Val d'Aran
Encyclopedia
The Val d'Aran is a valley (620.47 km²) in the Pyrenees
mountains and a comarca
(county) in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia
, northern Spain
. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose waters drain into the Atlantic Ocean
. The region is characterized by an Atlantic climate, due to its peculiar orientation, which is different from other valleys in the area.
The Val d'Aran borders France
on the north, the Spanish Autonomous Community of Aragon
to the west and the Catalan
comarques
of Alta Ribagorça
to the south and Pallars Sobirà
to the east. The capital of the comarca is Vielha, with 3,692 inhabitants (1996). The entire population of the valley is about 7,130 (1996). The Garonne
river passes through the Val d'Aran after rising on the Saburedo Cirque and receiving the water of the Joèu river (from the slopes of nearby Pic Aneto and passing underground at the Forau de Aigualluts). It then reappears in the Val dera Artiga as a resurgence and flows into the Val d'Aran which is one of the highest valleys of the Pyrenees. The Noguera Pallaresa
, with its head only a hundred meters from that of the Garona, flows the other way, toward the Mediterranean.
The Val d'Aran used to be without direct communication with the south side of the mountains during winter, until the construction of the Vielha tunnel
, opened in 1948. On October 3, 1949, Spanish Communist Party guerrilla
s tried to force the fall of Spanish government bursting into the valley and controlling some villages until October 27, 1949.
is the standardized form of the Gascon
variety of the Occitan language.
The name Val d'Aran is Aranese
. "Val d'Aran" itself is a pleonasm
, as it means Valley of the Valley (val in Gascon and aran from Basque
haran), a combination that reflects its unique geography. Aranese has been regularly taught at school since 1984. Like several other minority language
s in Europe that recently faced decline, Aranese is experiencing a renaissance.
Maps and road signs in Spain use the name "era Val d'Aran" to refer to the valley, where era is the Aranese singular feminine article as a part of the name. The same practice goes for all towns and other locations in Aran, for example, the Aranese spelling Vielha is used instead of Catalan and Spanish Viella to refer to the capital of Val d'Aran.
Basque toponyms show that Basque was spoken further along the Pyrenees than today. An example is Val d'Aran since haran itself is the Basque word for "valley". However, the growing influence of Latin began to drive Basque out from the less mountainous portions of the region.
Major political powers are Unity of Aran - Aranese Nationalist Party
(Socialists' Party of Catalonia
local section, the governing party) and Aranese Democratic Convergence
(Democratic Convergence of Catalonia
local section). Occitan Republican Left
was founded in 2008.
The main income is from ski
resorts in the winter, and from tourism
in the summer. Other primary sectors of the economy include forest products, cattle raising and apiculture, all of which have become less and less important since the opening of ski resorts.
These population figures are from January 1, 2006 (source: Spanish INE
).
Many native animals of Val d'Aran are in peril of extinction
. There are programs of reintroduction and/or protection for:
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
mountains and a comarca
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
(county) in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose waters drain into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The region is characterized by an Atlantic climate, due to its peculiar orientation, which is different from other valleys in the area.
The Val d'Aran borders France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the north, the Spanish Autonomous Community of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
to the west and the Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
comarques
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
of Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça
Alta Ribagorça is one of the comarques of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Pont de Suert. The highest peak is the Comaloformo in the massif of Bessiberri. Northeast of the region is the western part of the National Aiguas Tortas and Lake of San Mauricio...
to the south and Pallars Sobirà
Pallars Sobirà
El Pallars Sobirà is a comarca in the mountainous northwest of Catalonia, Spain. The name means "Upper Pallars", distinguishing it from the more populous Pallars Jussà to its southwest...
to the east. The capital of the comarca is Vielha, with 3,692 inhabitants (1996). The entire population of the valley is about 7,130 (1996). The Garonne
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
river passes through the Val d'Aran after rising on the Saburedo Cirque and receiving the water of the Joèu river (from the slopes of nearby Pic Aneto and passing underground at the Forau de Aigualluts). It then reappears in the Val dera Artiga as a resurgence and flows into the Val d'Aran which is one of the highest valleys of the Pyrenees. The Noguera Pallaresa
Noguera Pallaresa
The Noguera Pallaresa is a river in Catalonia, Spain. Its source is at Era Font d'era Noguereta in the municipality of Naut Aran at an elevation of about 2000 m and barely a hundred meters from those of the Garonne...
, with its head only a hundred meters from that of the Garona, flows the other way, toward the Mediterranean.
The Val d'Aran used to be without direct communication with the south side of the mountains during winter, until the construction of the Vielha tunnel
Vielha Tunnel
The Vielha tunnel is a road tunnel in north-west Catalonia, connecting Vielha, the capital of the Val d'Aran valley, with the Alta Ribagorça comarca. It is part of the N-230 road and consists of 2 parallel tunnels...
, opened in 1948. On October 3, 1949, Spanish Communist Party guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
s tried to force the fall of Spanish government bursting into the valley and controlling some villages until October 27, 1949.
Name and local language
AraneseAranese language
Aranese is a standardized form of the Pyrenean Gascon variety of the Occitan language spoken in the Val d'Aran, in north western Catalonia on the border between Spain and France, where it is one of the three official languages besides Catalan and Spanish...
is the standardized form of the Gascon
Gascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
variety of the Occitan language.
