Catalan Countries

See also: Catalan (homonymy)

The term Catalan countries (Catalan: Països Catalans) indicates the concept of only one Nation which would include all the territories where one speaks the Catalan Langue. This concept appeared for the first time at the end of the 19th century and later was popularized by the Valencian author in his book (" Us, Valenciens") (1962).

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

The Catalan countries are sometimes mentioned like pi of the very branques (the pine with the three branches, as a Catalan) because their territory can be divided into three parts:

Thus, a popular saying defines the Catalan Countries Salses in Guardamar and of Fraga in Maó .

This territory does not coincide exactly with the places where the Catalan is the native language. For example, in the area of the North-West of Catalonia known under the name of the Valley of Aran, a dialect of Occitan, the Aranais, is spoken and considered native language, although the Spanish and the Catalan are also spoken there. In certain Western areas and south-west of Valence, only Spanish is spoken. However, there are also some places catalanophones apart from the Catalan countries, such as El Carche with Murcia and the town of Alghero (Catalan: Alguer) on the island of the Sardinia.

Some also employ this term on level more specifically cultural rather than for its political significance, in order to little close analog with the Francophonie. In this case, the places previously quoted are also included in this definition.

The flag which symbolizes the cultural and political unit Catalan countries is the Estelada.

External bonds

  • Associazione italiana di studi catalani
  • Catalan countries
  • Chart of the Catalan countries

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