INTRODUCCION• The capital of Catalonia is Barcelona. With

ample beaches and mild climate, the first touristical attraction. One shouldn't forget is that Catalonia offers as well high mountain ranges, the Pyrenees in the north, the curious formations of Montserrat, the inactive volcans of Garrotxa,all the buildings that the romans leave in Tarragona and Empuries.

• Is distinguished of most other Spanish regions in several aspects, not at least by their languages, Catalonian and Aranese, although everybody speaks and understands Spanish perfectly.

• Everywhere you will combine the beauty of nature or monuments with modern attractions, a main reason why Catalonia developed into one of the preferred touristical destinations.

WHAT IS CATALONIA?• The capital city is Barcelona. Catalonia is divided

into four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its territory corresponds to most of the historical territory of the former Principality of Catalonia.

• Is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,210,508, (which immigrants represent 12.3%). It borders France and Andorra to the north, the Valencian Community to the south, Aragon to the west,, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east.

• Catalonia ocupies a 6,3% the all the extension of Spain.

• The official flag of Catalonia is yellow with four red bars the version of this legend explain that Guifré el Pelós, drew the bars during the conquest, a war drawing them in a golden shield.

• It has been and is an important maritime region, though subordinate to the Crown of Aragón when it was at the height of its influence. Nowadays, it is one of the more prosperous regions of Spain and has far greater influence in Spanish and European affairs than you would expect for its size or its population, a mere 7 million.

CATALAN. A few of history• Catalan (Català) is a Romance language understood by as many as 12

million people in portions of Spain, France, Andorra and Italy, and spoken by more than 7 millions. Most of the active speakers are in Spain and especially in Catalonia.

• By the end of the 10th century Catalan was already a fully-formed language, clearly distinguishable from its Latin origins. It appeared for the first time in written documents in the second half of the 12th century (a charter and six sermons); the Homilies of Organyà, written in the late 12th or early 13th centuries, is the first extant text written originally in Catalan. Catalan poetry flourished from the 13th century, before which time Catalan poets wrote in Provençal (Occitan). The first poet that started to write was Ausiàs ;arch. And Ramon Llull the first who started to write their books in Catalan. Both are very important for our culture.

GASTRONOMY• Catalonia has a very marked culture of its own, most evidently of

Mediterranean tradition, and Certainly it is one of the most important places in Spain, it’s long tradition of international commerce.Certainly it is one of the most cosmopolitan places in Spain, thanks to its long tradition of international commerce.

• It’s impossible to resist the temptations of tapas, those miniature offering of Spanish cuisine, best enjoyed with a glass in hand. Like boquerones (anchovies in vinegar), chipirones (small squid) and croquetas (Iberian ham croquettes in béchamel sauce).

• The most important markets in Spain are: Boqueria market, Santa Caterina market (Barcelona) there are another's but are occasionally. The stands are terrific, a mosaic of green, red, yellow and orange- mountains of fruit. You can find a lot of traditional food and drinks, jamónes ibéricos, chorizos, shellfish…

• Catalonia's excellent gastronomy is characterized by seafood, rice dishes,( paella and others) wines of great international reputation, also cava it’s like champagne and traditional desserts like the famous "Catalonian Cream".

• Most dishes are combined with a piece of bread smeared with tomato olive oil and salt. Combine this with ham, cheese…is a very traditional Catalan dish.

CULTURE AND ART • Catalonia has an original and interesting past as

far as it concerns to culture, however the present is probably one of the most active periods in history. During centuries catalonia has been the gate to cultural manifestations for the whole Iberian peninsula.

• From the Romanesque pintures trough the years our culture is very rich. And we stress someone's:

• Painting and sculpture have also been very important during the last century with, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró , Antoni Tapies… The best of know all of that is visit MNAC, the greatest museum of art in Catalonia.

• Design is the new area in which Catalonia is focused. During the Barcelona Olympic Games previous years the country started out a new period and Barcelona became a city known worldwide allowing Catalan design to become the next national culture challenge for the country.

• Architecture, with the little Romanesque churches in the Pyrenees. The Renaissance period with its baroque and neo-Classical. But especially the Modernisme, the national art of catalonia with architects like Antoni Gaudi and others.

• The most important artists:

• Salvador Dali: is of course the museum dedicated to the artist.Situated in Figueres.

• Gaudí: (sculptor) Art Nouveau Catalan style- are as spectacular as ever. True sculptures in their own right, their undulating facades seem to have been carved directly in stone. The strange chimneys look like mushrooms. Exhibition centre and concert venue. He also built all the Gaudi Pack.

• Pablo Picasso: In Barcelona there are a museum Picasso.

• If you visit Barcelona, the best is: the narrow streets, El Born, Barri Gòtic or el Raval districts. Where you can find all the modern arquitecture: buildings, houses, the streets… In special the cathedrals : “Catedral del Mar”, “Catedral of Barcelona”. Another cathedral very important is “La Sagrada Família”.

