Catalonia’s Self-Governance and Physical Environment
Institutions of Catalonia’s Self-Governance
The Generalitat is the institutional system organizing Catalonia’s political self-governance. It comprises the Parliament, the Presidency, and the Government.
– The Parliament has legislative functions, passing laws and budgets, controlling the Government, and promoting political activity.
– The President of the Generalitat, elected from Parliament members and appointed by the King, is the highest representative and head of government. Since the end of the dictatorship, there have been four Presidents: Josep Tarradellas (1977-1980), Jordi Pujol (1980-2003), Pasqual Maragall (2003-2006), and José Montilla.
– The Executive Board, led by the President, includes advisors and establishes government guidelines, coordinating the legislative program. Various ministries depend on the government. Additionally, there are advisory bodies like the Consell Consultiu, the Sindicatura de Comptes, and the Síndic de Greuges. The Aran Valley has special autonomy with its own Conselh Generau d’Aran, reflecting its distinct culture and connection to Occitania.
Powers of the Government
The Spanish Constitution allows for autonomous communities with specific competencies. The state grants legislative or executive powers. Exclusive competencies, where the Generalitat has full decision-making capacity, include organizing government institutions, Catalan law, culture, historical heritage, libraries, museums, local government, urban planning, and tourism. Concurrent powers are shared between the state and the Generalitat. Shared competencies involve different types of power distribution. Revenue comes mainly from state transfers based on transferred competencies, but the Generalitat can also establish its own taxes and fees.
Counties of Catalonia
Catalonia covers 36,020 km2 of mountainous territory. Historically, it has separated France and Spain, with the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 defining the border. Northern Catalonia is part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales, where Catalan is not official, and the region lacks autonomy. Catalan culture extends to parts of Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, and Alghero in Sardinia.
Autonomous Catalonia: Organization
According to the Spanish Constitution, Catalonia is divided into four provinces: Barcelona, Lleida, Tarragona, and Girona. It is further organized into counties (comarques) and municipalities. In 1931, during the Second Republic, 38 counties and 9 regions were defined. This division was officially adopted in 1936 but was short-lived due to the dictatorship and war. The current 41 counties result from the 1987 law on regional division, adding Alta Ribagorça, Pla d’Urgell, and Pla de l’Estany.
A comarca is a local territorial entity formed by grouped municipalities, with legal personality and policy-making autonomy. The Consell Comarcal, composed of elected councilors from the municipalities, governs each county.
Since 2004, the government proposed creating regions (vegueries) based on the 1931 divisions. In 2006, the creation of these regions was officially approved: Barcelona, Girona, Central Catalonia, Terres de l’Ebre, Lleida, Camp de Tarragona, and the Pyrenees and Aran.
The Physical Environment
The Iberian Peninsula and Catalonia
The Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe, has a solid shape. The Pyrenees separate it from the rest of Europe, but they are not an impassable barrier. The Strait of Gibraltar, with a minimum width of 14 km, separates it from Africa. The peninsula is close to the Mediterranean.
The Iberian Peninsula’s average altitude is the second highest in Europe, mainly due to the Meseta Central, with an average of 600 meters above sea level. This hinders communication and makes agriculture challenging. The peripheral relief arrangement means mountains surround the central plateau, preventing maritime influence from reaching the interior and resulting in a more extreme climate. The diverse natural units create varied climates and vegetation.
Geological Formation
Precambrian Period: From the planet’s formation to about 570 million years ago.
Paleozoic Era (Primary): 570 to 195 million years ago. The Hercynian orogeny formed high mountains like those in Galicia, Scotland, and the Appalachians.
Mesozoic Era (Secondary): 195 to 65 million years ago, divided into the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Cenozoic Era: 65 million years ago to the present, divided into the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. The Alpine orogeny formed the Himalayas and Pyrenees during the Tertiary. Human history falls within the Quaternary.
During the Paleozoic, Spain was submerged. The Galician Massif, composed of granite, was the first land to emerge. The Hercynian orogeny uplifted lands with metamorphic rocks like slate and granite. In the Mesozoic, erosion deposited conglomerates and clays along the coast. Fossils indicate a warm marine environment with coral reefs forming limestone.
The Tertiary saw significant tectonic activity, rejuvenating the relief. The northern plateau was higher than the southern. Plate collisions folded softer materials. The Quaternary is characterized by glaciation, with erosion shaping the alpine relief and depositing materials in coastal plains and depressions.
Plateau and Mountain Ranges
The Meseta is the central unit of the Iberian Peninsula’s relief. The Alpine orogeny divided it into the northern and southern sub-plateaus. The northern sub-plateau, with an average elevation of 800-850 meters, is traversed by the Douro River.