LA FRANJA


Map of Catalan Countries with current political borders

The term ''Franja de Aragón'' or ''Franja de Poniente'' (western strip) in Spanish, ''Franja d'Aragó'' or ''Franja de Ponent'' in Catalan, and ''Francha d'Aragón'' or ''Francha de Lebán'' (eastern strip) in Aragonese) is normally applied to the territory comprised by the Catalan-speaking territories of Aragon (Spain), bordering Catalonia. There exist many uses of the term, although these do not always coincide in their definition. It is usually considered to be made up from municipalities of the following ''comarcas'': Ribagorza / Baixa Ribagorça, La Litera / La Llitera, Bajo Cinca / Baix Cinca and Matarraña / Matarranya

Contents
Birth of the name 'Franja'
Antecedents and origen
New Meanings
The Ecclesiastic Meaning
Origin
Territorial Basis
The Linguistic Meaning
Territorial Basis
Accoding to the Avant-project of the Language Law
According to the Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa
According to the ''Gran Geografía Comarcal'' of the GREC
Comparative Table and Map According to Sources
Toponymy
Political Meaning
Socioeconomic Meaning
References
External Links

Birth of the name 'Franja'


Antecedents and origen

The use of the term 'Franja' in referring to the eastern area of Aragon is recent. One must look to the beginning of the 20th century to find its origins, more accurately to 1929, when the geographer Pau Vila, who would later create the first comarcal map of Catalonia during the Second Spanish Republic baptised Catalan-speaking Aragon as the 'Marches of Ponent' ("Marcas de Poniente" in Spanish, ''Marques de Ponent'' in Catalan)[1]. This was the first attempt at naming the territory. Later, in the second half of the century, the same name would be used by philologists such as Joan Coromines, along with others such as the 'Marches of Aragon' ''Marcas de Aragó'' or ''Marques d'Aragó''), 'Aragonese Catalonia' (''Cataluña aragones'' or ''Catalunya aragonesa'') or the 'Aragonese Stripe' ("la raya de Aragón" or ''la ratlla d'Aragó'').
Whichever term may be used, they all refer to the same territory; the eastern, Catalan-speaking area of Aragon. These terms all originated from Catalonia therefore referred to a Catalan-speaking territory located to the 'west' of Catalonia, resulting in the adjective 'west' ("de Poniente" or ''de Ponent'') forming part of the name.
It is during the Spanish transition to democracy (in the second half of the 1970s) when the term 'Franja' first appeared in reference to Catalan-speaking Aragon:
}}
At the 'Second International Congress of the Catalan Language' (''Segundo Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Catalan'' or ''Segon Congrés Internacional de la Llengua Catalana'') celebrated in 1985, the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, the highest authority on the language, adopted 'Franja de Aragón' (''Franja d'Aragó'') as the denomination for Catalan-speaking Aragon from an academic view point. While the denomination 'Franja de Poniente' (''Franja de Ponent'') would be relegated to the political arena, more specifically it came to be used by associations, groups and political parties associated with pancatalanism.
Later, alternative denominations such as 'Aragón Oriental' (''Aragó Oriental''), 'Franja Oriental' o 'Franja de Levante' (''Franja de Llevant'') were created in Aragon.
New Meanings

What began as a linguistic denomination acquired new meaning, varying the territory to which it referred. Principally, apart from the linguistic meaning, the political meanings formulated by pancatalanism should be mentioned, as well as some other, more recent ones, such as the ecclesiastic and socio-economic ones. Each meaning groups the territories according to different categories; in total one can talk of La Franja in four senses:

★ The ecclesiastic sense

★ The linguistic sense

★ The political sense

★ The socio-economic sense

The Ecclesiastic Meaning


Origin

The church authorities, with the aim of aligning the diocesan limits with the political and historic reality, through the ''Nuncio Apostólico de la Santa Sede España'' on the 15th of June 1995, informed the president of the ''Conferencia Episcopal Española'', the Archbishop of Zaragoza, Elías Yanes, the decision of the Holy Sea to realise this recommendation and transferred 111 parishes, until then part of the Diocese of Lérida to the new Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón. The notification was expressed in the following terms:
The transference of the parishes, in relation to their respective goods and especially artistic objects or sacred art, gave way to a lawsuit, which still today has not been settled. Since then more than 100 works of art located in the Diocese Museum of Lérida have been retained by the Bishop of Lérida denying their transference to the collection of the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón. The lawsuit is popularly known as the ''conflicto de los bienes/patrimonio eclesiástico de la Franja'' (the conflict of the goods / ecclesiastic patrimony of the Franja) or ''del Aragón Oriental'' (of Eastern Aragon), and in spite of beginning as a local debate, it has become in the last year a national press story, especially due to the confrontation between the political forces of Aragon and Catalonia.
Territorial Basis

This case emphasises how the conflict over the ecclesiastic patrimony has brought a new dimension to the term ''Franja'', the territoriality to which it refers does not follow linguistic criteria but lies in the ecclesiastic territorial area based on archpriestships, indifferently including monolingual Spanish-speaking and bilingual municipalities, and all being confined to the province of Huesca.
The Archpriestships that include the ''Franja de Aragón'' in its ecclesiastic sense are:

★ The Archpriestship of Bajo Cinca

★ The Archpriestship of Cinca Medio

★ The Archpriestship of La Litera

★ The Archpriestship of Ribagorza Occiental

★ The Archpriestship of Ribagorza Oriental
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; border="5"}}
!
'Phase'

