catalan;
- the Italian city of L'Alguer, in the island of Sardinia, where a variant of Catalan is spoken. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. A comarca (meaning Shire or County, Spanish and Portuguese plural comarcas, Catalan plural The Aran Valley (Era Val d'Aran la Vall d'Aran El Valle de Arán is a small valley (620 Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan The term La Franja ("The Strip" more properly Franja de Aragón or Franja de Poniente "Western Strip" in Spanish) Franja d'Aragó Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. The Balearic Islands ( Catalan and official Illes Balears; Spanish: Islas Baleares) are an Archipelago in the western Mediterranean Valencian ( valencià) is the historical traditional and official name used in the Valencian Community of Spain to refer to the region's native language The Valencian Community ( Valencian and official Comunitat Valenciana; Comunidad Valenciana is an Autonomous community located in central to El Carche ( el Carxe in Valencian) is a mountainous sparsely populated area in Murcia, Spain, lying between the municipalities Jumilla Valencian ( valencià) is the historical traditional and official name used in the Valencian Community of Spain to refer to the region's native language The Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Spanish Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia) is one of Spain 's seventeen autonomous communities Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western The European microstates or ministates are a handful of very small sovereign States on the European Continent and the surrounding islands This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees Pirineus Orientals Pirenèus Orientals is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier In France, a pays is an area whose inhabitants share common geographical economic cultural or social interests who have a right to enter into communal planning Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Alghero ( l'Alguer in Catalan and S'Alighèra in Sardinian) is a town of about 42000 inhabitants (down from 54300 inhabitants since early This is a list of Islands in the Mediterranean Sea: By area By country Croatia Croatian islands Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) Algherese (standard Catalan Alguerès, Algherese Alguerés) is the variant of the Catalan language spoken in the city of Alghero ( L'Alguer
Catalan is the official language of Andorra, co-official with Spanish and Occitan in Catalonia, co-official with Spanish in the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community —with the denomination of Valencian in the latter— and co-official with Italian in the city of L'Alguer. Valencian ( valencià) is the historical traditional and official name used in the Valencian Community of Spain to refer to the region's native language It is also part of the recognized minority languages of Italy along with Sardinian, also spoken in L'Alguer. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Sardinian ( Sardu, Saldu) is after Italian the main language spoken in the island of Sardinia, Italy, remarkable for being the most conservative It is not official in Aragon, Murcia or the Pyrénées-Orientales, even though, recently, the General Council of Pyrénées-Orientales officially recognized Catalan, along with French, as language of the departement, on December 10, 2007[7]. 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.
Trans-regional cultural collaboration
There are several endeavors and collaborations amongst some of the diverse government and cultural institutions involved. One such case is the Ramon Llull Institute, founded in 2002 by the Government of the Balearic Islands and the government of Catalonia. The Ramon Llull Institute (in Catalan: Institut Ramon Llull, IRL) is a Spanish cultural organization constituted in the spring of 2002 by the regional See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Its main objective is to promote Catalan language and culture abroad in all its variants, as well as the works of writers, artists, scientists and researchers of the regions which are part of it. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official While having participated with the government of Andorra—most notably in the Frankfurt Book Fair of 2007—the Institute is nowadays undergoing a process of restructuring in order to formally incorporate it in the organization. Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse is the world's largest Trade fair for Books, based on the number of publishing companies represented [8]. Another relevant example is the Joan Lluís Vives Institute, a collaborative network constituted by universities in the Catalan linguistic domain. The Joan Lluís Vives Institute (in Catalan: Xarxa Vives d'Universitats, XVU) is the network of Catalan language universities
Controversy
The term is controversial because many non-Catalans see the concept of the Països Catalans as regional exceptionalism, counterpoised to a centralizing Spanish and French national identity. A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered Others see it as an attempt by a Catalonia proper centered nationalism to lay a hegemonic claim to Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and the historically Catalan regions in southern France.
