Catalans

The Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: catalans; Italian: catalani; Spanish: catalanes) are a Romance ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia, who form a nationality in northern Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France (known in Catalonia proper as Catalunya Nord and in France as the Pays Catalan) are included in this definition. Also, Catalan is sometimes used to define people from Catalan Countries, which include other areas where the Catalan language is spoken.

Extended concept

The other Catalan-speaking people, namely people from Andorra, Valencia, the Balearic islands, eastern Aragon, and the city of Alghero in Sardinia, are sometimes identified as a collective, distinct ethnic group. The aforementioned territories are often designated Països Catalans, "Catalan Countries", by Catalan nationalists.

Historical background

Catalonia

Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya, Occitan: Catalonha, Spanish: Cataluña) is an autonomous community of Spain politically designated as a nationality. Catalonia consists of four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. The capital and largest city is Barcelona, the second-largest city in Spain and the centre of one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe and the Mediterranean basin.

Catalonia comprises most of the territory of the former Principality of Catalonia, with the remainder now part of France's Pyrénées-Orientales. It is bordered by France and Andorra to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, and the Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon to the west and Valencia to the south. The official languages are Catalan, Spanish, and the Aranese dialect of Occitan.

Spain

Coordinates: 40°N 4°W / 40°N 4°W / 40; -4

Spain (ⁱ/ˈspeɪn/; Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa]), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state largely located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, with archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and several small territories on and near the north African coast. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Along with France and Morocco, it is one of only three countries to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Extending to 1,214 km (754 mi), the Portugal–Spain border is the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union.

Spanish territory includes two archipelagos: the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast. It also includes two major exclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, in continental North Africa; and the islands and peñones (rocks) of Alborán, Alhucemas, Chafarinas and Vélez de la Gomera. With an area of 505,990 km² (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in Europe. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة‎ al-ǧazīrah IPA: [æl dʒæˈziːrɐ], literally "The Peninsula", referring to the Arabian Peninsula), also known as JSC (Jazeera Satellite Channel), is a Doha-based state-funded broadcaster owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network, which is partly funded by the House of Thani, the ruling family of Qatar. Initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel, Al Jazeera has since expanded into a network with several outlets, including the Internet and specialty TV channels in multiple languages.

Al Jazeera is among the largest news organizations with 80 bureaus around the world. Al Jazeera is owned by the government of Qatar. While Al Jazeera officials have stated that they are editorially independent from the government of Qatar, this assertion has been disputed.

The original Al Jazeera channel's willingness to broadcast dissenting views, for example on call-in shows, created controversies in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. The station gained worldwide attention following the outbreak of war in Afghanistan, when it was the only channel to cover the war live, from its office there.

Carles Puigdemont

Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkarɫəs pudʒðəˈmon i kəzəməˈʒo]) (Amer, 29 December 1962) is a politician and former journalist from Catalonia. He is the current President of the Generalitat of Catalonia. He became the 130th President of the Generalitat of Catalonia thanks to an agreement between Junts pel Sí and CUP. He is also a member of the Parliament of Catalonia and the former mayor of Girona.

Life and education

Puigdemont was born in Amer (Province of Girona) on December 29, 1962, and he currently lives in Girona with his wife and two children. He started studying for a degree in Catalan philology at the University College of Girona, but never graduated. His professional profile is that of a journalist. He was the editor-in-chief of El Punt, the director of Agència Catalana de Notícies, and the director of the newspaper Catalonia Today, which offers news about Catalonia in English. He is a member of the Catalan journalists' association, and has published several books, such as Cata… què? Catalunya vista per la premsa internacional [Catalonia as seen by the foreign press] (1994) and several essays about communication and new technologies.