plik

Title

World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Spain : Catalans

Publisher

Publication Date

2008

Cite as

Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Spain : Catalans, 2008, available at:
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/49749caac.html [accessed 3 September 2010]

World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Spain :

Catalans

Profile

Catalonia is in north-east Spain. The language of the region, Catalan, is closer to
Provençal than to Castilian Spanish, which itself is mutually intelligible with
Catalan, and its variants are spoken throughout the north-east, on the Balearic
Islands (Mallorquí, Menorquí and Eivissenc, as Catalan is known by its speakers in
this territory), in parts of Aragon, and in Andorra, France and Sardinia.

In  2003,  according  to  Catalan  regional  government  statistics,  there  were  2.2
million people for whom Catalan is the first language, 40.4 per cent of the 5.47
million Catalan population aged 15 years and over. Of these, 1.2 million were in
the  metropolitan  areas.  There  were  2.7  million  Catalans  who  used  the  language
every  day  (50.1  per  cent).  According  to  the  2001  Census  there  were  504,349
Catalan-speakers  in  the  Balearic  Islands,  out  of  733,466  who  understood  the
language,  and  a  further  45,000  speakers  out  of  47,250  who  understood  the
language in Aragon.

Catalans  have  a  tradition  of  strongly  held  regionalism.  On  11  September  every
year  they  commemorate  the  1714  siege  of  Barcelona  by  the  Bourbon  monarchy,
which  led  to  the  loss  of  Catalan  self-rule.  A  nationalist  movement  arose  in  the
nineteenth  century  as  Catalonia  became  increasingly  industrialized  and
prosperous. It remains today one of Spain's wealthier regions.

Historical context

The oldest text written entirely in Catalan dates from around 1131. As part of the
Kingdom  of  Aragon  and  Catalonia,  Catalonia  became  a  major  sea  power  and
trading  centre.  The  Corts  (parliament)  of  church  leaders,  trading  families  and
craftsmen set some limits on the King's power. In the thirteenth century Catalonia
expanded  its  territory  to  include  Valencia  and  the  Balearic  Islands,  and  in  the
fourteenth century Sardinia and Sicily.

From 1516, when the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile were united, use of the
Catalan language began to decline. After backing the losing side in the War of the
Spanish Succession, Catalonia's political institutions were closed and military rule
imposed by the new King Philip V in 1714. The Catalan language was replaced by
Castilian Spanish in public administration, laws and commerce. It was revived as a
cultural, political and scientific language as Catalonia industrialized in the latter
half of the nineteenth century. Catalonia became and remains the leading
industrial centre of Spain.

The Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC), set up in Barcelona in 1907, codified Catalan
and published authoritative spelling standards, dictionaries and a grammar
between 1913 and 1918. The Catalan variants of the Balearic Islands, Aragon and
Valencia were taken into account. The major dictionary was completed in the
1960s.

Catalonia  was  granted  autonomy  by  the  Second  Republic  in  1931  but  this  was
short-lived. Autonomy for the Balearics was considered but not put into practice.
During the Civil War, Catalans supported the Republicans and fiercely opposed the
centralizing  nationalism  represented  by  General  Francisco  Franco.  Following  the
Nationalist victory in 1939 the Catalan autonomous government was abolished, its
leader  was  shot;  regionally  based  political  parties  were  outlawed;  economic
sanctions were applied, and public use of the Catalan language and expressions of
Catalan  culture  were  banned.  Official  policy  was  partially  relaxed  during  the
1950s,  and  Catalans  came  to  the  fore  in  resistance  to  Franco's  dictatorship,
although generally rejecting the violence of the Basque struggle.

In the Balearic Islands, despite the imposition of Castilian Spanish by the central
government, Catalan was the only language of social communication until tourism
became the leading economic sector from the 1950s and brought with it an influx
of Spanish-speaking immigrants.

