SPAIN & CATALONIA
ABOUT CATALONIA
Barcelona is located in a region of Spain called Catalonia (called Cataluña in Spanish and Catalunya in Catalan). Catalonia has lots of cultural differences from the rest of Spain. Imagine someone from the Midwest vs. someone from Los Angeles…the typical foods, celebrations, music, and weather are different in each region. The same goes for Spain!
Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions (similar to "states" in the U.S.), one of them being Catalonia. Within Catalonia, there are 4 provinces (like "counties" within states): Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona.
THE INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
Some Catalans want the region of Catalonia to become its own country, for a variety of economic, social, and political reasons. However, according to the Spanish constitution that was created in the 1970s after Spain’s dictator Francisco Franco died, no autonomous region is allowed to break away from the rest of Spain.
Some Catalans felt so strongly about Catalonia's independence, that they wanted to hold a referendum to vote and see if the majority of Catalans would prefer to separate from Spain or to remain unified. They tried to do so on October 1st, 2017, but the central government in Madrid (with the backing of the Spanish court system) declared the referendum unconstitutional and ordered the vote suspended.
But this did not stop some Catalans from gathering to vote - approximately 2.2 million people voted (29% of the Catalan population) and 90% of those people voted “yes” in favor of independence (according to Catalan sources). The regional government has used these numbers to try to declare independence, but the central Spanish government rejected Catalonia's call for independence and many Catalan politicians are currently in exile.
It's a complicated issue with a lot of history behind it. During your time in Barcelona, you'll definitely learn more about it. However, it's important that you speak with locals on both sides of the issue and do your own research.
