Geography of Catalonia
| Catalonia | |
.svg) Location of Catalonia within Spain
|
|
| Coordinates | 41°49′N 1°28′E / 41.817°N 1.467°ECoordinates: 41°49′N 1°28′E / 41.817°N 1.467°E |
|---|---|
| Administration | |
 Catalan Republic (unrecognized) |
|
| President | Carles Puigdemont |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Official languages | |
| Currency |
|
| Calling code | +34 93 (Barcelona area) +34 97 (rest of Catalonia) |
 Spain (de jure) |
|
| Autonomous community | Catalonia |
| Capital | Barcelona |
| Spoken languages | |
| Demonym |
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| Area | 32,108 km2 (12,397 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| - 2016 census | 7,522,596 |
| Density | 234/km2 (606/sq mi) |
| Timezone | CEST (UTC+2) |
Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya, Occitan: Catalonha, Spanish: Cataluña) is a region in the northeastern extremity of the Iberian Peninsula. Its constitutional status is the subject of a dispute between the Kingdom of Spain, which views it as an autonomous community within Spain, and the Generalitat de Catalunya, which views it as an independent republic following a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain on 27 October 2017.
Under the Spanish constitution, it is an autonomous community with the designation of a nationality by its Statute of Autonomy.
In the late 8th century, the counties of the March of Gothia and the Hispanic March were established by the Frankish kingdom as feudal vassals across and near the eastern Pyrenees as a defensive barrier against Muslim invasions. The eastern counties of these marches were united under the rule of the Frankish vassal, the count of Barcelona, and were later called Catalonia. In 1137, Catalonia and the Kingdom of Aragon were united by marriage under the Crown of Aragon, and the Principality of Catalonia became the base for the Crown of Aragon's naval power and expansionism in the Mediterranean. In the later Middle Ages, Catalan literature flourished. Between 1469 and 1516, the king of Aragon and the queen of Castile married and ruled their kingdoms together, retaining all their distinct institutions, courts (parliament), and constitutions.
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