Catalonia is located in the extreme eastern part of the Iberian peninsula. It covers an area of approximately 2,397 square miles. As of 2016, the region had a population of around 7.5 million people and a population density of 610 per square mile. A nationality is considered with the right to self-government. It consists of four provinces; Tarragona, Lleida, Barcelona, Girona. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain after Madrid. Catalonia borders Andorra and France to the north, Valencia to the south, the Mediterranean Sea to the east and Aragon, another autonomous region of Spain, to the west. On Sunday, 1, 2017, Catalonia voted to overcome the pain through a referendum. Ninety percent of the voters voted to declare the independence in a referendum marked by violence after Spanish law enforcement officers came to the electors with the intention of preventing the referendum. Approximately 2.26 million votes were counted representing 42.6 percent of the electorate, although the polls were confiscated by the police.
The history of Catalonia
Catalonia was an autonomous region of the Iberian peninsula between Portugal and modern Spain. The region is known for having its language, its uses and its laws. Its history dates back to the mid-12th century, when the Earl of Barcelona Ramón Berenguer IV married Petronilia, queen of Aragon and formed a dynasty that covered Aragon and Catalonia which was succeeded by their son. The dynasty lasted until 1707 when the Spanish Succession War ended in the defeat of Valencia and Catalonia. In 1715 several islands were annexed and modern Spain was born. Several attempts to impose the Spanish language on the Catalans failed and the attempt was abandoned in 1931. In 1938, the Spanish general, Francisco Franco promised to destroy Catalan separatism when he took control of the Catalan region during the Battle of Ebro. Francisco Franco killed 3,500 people and forced thousands to flee into exile. In 1977, democracy was setting foot in Spain and Catalonia achieved a certain degree of autonomy. In July 2010, the Constitutional Court in the Spanish capital Madrid canceled the autonomy statute issued in 2006 and stated that there was no basis for recognizing Catalonia as an independent state. The economic situation in Spain has also led to magnifying the demands of Catalan independence as the rich region is seen as a supporter of the other parts of Spain. democracy was setting foot in Spain and Catalonia gained a certain degree of autonomy. In July 2010, the Constitutional Court in the Spanish capital Madrid canceled the autonomy statute issued in 2006 and stated that there was no basis for recognizing Catalonia as an independent state. The economic situation in Spain has also led to magnifying the demands of Catalan independence as the rich region is seen as a supporter of the other parts of Spain. democracy was setting foot in Spain and Catalonia gained a certain degree of autonomy. In July 2010, the Constitutional Court in the Spanish capital Madrid canceled the autonomy statute issued in 2006 and stated that there was no basis for recognizing Catalonia as an independent state. The economic situation in Spain has also led to magnifying the demands of Catalan independence as the rich region is seen as a supporter of the other parts of Spain.
The Catalan referendum
Catalonia has a functioning government with a president, an executive and legislative power. In October 1st, 2017, the region held a referendum to separate itself from Spain. The referendum was marred by chaos when the Spanish constitutional court declared the trial unconstitutional and the police raided the polling stations in order to stop the voting process. The president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, declared that the region was separating from Spain. The Spanish government has taken a hard line despite criticism from European countries. His police raided and destroyed political offices while the Spanish government declared that it could suspend the autonomy of Catalonia.
