Catalan Countries

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The term Catalan Countries (Catalan: Països Catalans) refers to the concept of a nation including all territories where the Catalan language is spoken. This concept first appeared at the end of XIX century and later was popularized by the Valencian writer Joan Fuster, in his book Nosaltres els valencians ("We, the Valencians") (1962) with a very strong sense of Catalan identity.

Related Topics:
Catalan - Nation - Valencian - Joan Fuster - Nosaltres els valencians

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The term is politically charged, and tends to be closely associated with Catalan nationalism.

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The popular saying defines the Catalan Countries as from Salses to Guardamar and from Fraga to Maó. Thus the Catalan Countries include

Related Topics:
Salses - Guardamar - Fraga - Maó

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• Andorra in the Pyrenees
• Inside the current territory of Spain:
• the Balearic Islands (Catalan: Illes Balears)
• the Autonomous Community of Catalonia (usually referred to only as Catalunya)
• an adjacent area of Aragon (informally referred to as la Franja de Ponent)
• Valencia (Catalan: País Valencià or València)
• Inside the current territory of France:
• Northern Catalonia (Catalan: La Catalunya Nord)

This territory does not coincide exactly with the places where Catalan is the native language. For example, in the north-western region of Catalonia known as Val d'Aran, a dialect of Occitan, Aranese, is spoken and considered the native language, although Spanish and Catalan are also spoken. In western and south-western areas of Valencia, only Spanish is spoken. However, there are also some Catalan-speaking places outside the Catalan Countries, such as El Carche in Murcia and the city of Alghero (L'Alguer) on the island of Sardinia.

Related Topics:
Catalan - Val d'Aran - Occitan - Aranese - Spanish - El Carche - Murcia - Alghero - Sardinia

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The Catalan Countries are sometimes referred to as el pi de les tres branques (the three-branched pine, in Catalan) for its territory can be roughly divided in three parts:

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• The former kingdom of Majorca
• The former kingdom of Valencia
• The former Catalonia, comprising Roussillon, the Franja de Ponent, and the current Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
 
Catalan Countries: See also: ►