Comarques of Catalonia

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This is a list of the comarques (singular "comarca") of Catalonia. A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "shire" or "county". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona (many of whom also held the Crown of Aragon) and of Urgell. Comarques have no particular relation to the "counties" that were ruled by counts.

The current division of Catalonia into comarques originates in an order of the semi-autonomous Catalan government under the Spanish Republic in 1936. It was superseded after the 1939 victory of Francisco Franco's forces in the Spanish Civil War, but restored in 1987 by the re-established Generalitat de Catalunya, with minor revisions in 1988 (adding Pla de l'Estany, Pla d'Urgell and Alta Ribagorça) and 1990, when some borders were adjusted.

As of 2004 there is discussion of possibly further subdividing some of the comarques. [link]

See also lists of municipalities for the Catalan provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona.

Contents

1 The articles in naming
2 List of comarques
3 Historical comarques
4 Administration and government
5 See also
6 External links

The articles in naming

Because the Catalan language has a relatively complex set of rules for the form of the definite article, and because (in Catalan) the names of comarques (except for Osona) typically take the definite article in any position except as the subject of a sentence, the following list indicates the appropriate form of the definite article for each comarca. Because Val d'Aran is an Aranese-speaking area, it is often written as "era Val d'Aran", using the Aranese definite article.

List of comarques

Comarca Capital Population Area (km²)
l'Alt Camp Valls 35,635 544.7
l'Alt Empordà Figueres 99,321 74
l'Alt Penedès Vilafranca del Penedès 80,976 592.4
l'Alt Urgell La Seu d'Urgell 19,105 1,446.9
l'Alta Ribagorça Pont de Suert 3,477 426,8
l'Anoia Igualada 93,529 866.6
el Bages Manresa 155,112 1,295.2
el Baix Camp Reus 145,675 695.3
el Baix Ebre Tortosa 66,369 987.9
el Baix Empordà La Bisbal d'Empordà 102,566 700.5
el Baix Llobregat Sant Feliu de Llobregat 692,892 486.5
el Baix Penedès El Vendrell 61,256 295.5
el Barcelonès Barcelona 2,093,670 143.1
el Berguedà Berga 37,995 1,182.5
la Cerdanya Puigcerdà 14,158 546.4
la Conca de Barberà Montblanc 18,766 648.9
el Garraf Vilanova i la Geltrú 108,194 184.1
les Garrigues Les Borges Blanques 18,999 799.7
la Garrotxa Olot 47,747 734.2
el Gironès Girona 136,543 575.5
el Maresme Mataró 356,545 396.9
el Montsià Amposta 57,550 708.7
la Noguera Balaguer 34,744 1,733.0
Osona Vic 129,543 1,263.8
el Pallars Jussà Tremp 12,057 1,290.0
el Pallars Sobirà Sort 6,174 1,355.2
el Pla de l'Estany Banyoles 24.347 262.7
el Pla d'Urgell Mollerussa 29,723 304.5
el Priorat Falset 9,196 496.2
la Ribera d'Ebre Mora d'Ebre 21,656 825.3
el Ripollès Ripoll 25,744 958.7
la Segarra Cervera 18,497 721.2
el Segrià Lleida 166,090 1,393.7
la Selva Santa Coloma de Farners 117,393 995.5
el Solsonès Solsona 11,466 998.6
el Tarragonès Tarragona 181,374 317.1
la Terra Alta Gandesa 12,196 740.0
l'Urgell Tàrrega 31,026 586.2
era Val d'Aran Vielha 7,691 620.5
el Vallès Occidental Sabadell, Terrassa 736,682 580.7
el Vallès Oriental Granollers 321,431 851.9