In large areas included in the territories designated by some as Països Catalans, Catalan nationalist sentiment is uncommon or nonexistent. In the case of the Valencian Community, Esquerra Repúblicana del País Valencià (ERPV) is the most relevant party explicitly supportive of the idea but, despite participating in elections in a number of Valencian cities, its representation is limited to a total of five city councilors in the municipalities of Sueca, Vall de Laguar, Simat de la Valldigna and Xixona; at the regional level, it has run twice (2003 and 2007) in the regional Parliament election, receiving less than 0. The Valencian Community ( Valencian and official Comunitat Valenciana; Comunidad Valenciana is an Autonomous community located in central to Republican Left of the Valencian Country (Esquerra Republicana del País Valencià ERPV is a historical Valencian left nationalist and republican party founded in 1933 then Sueca is a city in eastern Spain in the Valencian Community. It is situated near the left bank of the river Xúquer. Simat de la Valldigna is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Safor in the Valencian Community, Spain. Jijona (in Spanish) or Xixona (in Valencian) is a town and Municipality in the Land of Valencia on the eastern coast of The Generalitat Valenciana is the generic name covering the different self government institutions under which the Spanish Autonomous community of Valencia is politically 50% of the total votes[9] (other minor political parties supportive of the concept have achieved so far well below results than those of ERPV). This notwithstanding, some of the most vocal defenders or promoters of the Catalan Countries concept (such as Joan Fuster, Josep Guia or Vicent Partal) were Valencian. Joan Fuster i Ortells ( Sueca, Josep Guia i Marín ( Valencia, 1947 is a Valencian writer Mathematics professor of University of Valencia and political activist within Vicent Partal ( Bétera, 1960) is a Valencian Spanish Journalist, founder and manager of Vilaweb.
The subject became very controversial during the politically agitated Spanish Transition in what was to become the Valencian Community, especially in and around the city of Valencia, by the late 70s and early 80s when the Spanish Autonomous Communities system was taking shape, the controversy had reached its height. The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the Dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Various Valencian right wing politicians (originally from Unión de Centro Democrático) fearing what was seen as an annexation attempt from Catalonia, fueled a violent Anti-Catalanist campaign against local supporters of the concept of the Països Catalans, which even included a handful of unsuccessful attacks with explosives against authors perceived as flagships of the concept, such as Joan Fuster or Manuel Sanchis i Guarner. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The Union of the Democratic Centre (Unión de Centro Democrático UCD was a Coalition, and later Political party, in Spain, existing from 1977 Anti-Catalanism is the collective name given to various political attitudes nowadays particularly in Spain, that oppose Catalanism The concept's revival during this period was behind the formation of the fiercely opposed and staunch anti-Catalan blaverist movement, led by Unió Valenciana, which, in turn, significantly diminished during the 90s and the 2000s as the Països Catalans controversy slowly disappeared from the Valencian political arena. Blaverism ( Valencian: blaverisme. Spanish: blaverismo) is a Political movement in the Valencian Community, Spain Unió Valenciana/Unión Valenciana, UV ("Valencian Union" in Valencian and Spanish language respectively is a regionalist Political
This confrontation between politicians from Catalonia and Valencia very much diminished in severity during the course of the late 1980s and, especially, the 1990s as the Valencian Community's regional government became consolidated. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. The Valencian Community ( Valencian and official Comunitat Valenciana; Comunidad Valenciana is an Autonomous community located in central to The Generalitat Valenciana is the generic name covering the different self government institutions under which the Spanish Autonomous community of Valencia is politically Since then, the topic has lost most of its controversial potential, even though occasional clashes may appear from time to time, such as controversies regarding the broadcasting of Catalan television in Valencia —and vice versa— or the usage by Catalan official institutions of terms which are perceived in Valencia as Catalan nationalistic, such as Països Catalans or País Valencià (Valencian Country). TV3 is the name of Catalonia 's first public television channel. Canal 9 (or Canal Nou) is a public Television station in the Valencian Community, Spain.
Legal frame
The Spanish Constitution of 1978 contains a clause forbidding the formation of federations amongst Autonomous Communities [10]. Valencian ( valencià) is the historical traditional and official name used in the Valencian Community of Spain to refer to the region's native language The Constitution of Spain is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Therefore, if the case was that the Països Catalans idea gained a majority democratic support in future elections, a constitutional amendment would still be needed for those parts of the Països Catalans lying in Spain to create a common legal representative body.
Nonetheless, in the addenda to the Constitution there is a clause allowing an exception to this rule in the case of Navarre, which can join the Autonomous community of the Basque Country should the people choose to do so. The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain.
History and evolution of the name. Alternate names
The term Països Catalans was first documented in "Historia del Derecho en Cataluña, Mallorca y Valencia. Código de las Costumbres de Tortosa, I" (History of the Law in Catalonia, Mallorca and Valencia. Code of the Customs of Tortosa , I) written by the Valencian Law historian Bienvenido Oliver i Esteller.
