Northern Catalonia facts for kids
Northern Catalonia is a special area in France. People sometimes use this name, especially in Catalan writings. It refers to the land that Spain gave to France in 1659. This area is now mostly the French department called the Pyrénées-Orientales.
People in France often call this region Roussillon. This name is older and less about politics. Sometimes, it's also called French Catalonia.
Contents
Geography
Northern Catalonia looks like a triangle on a map. The Pyrenees mountains are to the south. The Corbières mountains are to the north-west. The Mediterranean Sea is to the east.
Most people live in the Roussillon Plain in the east. This flat area is made by the floodplains of the Tech, Têt, and Agly rivers. The areas called Vallespir and Conflent are the upper valleys of the Tech and Têt rivers. The tall Le Canigou mountain, which is 2,784 meters (9,134 feet) high, stands over much of the land.
The weather here is Mediterranean. This means summers are hot and dry. Winters are usually mild, especially on the Roussillon plain where it rarely snows.
More than a quarter of the people in Northern Catalonia live in the city of Perpignan. Perpignan is the main center for government and services. Roads and trains run north and south through Northern Catalonia, connecting France and Spain.
Languages
French is the only official language in France. This means it is the main language used in government and schools.
The Catalan language is also spoken here. It is recognized as a regional language by the Languedoc-Roussillon region. About a quarter of the people in Northern Catalonia speak Catalan. Even more people can understand it.
In 1700, the government of King Louis XIV made it illegal to use the Catalan language in official papers.
For many centuries, Catalan was not allowed in schools. But in the 1950s, it was finally allowed to be studied for one hour a week in secondary school. In the 1970s, groups like the Arrels Association and Bressola network started private schools. These schools offer full bilingual classes in French and Catalan. They teach children from nursery school all the way up to secondary education.
On December 10, 2007, the General Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales officially recognized Catalan. They said it was one of the languages of the department, along with French and Occitan. Their goal is to help promote Catalan more in public life and in schools.
Images for kids
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Pyrénées-Orientales (Northern Catalonia) within France.
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Northern Catalonia with respect to Catalan-speaking regions.
See also
In Spanish: Cataluña del Norte para niños
