Catalan

Catalan is a Romance language spoken in eastern Spain along the Mediterranean coast, in the Balearic Islands (which belong to Spain politically), in a small area of southeastern France, in the independent Principality of Andorra, and in the town of Alghero (I'Alguer) in Sardinia. Among the languages of Europe that are spoken by predominantly bilingual populations, Catalan shows an extraordinary vitality, although not in all geographical areas where it is spoken. In Spain, Catalan presently enjoys an official status (along with Spanish) in the autonomous regions of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. In Catalonia, the language is spoken throughout the whole territory, although, due to immigration from other areas of Spain during this century, it is by no means the case that all inhabitants of Catalonia speak Catalan. Nevertheless, Catalan enjoys a considerable amount of prestige in Catalonia.