The name Val d'Aran is Aranese
Aranese language
Aranese is a standardized form of the Pyrenean Gascon variety of the Occitan language spoken in the Val d'Aran, in north western Catalonia on the border between Spain and France, where it is one of the three official languages besides Catalan and Spanish...
. "Val d'Aran" itself is a pleonasm
Pleonasm
Pleonasm is the use of more words or word-parts than is necessary for clear expression: examples are black darkness, or burning fire...
, as it means Valley of the Valley (val in Gascon and aran from Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
haran), a combination that reflects its unique geography. Aranese has been regularly taught at school since 1984. Like several other minority language
Minority language
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities.-International politics:...
s in Europe that recently faced decline, Aranese is experiencing a renaissance.
Maps and road signs in Spain use the name "era Val d'Aran" to refer to the valley, where era is the Aranese singular feminine article as a part of the name. The same practice goes for all towns and other locations in Aran, for example, the Aranese spelling Vielha is used instead of Catalan and Spanish Viella to refer to the capital of Val d'Aran.
Basque toponyms show that Basque was spoken further along the Pyrenees than today. An example is Val d'Aran since haran itself is the Basque word for "valley". However, the growing influence of Latin began to drive Basque out from the less mountainous portions of the region.
Government and economy
The area is divided in six administrative divisions, called terçons (meaning "thirds", as the divisions were formerly three in number). The current arrangement of the divisions dates from the 15th century.Major political powers are Unity of Aran - Aranese Nationalist Party
Unity of Aran
Unity of Aran is a political party in Val d'Aran, Spain. Practically the Aranese section of PSC, it is the ruling party of the comarca...
(Socialists' Party of Catalonia
Socialists' Party of Catalonia
The Socialists' Party of Catalonia is a social-democratic political party in Catalonia, Spain resulting from the merge of two parties PSC Reagrupament led by Josep Pallach i Carolà and PSC Comgres. It is the Catalan referent of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , and its Aranese section is...
local section, the governing party) and Aranese Democratic Convergence
Aranese Democratic Convergence
Aranese Democratic Convergence is a political party in Val d'Aran that forms the Aranese section of CDC. CDA is, along with Unity of Aran, one of the two major parties of the comarca that contest elections for the Aranese General Council...
(Democratic Convergence of Catalonia
Democratic Convergence of Catalonia
The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. Together with Democratic Union of Catalonia, it forms part of the Convergence and Union coalition. It is affiliated with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and with the Liberal International...
local section). Occitan Republican Left
Occitan Republican Left
Occitan Republican Left is an Occitanist political party in Val d'Aran comarca of Catalonia, Spain. Founded in 2008 to contest Unity of Aran and Aranese Democratic Convergence at 2011 elections for the Aranese General Council, the party acts practically as the local section of the Republican...
was founded in 2008.
The main income is from ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
resorts in the winter, and from tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
in the summer. Other primary sectors of the economy include forest products, cattle raising and apiculture, all of which have become less and less important since the opening of ski resorts.
Municipalities
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
).
- ArresArresArres is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain, close to the French border. The local timezone is GMT+01:00. The coordinates of Arres are 42°45′33.51″ N, 0°42′37.29″ E. The mayor is Pere Castet i Farré ....
pop. - 61 - BausenBausenBausen is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain, close to the French border. The mayor is Eugenio Ochoa de Alda Rodríguez ....
pop. - 52 - BossòstBossòstBossòst is a small Pyrenean village and municipality located in the Aran Valley, province of Lérida, Northern Spain. Situated on the left bank of the river Garona, the village is bordered by Les, Vilamòs, Arres and France ....
pop. - 1,043 - Es BòrdesEs BòrdesEs Bòrdes is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain. The mayor is Francesc Medan Juanmartí ....
pop. - 247 - CanejanCanejanCanejan is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain, close to the French border. The mayor is Joan Carles Lastera i Alcalde ....
pop. - 104 - Les pop. - 903
- Naut AranNaut AranNaut Aran is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain. It is the second largest municipality in Catalonia in terms of surface area , and was created in 1967 by the merger of the municipalities of Arties, Salardú, Gessa, Tredòs and Bagergue: the former municipalities...
pop. - 1,732 - Vielha e MijaranVielha e MijaranVielha e Mijaran is a municipality in the comarca of the Val d'Aran in Catalonia, Spain. It was created in 1970 by the merger of the municipalities of Arròs e Vila, Betlan, Escunhau, Gausac, Vielha and Vilac: the former municipalities retain some privileges as "decentralised municipal entities" , as...
pop. - 5,239 - VilamòsVilamòsVilamòs is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain, close to the French border. The mayor is Francés Castet Condó ....
pop. - 173
Fauna
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. There are programs of reintroduction and/or protection for:
- Brown BearBrown BearThe brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
(Ursus arctos) - Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)
- Aran rock lizardAran Rock LizardThe Aran Rock Lizard is a species of lizard in the Lacertidae family. It is found in France and Spain.Its natural habitats are temperate grassland, rocky areas, and pastureland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Lacerta aranica) - Bearded vultureLammergeierThe Lammergeier, Lammergeyer, or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus , is the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian Vulture , its closest living relative...
(Gypaetus barbatus)