• Barcelona have important buildins makes for important architects Jean Nouvel (Torre Agbar), Santiago calatrava (communication tower), 'Arata Isozaki (Palau Sant Jordi), these are the new skyline of Barcelona.

TRADITIONS• Castellers: Castles, spectacular human towers. Six tiers is considered child's play,

nine is not uncommon. Competitions are held, and the real fun comes when they have to get down.

• Sant Jordi: St. George’s day, the day of the book. In this day the men gives a rose to the women and the women gives a book to the men.

• Sardanes: is the Catalan national folk dance and music, though originally only from the north of the region. It is a circle dance, popular since at least the 16th century. Its music usually by a sardana band called a cobla (which apparently involves 11 musicians playing 12 instruments,

• Tots Sants/Castanyada: It’s Halloween, but here we celebrated different, we go to the cemetery, to visit our kill family, also we eat chestnuts and “panallets”, a little ball sweet.

• La Patum :a popular and traditional festival that is celebrated each year in the Catalan city of Berga during the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. It consists of several performances of mystical and symbolical figures that dance at the rhythm of a big drum and vivid music.

• Carnestoltes: A carnival, events are usually during February and March. Carnival typically involves a public celebration where people often dress up or masquerade during the celebration.

• Correfocs: Firework processions with monstrous figures, particularly devils. • Tió de nadal: a character in Catalan mythology relating to a Christmas tradition

widespread in Catalonia. It’s a a dead piece of wood. n Christmas Eve, one puts the tió partly into the fireplace and orders it to "poop" in particularly presents.

• Diada Nacional: Is the official of Catalonia, in 1714 we lost the war against France.

MUSIC• Opera: has been very important in catalonia. El Teatre

del Liceu in Barcelona is a well know opera house worldwide and the real home for Catalan voices such as Francesc Vinyas, Montserrat Caballé, or Josep Carreras among others.

• Classic music: Pau Casals, a member of the Catalan opposition to Franco's regime and a renowned pacifist, pianists such as Ricard Vinyes or Alícia de Larrocha, and musicologist Jordi Savall, amongst many others, are the best ambassadors of catalan classic music during the last century.

• Popular music: We can't forget the great composers of sardanes, Catalonia 's national dance, such as Pep Ventura or Juli Garreta, Anselm Clavé and prestigious institutions such as the Orfeó Català.

• During the last decades musicians in other stiles such as Tete Montoliu and Jordi Rossy in jazz, Raimon, Joan Manuel Serrat, Lluís Llach or Maria del Mar Bonet amongst the singer-songwriters, Peretan gato Perez the leading exponents of Catalan rumba.

• Pau Casals in Catalonia• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KVX6fKxojk

GEOGRAPHY• The geography of Catalonia is divided in three parts: the mountains, the interior and the coast.

• Mountains: To the north the Pyrenees offer year-round sport facilities for skiers and hikers. skirting crystal clear lakes and mountain ranges, such as the extinct volcanic parklands around Olot, and further south, the stone spires of legendary Montserrat - a mountain range so unique it has been declared a conservation area by UNESCO .

• Interior: the mountains give way to Catalonia's fertile interior, with hillsides of vineyards and fields interrupted by ridges.

• Coast: the southwest, the land becomes flatter and more arid. Thanks to a irrigation from the Ebro river this sun-baked region produces excellent wine, olive oil, and fruit.the most important beaches are the Costa Brava ( Brava coast), Costa Daurada (Golden Coast)…

• Catalonia is excellent, and along with the land's topographical diversity, one should keep in mind that cultural traditions, architecture, as well as gastronomy, differ from region to region.

TOURISM• Visitors generally only see a part of the real Catalonia: a seaside area, a ski resort, a

modern but historical city like Barcelona. There is nothing wrong with that, they are all good reasons to visit the region, Catalans have the reputation of being hard-working and money-loving, not necessarily in that order.

• The coast, is very touristic, where you can go, building sand castles, surfing or playing volleyball by the other hand if you want to relax is better to sunbathe, swim,… offers all of water sports, but also in the mountain you can do others activities, for example danger sports. Is very typical to rend a rural house.

ADVENTURE PARKS• Tibidabo: take the funicular enjoy the view from the

Tibidabo, far from atop the Tibidabo, opened in 1908, has welcomed generation of Barcelona’s kids, there are still no video games. The park includes merry-porounds, automations, wooden horses, a Ferris. There are panoramic view of the city is breathtaking.

• Port Aventura: another park near Tarragona with a lot of roller coasters, wooden horses, automatons… at the top of the free fall you can see a panoramic view of the beach is breathtaking.

BLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.telefonica.net/web2/catalannation/general.htm

• http://spainforvisitors.com/sections/catalonia.htm• http://www.villasbarcelona.com/travelguide/geo.php• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia• http://www.red2000.com/spain/region/r-catal.html• A report of a magazine “10 reasons to visit Barcelona).• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditions_of_Catalonia

THE END

ANA BUENO AND MERCÈ GRAU.