Catalans

The Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: catalans; Italian: catalani; Spanish: catalanes) are a Romance ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia, who form a nationality in northern Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France (known in Catalonia proper as Catalunya Nord and in France as the Pays Catalan) are included in this definition. Also, Catalan is sometimes used to define people from Catalan Countries, which include other areas where the Catalan language is spoken.

Extended concept

The other Catalan-speaking people, namely people from Andorra, Valencia, the Balearic islands, eastern Aragon, and the city of Alghero in Sardinia, are sometimes identified as a collective, distinct ethnic group. The aforementioned territories are often designated Països Catalans, "Catalan Countries", by Catalan nationalists.

Historical background