Catalonia saw the first railway construction in Iberian Peninsula in 1848, linking Barcelona with Mataró. Given the topography most lines radiate from Barcelona. The city has both suburban and inter-city services. The main east coast line runs through the province connecting with French Railways at Portbou on the coast.

The railroad companies operating in Catalonia are FGC and RENFE.

High speed AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) services from Madrid currently reach Lleida, Tarragona and Barcelona. The official opening between Barcelona and Madrid was on 20 February 2008. The journey between Barcelona and Madrid lasts about 2 and a half hours. Construction has commenced to extend the high speed line northwards to connect with the French high speed network. This new line passes through Girona and a rail tunnel through the Pyrenees.

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Climate

The climate of Catalonia is mediterranean in general, but with a lot of different microclimates. On the coast summers are hot with common sea breezes (max. 30ºC). Rain is scarce in this season but there can be late summer storms. Winter is cool and rain is possible. The most rainy months are September, October and November, and April and May in Spring. The interior of Catalunya is hotter in the summer but with rainstorms, more possible near mountainous regions, temperatures can reach 35ºC or more, even 40ºC is not rare, but not common. Nights are cool, (14º-16ºC). Autumn is rainy but with many sunny days and cooler temperatures, and Winter can be very cold, temperatures below 0ºC very common,temperatures can go down to -10ºC. Fog is very common in valleys and plains in Winter, Autumn and Spring. Spring is a nice season, with warm temperatures but cold nights, frost is common until April. Rainy days are possible at this time, but lots of sunshine too. The mountains regions like the Pyrenees and others are rainier and cooler in summer but colder in Winter with snow.

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Environmental policy

Awareness of environmental problems tends to be much lower in Catalonia (and in Spain as a whole) than in northern Europe. Carbon dioxide emissions in Catalonia have increased by 40% since 1992,^{[citation needed]} and 60% of the region's electricity comes from aging nuclear power stations^{[citation needed]} (a figure only exceeded in Europe by France and Lithuania). Despite Catalonia's change of government in 2004 from the long time ruling conservative/nationalist CiU to a "catalanist/social/green" tripartite coalition of PSC, ERC, and ICV parties, there is little evidence of greater concern for the environment. ICV was put in charge of the Department of Environment, but has largely continued the outgoing administration's policies. The Department's decision to build the controversial Bracons tunnel through an area of outstanding natural beauty, and a plan to situate an incinerator burning 90,000 metric tonnes of industrial waste^[39] in a heavily-populated valley are two of the mentioned issues.

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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Catalonia

There are several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Catalonia:

• Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, Tarragona
• Catalan Romanesque Churches at Vall de Boí
• Poblet Monastery, Poblet, Tarragona province
• Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona
• Works of Antoni Gaudi:
  • Sagrada Família, Barcelona
  • Parc Güell, Barcelona
  • Palau Güell, Barcelona
  • Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Barcelona

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Popular culture

Castellers are one of the main manifestations of the Catalan popular culture . The activity consists on the construction of human towers by colles castelleres (teams) that compete among them. This practice was originated in the southern part of Catalonia during the XVIII century.

The sardana is the most characteristic Catalan popular dance, other groups also practice Ball de bastons, moixiganga or jota in the southern part. Musically the Havaneres are also characteristic in the marine localities of the Costa Brava specially during the summer months when this songs are sung outdoors always accompanied by a tasting of burned rum. As opposed to other more traditional parts of Spain, flamenco is not popularly performed, but rather the rumba is a more prevalent dance style.

In the greater celebrations other elements of the Catalan popular culture are usually present: the parades of giants and correfocs of devils and firecrackers. Another traditional celebration of Catalonia is La Patum de Berga declared oral and immaterial patrimony of the Humanity by UNESCO in the 25 of November of 2005.^[40]

In addition to the own manifestations of the Catalan traditional culture and fruit of the great immigration from other Spanish regions people can enjoy other cultural manifestations.

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Gallery of images

Sagrada Família, Barcelona	Girona's Cathedral	Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco, Tarragona	La Seu Vella, Lleida
The Aran valley	Church of Sitges	Dali Museum, Figueres

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See also

• Catalonia travel guide from Wikitravel
• Caga Tió
• .cat
• Països Catalans
• Cuisine of Catalonia
• Famous Catalan People
• History of Catalonia
• National Day of Catalonia
• Catalan nationalism
• Northern Catalonia
• Principality of Catalonia
• List of rivers of Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Tarragona
• Lleida
• Girona
• Catalan wine
• Agrupació Astronòmica de Sabadell
• Sport in Catalonia

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References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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External links

• The Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia)
• Statistical information from Idescat (Catalan Institute of Statistics)
• Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies)
• Lletra. Catalan Literature Online
• Lletra. espai virtual de literatura catalana
• Catalan Hyperencyclopaedia: Encyclopedia with information about Catalonia in English
• A guide to the natural history of Catalonia
• The Spirit of Catalonia. Digital edition of the 1946 book by Oxford Professor Dr. Josep Trueta, in English.
• Fundació d'Estudis Històrics de Catalunya
• Catalonian rumba - Rumba catalana - Music from Catalonia

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