Catalonia is an autonomous region located in Spain. Its capital is located in Barcelona. Historically, nationalist sentiments were strong in this region. Repeatedly, the Catalans have already tried to declare their independence. At the moment, they were able to achieve a certain autonomy, but Spain refuses to recognize them as a separate state.
Background
Catalonia is a region whose desire to secede and gain official independence has been spoken very often lately. Currently, this is perhaps the most massive separatist movement on the entire European continent.
Initially, Catalonia is an area inhabited by Iberians. They moved here from North Africa. In the II century BC, Barcelona flourished under the rule of the Romans.
In the VIII century, the Moors invaded Spain. Under their onslaught, Barcelona also fell. Only the Carolingians were able to oust the Moors from Catalonia.
In 1871, Catalonia tried to disconnect from Spain, but as a result of negotiations, the region decided to remain part of the kingdom.
The next time independence tried to proclaim the parliament of Catalonia in the 1930s. But the republican government recognized these attempts as illegal, the instigators were arrested.
In 1979, Catalonia received autonomous status. This meant that the Catalan language was recognized in the region. From now on, autonomy could have had its own government, which in fact was included in the Spanish state system of constitutional monarchy.
The government is sitting in Barcelona. It considers itself the successor to the Cortes meetings, which existed in the middle of the 14th century. Currently runs Catalonia Carles Puigdemon.
In 2006, the autonomous status of the region was expanded. He received relative financial independence.
Independence movement
At the same time, the political movement for the independence of Catalonia was extremely popular. Its activists argue that the Catalan nation is culturally and historically isolated, and therefore must achieve full sovereignty.
Currently, Catalan separatism is compared only to Scottish, in scale and popularity.
Despite previous failures, the Catalan Independence Movement in 2009 and 2010 organized sovereignty referenda, which were held in a survey format. Then about 90% of fellow citizens spoke for independence. In 2012, the Independence March was held, in which about one and a half million people took part.
In 2012, only supporters of the sovereignty of Catalonia won the regional elections. By 2014, a referendum on separation from Spain was being prepared. The Spanish government, in turn, insisted that this referendum should not be held. As a result of negotiations, he was frozen. Instead, they conducted a survey on the political future of autonomy, which had no legal force. About 80% of those polled spoke for independence.
In 2015, as a result of early parliamentary elections in Catalonia, the coalition won under the original name “Together for Yes.” Together with the “Candidates for Popular Unity”, who also gained a lot of votes, they adopted a document initiating the formation of an independent state.
At the end of the year, the regional parliament voted to secede from Spain. The Constitutional Court of Spain declared this decision null and void.
Barcelona
Barcelona in Catalonia is the capital and largest city. Also called the province of the same name. Two official languages are officially recognized here - Spanish and Catalan.
Barcelona (Catalonia) has a highly developed economy. It is worth noting that this city was one of the first areas of continental Europe, from which industrialization began to develop. As in many other places, everything here also began with the textile industry. This was on the eve of the 19th century. By the middle of this century, the capital of Catalonia was already a major center of engineering and textile industry. Then industrial production began to play an important role in the development of all of Barcelona.
Currently, the main areas of production remain the chemical, automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and electronic industries. In the capital of Catalonia, there are large car assembly plants.
Cities of autonomy
Not only Barcelona is considered a significant settlement here. Key cities in Catalonia also include Tarragona. Here is one of the largest Spanish ports. The population is about 140 thousand.
Another important city of Catalonia is Lleida. About 140 thousand people also live here, the Reconquista festival is held annually. This is a colorful carnival that dates back to the Middle Ages. It is dedicated to the victory of Christians over the Moors who owned Catalonia.
About 100 thousand people live in Girona. This city is famous for its almost completely preserved medieval architecture, which attracts thousands of tourists here annually.
Manresa is the industrial center of Catalonia. It is here that the glass, metallurgical and textile industries are developing. About 75 thousand people live.
An important transport center of autonomy is located in Sabadell. Two international highways converge here, as well as several highways leading to Spanish cities. More than 200 thousand people live in Sabadell.
Catalonia population
In total, about 7 and a half million people live in Catalonia. About a third of them are ethnic Catalans. They primarily speak Catalan, and speak Spanish as a second.
Spaniards predominate among the rest of the population. There are about 45% of them. These are residents of Murcia, Andalusia and Extremadura. Most of them moved to Catalonia in the last 10-15 years. More than 10% of foreigners. These are mainly from Latin America.
Currently, the population density of Catalonia is the highest in Spain. 225 people per square kilometer in Catalonia itself and two thousand people per square kilometer in Barcelona.
Catalan
Ethnic Catalans speak Catalan. He belongs to a romance group. At the same time, he has much in common with the Spanish language, but nevertheless, his closest relative is Provencal, widespread in the south of France.
The Catalan language was first used in the XII century. Together with Spanish, the Catalan language is recognized as the state language in autonomy. At the same time, teaching in schools and universities is conducted exclusively in the Catalan language.
Independence referendum
Despite the active resistance of the official Spanish authorities, a referendum in Catalonia was held on October 1, 2017.
To prevent the vote, Spain sent three law enforcement ferries to Catalonia. The Attorney General of the Autonomy ordered the local police to go under the direct subordination of the Civil Guard. With their help, evidence was gathered of the illegitimacy of the referendum, as well as Spanish authorities tried to disrupt it.
Participants were detained and beaten. Entrance to many polling stations was blocked. The ballots and ballot box in which they were already lowered were seized.
Referendum results
But the referendum in Catalonia still took place. The autonomy government said that more than two million 200 thousand people out of five million 300 thousand inhabitants of Catalonia were able to express their citizenship. Thus, the turnout at polling stations was 43%.
A little more than two million people cast their votes for independence, which amounted to more than 90% of the number of voters. Against there were 177 thousand people. This is less than 8% of the number of voters who came to the polls.
The consequences of the referendum
The head of Catalonia, Puigdemon, the day after the referendum, announced that in order to cope with the differences, the participation of third forces is necessary. Only they are able to resolve the conflict between Madrid and Barcelona.
Opponents of the separation insist that independence would mean an automatic exit from the European Union and a rejection of the euro. And because of this, serious economic problems will arise.
On October 10, 2017, an official speech was held in the Parliament of Carles Puchdemon. On the same day, he signed a document of independence. Later, his action was suspended to resume negotiations with Madrid.
How the situation will develop in the future is not yet clear. For example, the head of the press service of the chairman of the Spanish government, Mariano Rajoy, threatened Puigdemona that he would end up the same way as the Catalan leader Luis Companis. He was killed by the Francoists in 1940.