Catalonia

The term “Catalan” has come to be associated mainly with residents of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, a region of Spain that has Barcelona as its capital. However, the historical reach and cultural influence of the Catalans is much broader, thanks to the medieval expansion of the Crown of Aragon. Outside Catalonia itself, speakers of varieties of Catalan can be found in Valencia, the Balearic Islands, eastern Aragon, southern France, and even Sardinia. Spain's autonomous communities have significant administrative and legislative powers, but dissatisfaction with the scope of these in the context of Spain's economic crisis, as well as Spain's refusal to treat Catalonia as a sovereign nation, have recently led to a strong growth in support for independence