Its capital is Barcelona and is near the Balearic Sea. Catalonia has may mountains ranges and rivers. Its largest mountain range is 2946 meters and is called Coma Pedrosa. Its Largest River is Segre and is 265 meters long.
Catalonia has a population of 7,083,600 as of 2006. Immigrants that are not from Spain make up 12.2% of Catalonia's population. All together Catalonia makes up 15.9% of Spain's overall population. It covers 32,114km² of Spain.
Catalonia's people are mostly Catalonian. There native and most common language is Catalan. The other two official languages are Spanish and Aranese. The Catalonia government focuses on the native language so newspaper, flyers, media, etc. are required to be displayed in Catalan. However, the education is partly given in Catalan and partly Spanish.
About 5,900,000 (95% of the population) can understand Catalan. 74% of the people can speak Catalan and 74.4% can read it. Less than half the population can right Catalan (49.8%). The knowledge of the Catalonians has gone up for the past 20 years. The ability to write went up the most going from 31.6% to 49.8%. The Catalonians that are age 10 to 29 have the highest level in the Catalan-language literacy. Most of these intelligent Catalonians are located in northwest Catalonia. Barcelona's literacy rate is the lowest but still high with a 93.8% Over half of the Catalonia's populations uses Catalan in conversations or everyday use.
Catalonia's Gross domestic product (GDP) is €157,124 billion. Each capital of Spain has a GDP of $26,500. Catalonia's economy is based on the manufacturing industry. They make cars, chemicals, shipbuilding, furniture, etc. It has some agriculture but not much because it only has a 3% workforce. Even with these conditions they supply wine, pigs, fruits, meat products, etc.
Catalonia has many political parties. They are the CiU, CDC, UDC, ERC, ICV-EUiA, PP, and PSC-PSOE. There are about 5 million voters and 99.7% of them are usually valid. Just like the United States, Catalonia too has an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branch.
Catalonia has some environmental problems. Its carbon dioxide levels have increased by 40% since 1992. 60% of its electrical power comes from nuclear power stations too. It has a history for burning 90,000 metric tons of industrial waste.
If you travel to Catalonia people say that Barcelona is one of the best places to visit. Barcelona has a good cuisine and has café's and restaurants. The food is at some reasonable prices, but restaurants with people outside trying to get you to come in and eat tend to be expensive. Unlike America most of Catalonia and Spain have no non-smoking restaurants. Fish based dishes are popular with the natives of Catalonia. The natives recommend 18 certain restaurants in this area with decent prices.
Barcelona has markets that sell some thing we have in America, native clothes, etc. Usually these stores are all put in one area and attract many customers some of which are tourists.
