Catalonia: what’s good to know
The Kingdom of Spain has seventeen autonomous communities and one of the most eminent is Catalonia (Spanish: Cataluña)
This area covers more than 32 thousand square kilometers of Spain and has a population of more than 7.5 million people. Barcelona is its capital city and it lies between France and Andora; Mediterranean Sea and Valencian Community.
It is a multilingual region and the official spoken languages are Spanish, Aranese and Catalan. Catalonia got its name in the 12th century and it is derived from the Spanish word Catalunya which roughly means “Land of Castles”.
Catalonia – land of Contrasts
The climate of Catalonia is very contradictory in its own way. On the coast (Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona) the climate is Mediterranean. The Alpine climate in its harshest form dominates the Pyrenean mountains.
Furthermore, it is not strange that Barcelona has hot breezes during summer periods while winters are very cold, especially in the mountain regions. The more central part of Catalonia is hotter in the summer than the borders due to the very consistent inverse air pressure on that side of the peninsula.
Catalonia has a colorful history. This beautiful region was first found and colonized by the ancient Greeks and Carthaginians. After Punic war, Catalonia came under Visigoth rule for centuries. Wars were fought around the peninsula, when around 1440 king Aragon I claimed the crown. Later the area got its name and was known as Catalonia since then.
Catalonia today
The main point of interest in Catalonia is surely Barcelona. It is the most populous city among all the autonomous communities and the whole of Spain after Madrid. This Capital stands as a global city due to its importance in education, politics, media, entertainment, education, etc.
Founded as a Roman province, Catalonia has many historical, habitual, cultural and educational values. Barcelona (as the capital of Catalonia) houses the Catalan government, the Catalonian parliament and the Supreme Court of Catalonia.
Catalonia is the place for many visitors and tourists as it has to offer a lot in terms of hospitality and heritage along the vast majority of popular hotels and resorts
Major attractions apart from Barcelona city are Costa Brava (the famous coast of Spain) and Costa Dorada, known as the Golden Coast. It stretches from Costa Brava to Terragona and is full of sandy beaches and very pretty landscapes along with small cities of great cultural value. Last but not the least there is Lleida. It is an inland mountain region famous for Cathedral Seo, which was built in the 12th century.