Països Catalans

As Països Catalans [ pəizus kətəlans ] on Ostkatalanisch, [ paizos katalans ] on Westkatalanisch (English Catalan Countries ) distributed over several countries of southern Europe areas are designated where the Catalan language is spoken. Apart from the language they have in common the historical affiliation to the medieval Crown of Aragon. The term and the resulting expressed solidarity of the different territories are disputed.

Scope

The Països Catalans, the following areas are counted:

• In Spain, the Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, Valencia and Balearic Islands, a narrow strip in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Aragon, called Franja de Ponent ( cat. for " western strip " ), and a small region in Murcia with the name El Carxe
• France in the département of Pyrénées Orientales, from Catalan perspective Catalunya del Nord ( " Northern Catalonia " )
• Italy in the Sardinian town of Alghero ( cat. L' Alguer )
• The Principality of Andorra

Political controversies

In the scientific and partly also in everyday parlance, the term is only used to express the justified by common language and history of cultural affinities of the different " countries". However, some Catalan nationalists aim to bring together all Països Catalans in their own independent state. For this reason and due to fears that claim to leadership in Catalonia, the term comes mainly in the region of Valencia and the Balearic Islands on rejection.

At issue is also the affiliation not katalanischsprachiger areas. This relates mainly to the Aran Valley in the extreme northwest of Catalonia with its own language Aranese, a variant of Gascon or the Occitan, which is also Occitan - speaking Fenouillèdes in the French Département of Pyrénées- Orientales and the Spanish-speaking west of the Valencia region. Due to its historical affiliation with the Principality of Catalonia and the Kingdom of Valencia within the Crown of Aragon, they are often still counted among the Països Catalans. This mixing of linguistic and historical boundaries is interpreted by opponents as expansionist.

In the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the name of the official side is used frequently, such as street names ( Carrer dels Països Catalans ). The weather forecast of the public Catalan broadcasting and most Catalan dailies refers to the totality of the Països Catalans.