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CATALONIA (Cataluna)

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Originally appearing in Volume V05, Page 501 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CATALONIA (Cataluna) , a captaincy-See also:general, and formerly a See also:province of See also:Spain, formerly also a principality of the See also:crown of See also:Aragon; bounded on the N. by the See also:Pyrenees, W. by Aragon, S. by See also:Valencia, and E. by the Mediterranean See also:Sea. Pop. (190o) 1,966,382; See also:area, 12,427 sq. m. . The triangular territory of Catalonia forms the See also:north-eastern corner of the Iberian See also:Peninsula. A full See also:account of the See also:physical features, and of the See also:modern development of See also:commerce, communications, &c., in this area is given in the articles on the four provinces See also:Barcelona, See also:Gerona, See also:Lerida and See also:Tarragona, into which Catalonia was divided in 1833. The See also:coast, which is partly sandy, partly rocky, extends about 240 m.; its See also:chief harbours are those of the See also:capital, Barcelona, of Matar6, of See also:Rosas and of Tarragona. The See also:surface is much broken by spurs of the Pyrenees, the direction of which is generally See also:south. See also:Running south-See also:west to north-See also:east, and See also:united on the north with one of the offsets of the Pyrenees, is the range of the Sierra Llena, which bisects 'Catalonia, and forms its central See also:watershed. The See also:principal See also:rivers are the Ter, the Llobregat, and the See also:Ebro (q.v.), which all run into the Mediterranean. None of them is navigable. The See also:climate, in spite of frequent mists and rains, sudden changes of temperature, and occasional See also:great See also:mid-See also:day See also:heat, is healthy and favourable to vegetation. The See also:dwarf-See also:palm, See also:orange, See also:lime, and See also:olive grow in the warmer tracts; and on the higher grounds the See also:thorn-See also:apple, See also:pomegranate, See also:myrtle, See also:esparto and heaths flourish.

These is much woodland, but meadows and pastures are rare. See also:

Maize, See also:millet, See also:rye, See also:flax, See also:liquorice and fruits of all sorts—especially nuts, almonds, oranges, See also:figs, walnuts and chestnuts—are produced. See also:Wheat sufficient for one-See also:fourth of the See also:population is grown, and the See also:vine is extensively cultivated. Few See also:cattle, but See also:numbers. of See also:sheep, goats and See also:swine are reared. See also:Game is plentiful, and the See also:fisheries on the coast are excellent. The wines are for the most See also:part rough and strong, though some are very See also:good, especially when matured. They are much used to adulterate those of See also:Oporto, or, after undergoing the blending operation termed See also:corn See also:page, are passed off as See also:Bordeaux wines in See also:France. The best of them, priorato, is chiefly known in See also:England, under the disguise of second or third-See also:rate See also:port; it was much used in the military hospitals of See also:America during the See also:Civil See also:War. The Catalonians are a frugal, See also:sharp-witted, and industrious 'See also:people, having much See also:national See also:pride, and a strong revolutionary spirit. They are distinct in origin from the other inhabitants of Spain, from whom they differ in their See also:dialect and See also:costume. In their great See also:energy and their love of enterprise they resemble the See also:Basques. See also:Irrigation, careful husbandry and railroad communications have much See also:developed the resources of their See also:country, in themselves excellent; and there are many manufacturing towns and See also:industrial establishments.

Catalonia was one of the first of the See also:

Roman possessions in Spain, and formed the north-eastern portion of Hispania Tarraconensis. About 470 it was occupied by the Alans and Goths. It was conquered by the See also:Moors in 712, but these invaders were in turn dispossessed by the Spaniards and the troops of See also:Charlemagne in 788. Catalonia was subsequently ruled by See also:French See also:counts, who soon, however, made themselves See also:independent of France. By the See also:marriage of See also:Count See also:Raymond See also:Berenger IV. of Barcelona with Petronilla of Aragon, Catalonia became annexed to Aragon; but this See also:union was frequently severed. In 164o, when See also:Philip IV. attempted to deprive Catalonia of its rights and privileges, it gave itself up to See also:Louis XIII. of France. It was restored to Spain in 1659, and was once more occupied by the French from 1694 to 1697. Under Philip V. Catalonia, in 1714, was deprived of its See also:cortes and liberties. From 18o8 to 1813 it was held by France. It was the See also:scene of civil war in 1823, and of important revolutionary operations in the Carlist See also:wars. The See also:history and literature of Catalonia have been closely studied, and in many cases the results of See also:research are published in the Catalan See also:language.

See Cataluna, See also:

sus monumentos y artes, su naturaleza e historia (2 vols. of the illustrated See also:series Espana), by P. Pifferrer, F. Pi Margall, and A. A. Pijoan (Barcelona, 1884) ; Historia de Cataluna, by V. See also:Balaguer (11 vols., See also:Madrid, 1886, &c.); Historia de Cataluna, by A. Bori y Fontesta (Barcelona, 1898) ; Origines historicos de Cataluna, by J. Balari y Jovany (Barcelona, 1899) Coleccio dels monografias de Catalunya, by J. Reig y Vilardell (Barcelona, 189o) ; Historia del derecho en Catalonia, Mallorca y Valencia, by B. See also:Oliver (Madrid, 1876–188o); and See also:Antigua marina catalana, by F. de Bofarull y Sans (Barcelona, 1898). The Revista catalana (Catalan See also:Review), published at Barcelona from 1889, contains many valuable papers on See also:local affairs. See also SPAIN: sections Language, Literature and History, and BARCELONA.

End of Article: CATALONIA (Cataluna)

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