Comarca	Capital	Population	Area (km²)
l'Alt Camp	Valls	35,635	544.7
l'Alt Empordà	Figueres	99,321	74
l'Alt Penedès	Vilafranca del Penedès	80,976	592.4
l'Alt Urgell	La Seu d'Urgell	19,105	1,446.9
l'Alta Ribagorça	Pont de Suert	3,477	426,8
l'Anoia	Igualada	93,529	866.6
el Bages	Manresa	155,112	1,295.2
el Baix Camp	Reus	145,675	695.3
el Baix Ebre	Tortosa	66,369	987.9
el Baix Empordà	La Bisbal d'Empordà	102,566	700.5
el Baix Llobregat	Sant Feliu de Llobregat	692,892	486.5
el Baix Penedès	El Vendrell	61,256	295.5
el Barcelonès	Barcelona	2,093,670	143.1
el Berguedà	Berga	37,995	1,182.5
la Cerdanya	Puigcerdà	14,158	546.4
la Conca de Barberà	Montblanc	18,766	648.9
el Garraf	Vilanova i la Geltrú	108,194	184.1
les Garrigues	Les Borges Blanques	18,999	799.7
la Garrotxa	Olot	47,747	734.2
el Gironès	Girona	136,543	575.5
el Maresme	Mataró	356,545	396.9
el Montsià	Amposta	57,550	708.7
la Noguera	Balaguer	34,744	1,733.0
Osona	Vic	129,543	1,263.8
el Pallars Jussà	Tremp	12,057	1,290.0
el Pallars Sobirà	Sort	6,174	1,355.2
el Pla de l'Estany	Banyoles	24.347	262.7
el Pla d'Urgell	Mollerussa	29,723	304.5
el Priorat	Falset	9,196	496.2
la Ribera d'Ebre	Mora d'Ebre	21,656	825.3
el Ripollès	Ripoll	25,744	958.7
la Segarra	Cervera	18,497	721.2
el Segrià	Lleida	166,090	1,393.7
la Selva	Santa Coloma de Farners	117,393	995.5
el Solsonès	Solsona	11,466	998.6
el Tarragonès	Tarragona	181,374	317.1
la Terra Alta	Gandesa	12,196	740.0
l'Urgell	Tàrrega	31,026	586.2
era Val d'Aran	Vielha	7,691	620.5
el Vallès Occidental	Sabadell, Terrassa	736,682	580.7
el Vallès Oriental	Granollers	321,431	851.9

Historical comarques

There are some other comarques which are often referred as historical comarques of Catalonia, because their present territory was part of the former Principality of Catalonia, but they are not currently within the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.

Comarca Capital Current status
el Rosselló (Roussillon) Perpinyà (Perpignan) Northern Catalonia / Part of France
l'Alta Cerdanya Fontromeu Northern Catalonia / Part of France
el Capcir Angles (Les Angles) Northern Catalonia / Part of France
el Vallespir Ceret Northern Catalonia / Part of France
el Conflent Prada de Conflent (Prades) Northern Catalonia / Part of France

Comarca	Capital	Current status
el Rosselló (Roussillon)	Perpinyà (Perpignan)	Northern Catalonia / Part of France
l'Alta Cerdanya	Fontromeu	Northern Catalonia / Part of France
el Capcir	Angles (Les Angles)	Northern Catalonia / Part of France
el Vallespir	Ceret	Northern Catalonia / Part of France
el Conflent	Prada de Conflent (Prades)	Northern Catalonia / Part of France

Administration and government

In the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and Aragon, but not in Northern Catalonia, the comarca exists as a local government area, and has a representative consell comarcal (comarcal council).

External links

[The Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya] is an excellent source of statistical information for Catalonia, down to the level of individual municipalities. It is also our source for which municipalities are in which comarca. Parts of the site are in English and Spanish, although most of it is in Catalan.
[Comarcàlia] - Information about the various comarques in a variety of languages, including English. Includes good maps down to the level of individual municipalities (or, as they choose to translate, "boroughs").

Politics of Catalonia

Territorial division of Catalonia series

Vegueries

Províncies

Comarques

Municipalities

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