The region of Catalonia (also called Catalunya or Cataluna ) is a place unlike any in the world. Flanked by the Pyrenees Mountains on the north and bathed by the Mediterranean Sea on the east, Catalonia stubbornly maintains a strong and independent identity with a unique culture and language all its own.

With six million inhabitants, it is the second most populated region in Spain, after Andalucia. At various times a possession of the Romans, Goths, Moors, Spanish and French, the Catalan province was granted limited autonomy by the Spanish government after the death of Francisco Franco.

Catalonian citizens are now permitted to elect the members of the Generalitat, Catalonia's historical legislative and executive governing body. Perhaps because of the schizophrenic influences and the long fight for autonomy, Catalonians are known for their independent spirit and cultural pride.

Despite Catalonia's small size (only 32,000 km), visitors will find amazing diversity, from miles of sea coast to the Pyrenean summits, from the historical castles dotting the ancient medieval border to the modern pleasures of the big cities.