The  1979  Statute  of  Autonomy  revived  the  Generalitat  de  Cataluña  with  wide
powers  of  local  government,  including  full  control  over  education,  and  Catalan
became  an  official  language  together  with  Castilian.  The  Spanish  government
recognized Catalonia as a nationality. A new statute of autonomy was adopted in
August 2006 recognizing Catalonia as a nation.

In 1983 the Language Standardization Act was passed, with the aim of encouraging
the  use  of  Catalán  in  all  areas  of  life,  including  public  administration,  court
procedures and education. Organic Law 6/1985 on Judicial Powers further defines
the  legal  status  of  Catalan  in  the  courts.  The  Consorci  per  a  la  Normalització
Lingüistica  was  set  up  in  1988  to  coordinate  programmes  for  the  promotion  of
Catalan.

The Balearic Inter-Island General Council was set up in 1978, but in 1983 the
islands were recognized as an autonomous community with Catalan and Castilian
as the official languages. Education policy is the preserve of central government
but the regional government sets policy for the teaching of Catalan and language

standardization. The 1986 Language Standardization Law of the Balearic Islands
sets out measures to promote Catalan.

The 1982 Statute of Autonomy granted to Aragon makes no mention of Catalan.
Education is the remit of central government. A 1984 manifesto supported by 17
mayors called for improved protection and standardization of Catalan.

Current issues

In 2006, the Spanish government approved a new Statute of Autonomy for
Catalonia, further expanding the region's autonomous powers and strengthening
the Catalan culture. The statute was approved by referendum in Catalonia on 18
June 2006.

Catalan is increasingly used in Catalonia, as a result of active policies for its use
since  1980,  particularly  in  education.  The  language  is  increasingly  spoken  by
families  in  Aragon  since  it  is  no  longer  suppressed.  By  contrast,  in  the  Balearic
Islands,  there  is  a  preference  for  Spanish  in  activities  requiring  the  written
language.

In Catalonia children are entitled to receive primary education in their language of
habitual use, whether this is Catalan or Spanish. Both languages are compulsory at
all  levels  of  non-university  education.  Children  are  intended  to  be  proficient  in
both  languages  by  the  end  of  primary  education.  Pupils  are  not  allowed  to  be
placed in different school institutions on the basis of their mother tongue. Catalan
is  the  language  of  instruction  of  the  majority  of  schools  at  all  levels,  for  the
majority of university courses and for teacher training courses. Consorci per a la
Normalització  Lingüistica  provides  Catalan  courses  for  adults,  language
consultation and assistance and activities to promote the social use of Catalan.

In the Balearic Islands half of nursery schools provide Catalan as a language, but
only a small minority use it as a teaching medium. This sets a precedent for the
next stages of education. However, Catalan and Castilian Spanish are compulsory
subjects in school, teacher training and adult education. Around half of state
primary and secondary schools provide Catalan as a teaching language. About half
of university courses are presented in Catalan.

In Aragon parents need to apply in writing if they want their children to learn
Catalan. Only the language is taught; there is no instruction in Catalan.

Catalonia has eight daily newspapers and the Balearic Islands one daily newspaper
published entirely in Catalan. Several Spanish language newspapers have articles,
supplements  or  versions  in  Catalan.  One  of  the  most  widely  read  weekly
magazines  in  Catalan  is  Valencia's  El  Temps.  Catalonia  and  the  Balearics  also
publish weekly, monthly and quarterly magazines in Catalan or partly in Catalan,
some  of  which  receive  regional  government  funding.  A  few  magazines  are

published in Catalan by cultural associations in Aragon. Textbooks, children's
books, poetry, novels and short stories are published in Catalonia and the Balearic
Islands, while poetry, novels and stories are published in Aragon.

The Catalan Corporation of Radio and Television was set up by the regional
government in 1983 and currently has six TV channels and several radio stations.
There is a separate TV broadcaster in the Balearic Islands. Spanish national
broadcaster RTVE also puts out programmes in Catalan. There are over 100 local
independent TV stations and nearly 250 local independent radio stations, most of
which broadcast in Catalan. Some of Catalonian TV and radio programmes can be
received in Aragon.

Catalan is only used in a small number of court proceedings.