The Stateless Nation: Catalonia

The stateless nation Catalonia is located in the northern part of Spain. They have a triangle like boarder that touches France. Catalonia stateless nation has many years of history dating back to Before Crist era. They were once rules by kings and now have a president. Catalonians have tried before to have their own nation but been denied, but trying again for independences, November 2015. The physical features of Catalonia are mountains, rocky coast, beaches, and fields for aquaculture. The history of Catalonia started in the early B.C. The Carthaginians and Romans founded Barcelona, and then Romans took over Spain. The politics of Catalonia was once ruled under Franco, but Catalonia was granted independence in 1979, and got to speak Catalan

language once again Catalonia has gone through a lot to be whom they are today.
The Physical characteristic of Catalonia the stateless nation located in northeastern Spain.

Catalonia is made up of four providences Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona. Catalonia territory is “bordered by the Pyrenees on the north, the Mediterranean on the east, and the Ebro River on the west. Slightly larger than the state of Maryland” (Alab). Pyrenees separates Catalonia from France. Pyrenees Mountain range extend on a coast to interior land. There is many rivers that run through the Pyrenees mountain range. The rivers either flow east into the Mediterranean Sea or west to the Ebro River.

Also, more Physical characteristic of the land is that there is four provinces that make up Catalonia; Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona. Catalan has little less than 12,400 square miles of land and has many different terrains. Between the Pyrenees Mountains and Barcelona is Costa Brava, Costa Brava is filled with rocky small beaches, many caves, and a few bays. Near Tarragona just south of Barcelona has “fine sand beaches to the marshy delta of the Ebro and its rich rice fields” (). Catalonia has two mountain ranges Pyrenees Mountain that runs along the coast and a sacred mountains, named

Montserrat.
Last thing about Catalonia physical geography, is that is has very little land to grow crops and not a lot of raw material. The land used for agriculture is at the base of Pyrenees and the west side of Urgell. Catalonian most grown aquiculture is grapes, wheat, and olives. More in the south of Catalonia, they grow sugar beets and rice. Cattle is very important to the Catalonians that live near Pyrenees, and fishing is important by the Mediterranean. Catalonia “even exports fruits, almonds, hazel nuts, rice, wine, and vinegar” (). Catalonia has very little raw material. They have some coal, lead, and salt mines; but potassium compound is most important for their textile industry. Catalonia is one of the richest regions in the Iberian Peninsula, but raw materials is not the way they make money.
Next, I want to talk about is the Catalonian’s history. Catalonia was first founded by the Greek in early B.C., and founded a couple of their cities, Roses and Empúries. The Greeks westernized Catalonia’s culture with their values and beliefs. “During the second Punic War the Carthaginians and Romans disputed the territories”(Oxford dictionary of the middle ages). The Carthaginians and Romans added the cities Tarragone and Barcelona, then Romans stayed to rule Spain and made big impact. In circa 6th century Tarragone and Roses was defeated when they protested against King Leovigild. In 1137 King Ramon Berenguer brought both Kindom of Aragon and Catalonia together under the “under the control of the house of the Barcelona”(Spain), that lasted about 240 years. They named it Crown of Aragon but Catalonia kept their own laws and customs. They still used their roman based language.
Over the next five centuries, the people riots against King Rodrigo ruling and destroyed a lot of the Catalonian’s land.

The Arabs and Byzantines help aid Catalonia before they moved into the “regions of Tortosa, Tarragona, and Lleida became a part of the Muslim world for the next 400 years”(). The Muslim influence was never very strong in parts Catalonia, so the Franks took over Barcelona. The Muslims Moors beginning using the land for farming and built an irrigation systems. After the 400 years the Catholic Monarchs, than pushed the Muslims south, and took over Catalonia region. The crown of Aragon and Catalonia still had separate laws.

Around the 13th centuries When Jaume 1 the Conqueror wanted the the Muslims completely out of out of the south and Mediterranean. That never happened but instead he conquered Mallorca, Ibiza and Valencia. The crown of Argon even moved into Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, and Athens. They were a really powerful military and strong empire out of Barcelona. When Catalonia conqueror Sicily it started a war between the crown of Aragon and French. The Catalan won the war with the defeat of the

French.
In the 1300s Catalona build their first university in Lleida. Around the same time a missionary,physician,and chroniclers help deside what lauguage they will teach in schools. The war in 1357-1357 with Castile was really disastrous to Catalonia, because not only did so many people die in the war, they were exposed to the black death and various plagues. This almost killed off their whole population but Catalans stayed strong and fought through it.
When Catalonia was under the Trastamaran rule, they were in a severe economic crisis. That didn’t help that they had really bad earthquakes for the next few years.The Encomic crisis broke Barcelona into type different groups “Biga, mainly landowners and honoured citzens and Busca representin artisans,craftsmen, and merchants”(). In 1462-1472 a civil war broke out in Catalona between various people living in Catalonia. After the civil war there was many signs that the economy will grow. In the late 18th centery they started trading with Americas, which opened a huge market for textiles. In the 19th centuray the start of the renaissance started the catalan language and culture grew. Arts and architecture started to grow just as well and people were proud to be Catalonians. This was happening around the same time of the industrial revolution.
Next we will talk about Catalonian’s Politics. The main goal of Catalonia of starting their own state politics was to end the Spanish politic corruption and have a strong government. “After the death of Catalonia got granted autonomy in 1979.