Catalonia
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Catalonia is a region in the north-east of Spain recognized as an "Autonomous Community". Over 7 million people live in the region. In Catalonia the people speak their own language, Catalan, but also Spanish . The capital is Barcelona. This city is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and is very popular with tourists. The Olympics Games were there in 1992.
The people of Catalonia have autonomy in Spain. This means they have their own local government, their own police and much control over their region. In September 2005, the Catalan Parliament decided to call Catalonia a 'nation' according to Spanish Constitution which says that Spain is a group of nationalities. Spanish government have not accept it yet. They also have their own culture. It is usually a little bit different from spanish culture.
Catalonia is richer than many other spanish regions. There are a lot of factories and businesses in the cities. The region is also greener than southern Spain, and crops are grown here. The north of Catalonia is less hot than the rest of Spain, and has more hills and trees. In the north of the region is the border with France.