The term was both challenged and reinforced by the use of the term "Occitan Countries" from the Oficina de Relacions Meridionals (Office of Southern relationships) in Barcelona by 1933. Another proposal which enjoyed some popularity during the Renaixença was "Pàtria llemosina" (Llemosine Motherland), proposed by Victor Balaguer as a federation of Catalan-speaking provinces; both these coinages were based on the theory that Catalan is a dialect of Occitan. Víctor Balaguer (1824—1901 Catalan Spanish Politician and author was born at Barcelona on 11 December 1824, and was educated at the university Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan
None of these names reached widespread cultural usage and the term nearly vanished until it was rediscovered, redefined and put in the center of the identitary cultural debate by Valencian writer Joan Fuster. The Valencian Community ( Valencian and official Comunitat Valenciana; Comunidad Valenciana is an Autonomous community located in central to Joan Fuster i Ortells ( Sueca, In his book Nosaltres els valencians (We, the Valencians, published in 1962) a new political interpretation of the concept was introduced; from the original, meaning roughly Catalan speaking territories, Fuster developed a political inference closely associated to Catalan nationalism. Nosaltres els valencians, "We the Valencian" is a historical and political Essay by the Valencian author Joan Fuster, first published in 1962 Catalan Nationalism, or Catalanism (from Catalanisme in Catalan) is a political movement advocating for either further political This new approach would refer to the Catalan Countries as a more or less unitary nation with a shared culture which had been divided by the course of history, but which should logically be politically reunited. Fuster's preference for Països Catalans gained popularity, and previous unsuccessful proposals such as Comunitat Catalànica (Catalanic Community) or Bacàvia [11] (after Balearics-Catalonia-Valencia) diminished in use.
Today the term is politically charged, and tends to be closely associated with Catalan nationalism and Catalan independentism. Catalan Nationalism, or Catalanism (from Catalanisme in Catalan) is a political movement advocating for either further political Catalan independentism is a Political movement which supports the independence of Catalonia from Spain and France, this is usually The idea of uniting these territories in an independent state is supported by a number of political parties, being the most important in terms of representation ERC. The Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya ERC) is a left-wing Catalan independentist political party in Spain campaigning for Other groups with no representation in the relative regional parliaments, such as ERPV, PSAN, Estat Català, CUP also support this idea to a greater or lesser extent. Republican Left of the Valencian Country (Esquerra Republicana del País Valencià ERPV is a historical Valencian left nationalist and republican party founded in 1933 then The Popular Unity Candidatures ( Catalan: Candidatures d'Unitat Popular) are independentist candidatures running in the territorial
- See also Catalan language history
See also
- Gate of the Catalan Countries
- Military history of Catalonia
- Muixeranga, proposed hymn for the Catalan Countries. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official The Gate of the Catalan Countries, a work of the sculptor Emili Armengol, marks the Northern starting location of the Països Catalans ("Catalan Countries" Origins The origins of the military force in Catalonia soar to the 13th century, with the Sagramental, the fraternity among several villages to guarantee their The Muixeranga (mujʃeˈɾaŋɡa or approximately "moo-ee-sheh-rang-gah" is the collective name given to the performance of ancient Street dances and
- Nationalities in Spain
References
- Pere Grau, "El panoccitanisme dels anys trenta: l’intent de construir un projecte comú entre Catalans i occitans". Historically, the modern country of Spain was formed by the accretion of several independent Iberian realms ( Asturias, León, Galicia El contemporani, 14 (gener-maig 1998), p. 29-35.
- Francesc Pérez Moragón, "El valencianisme i el fet dels Països Catalans (1930-1936)", L'Espill, núm. 18 (tardor 1983), p. 57-82.
- Jordi Ventura, "Sobre els precedents del terme Països Catalans", dins Debat sobre els Països Catalans, Barcelona: Curial…, 1977. p. 347-359.
- Enric Prat de la Riba, Greater Catalonia. (Online in Catalan)
- Joan Fuster, Qüestió de noms. (Online in Catalan)
- Josep Guia, "És molt senzill, digueu-li Catalunya", Llibres del segle. Col·lecció "Què us diré", 22. ISBN 978-84-920952-8-5 (Online in Catalan - PDF)
Footnotes and External links
- ^ "The Catalan Countries". Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana. Accessed: 13 February 2008
- ^ The Catalan Countries Project
- ^ Statutes of Valencian Nationalist Bloc
- ^ Political project of Republican Left of Catalonia
- ^ El Gobierno valenciano, indignado por la pancarta de 'països catalans' exhibida en el Camp Nou - españa - elmundo.es
- ^ Ramon Llull Institute official web page
- ^ Charte en faveur du Catalan
- ^ Press note on the agreement between the governments of Andorra, Balears and Catalonia
- ^ Results of the 2007 elections to the Valencian regional Parliament
- ^ the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in English
- ^ Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua
- Catalan Countries in the English version of the Catalan Hiperencyclopedia.
- Lletra. Catalan Literature Online
- The Spirit of Catalonia. 1946 book by Oxford Professor Dr. Josep Trueta
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