!
'Nº of
parishes'

!
'Area'
(km²)'

!
'Population'

|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Septembre 1995'
| align="right" | 84
| align="right" | 2.317,3
| align="right" | 37.793
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'June 1998'
| align="right" | 27
| align="right" | 1.607,7
| align="right" | 30.296
|-
| 'Total parishes transferred'
| align="right" | '111'
| align="right" | '3.925,0'
| align="right" | '68.089'
|-
|}

The Linguistic Meaning


Territorial Area of the Catalán Language

The Catalan language is spoken by a significant proportion of the population of La Franja, more than 90%, the highest proportion of all the territories where it is spoken, despite the fact that it is not an official language and that it has a very limited presence in education, where it is only possible to study it as an optional subject, administration and public acts in general.
According to recent studies[2], La Franja is actually one of the territories with the highest oral usage of Catalan language, but with severe deficiences in writing competences because of its lack of officiality and support in education.
Territorial Basis

The exact territorial limits of the 'Franja de Aragón' differ depending on the source since there are some municipalities of Ribagorza where there are doubts over whether or not to include them as Catalan-speaking or as Aragonese-speaking. The proportion of speakers of the two languages varies over time and with immigration accoding to the municipality, something which leads to different sources drawing slightly different linguistic borders.
Accoding to the Avant-project of the Language Law

During the fourth session of the ''Cortes de Aragón'' (the parliament of Aragon) (1995-1999) under the PP-PAR coalition government the Special Commission Report on the Language Policy of Aragon was published. The report would be the basis for the Avant-project of the Language Law of Aragon published the following session (1999-2003) under the PSOE-PAR coalition, where for the first time from the ''Cortes de Aragón'' would detail those municipalities which formed part of a Catlan-speaking reality, with the aim of recognising cooficiality and encouraging the use of Catalan in pulic life and especially in education.
The law was never approved due to protests and petitions in Aragon opposed to the cooficiality of Catalan, promoted in the main part by the ''Federación de Asociaciones Culturales del Aragón Oriental'' (FACAO), an organisation which maintained that the local 'linguistic modalities' were languages and not dialects of Catalan, and the lack of consenus amogst the Aragonese political parties on the issue.
According to the ''list of municipalities which could be considered to be areas of predominant use of its own language or linguistic modality or areas of predominant use of normailsed Catlan'' in the ''Second annex of the Second Final Disposition of the Avant-project of the Language Law'', the 'Franja de Aragón' would be composed of:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; border="5"}
!
'Municipality'

!
'Area'
(km²)'

!
'Population
(2006)'

!
'Comarca'

!
'Province'

|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Aguaviva'
| align="right" | 42,2
| align="right" | 691
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Albelda'
| align="right" | 51,9
| align="right" | 892
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Alcampell'
| align="right" | 58,0
| align="right" | 827
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Altorricón'
| align="right" | 32,4
| align="right" | 1.469
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Arén'
| align="right" | 119,3
| align="right" | 337
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Arens de Lledó'
| align="right" | 34,3
| align="right" | 227
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Azanuy-Alins'
| align="right" | 51,2
| align="right" | 173
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Baélls'
| align="right" | 39,8
| align="right" | 125
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Baldellou'
| align="right" | 30,4
| align="right" | 115
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Beceite'
| align="right" | 96,7
| align="right" | 598
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Belmonte de San José'
| align="right" | 34,0
| align="right" | 144
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Benabarre'
| align="right" | 157,1
| align="right" | 1.160
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Bonansa'
| align="right" | 37,3
| align="right" | 101
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Calaceite'
| align="right" | 81,3
| align="right" | 1.143
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Camporrélls'
| align="right" | 26,7
| align="right" | 217
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Castigaleu'
| align="right" | 26,5
| align="right" | 118
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Castillonroy'
| align="right" | 37,6
| align="right" | 391
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Cretas'
| align="right" | 52,7
| align="right" | 630
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Estopiñán del Castillo'
| align="right" | 88,7
| align="right" | 199
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fabara'
| align="right" | 101,6
| align="right" | 1.221
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón-Caspe
| align="left" | Zaragoza
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fayón'
| align="right" | 67,2
| align="right" | 427
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón-Caspe
| align="left" | Zaragoza
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fórnoles'
| align="right" | 32,6
| align="right" | 105
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fraga'
| align="right" | 437,6
| align="right" | 13.191
| align="left" | Bajo Cinca
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fuentespalda'
| align="right" | 39,0
| align="right" | 347
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Isábena'
| align="right" | 118,5
| align="right" | 302
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Cañada de Verich'
| align="right" | 10,9
| align="right" | 104
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Cerollera'
| align="right" | 33,7
| align="right" | 121
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Codoñera'
| align="right" | 21,0
| align="right" | 351
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Fresneda'
| align="right" | 39,5
| align="right" | 462
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Ginebrosa'
| align="right" | 80,1
| align="right" | 239
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Portellada'
| align="right" | 21,4
| align="right" | 274
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Lascuarre'
| align="right" | 31,9
| align="right" | 147
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Laspaúles'
| align="right" | 81,6
| align="right" | 281
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Lledó'
| align="right" | 15,6
| align="right" | 181
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Maella'
| align="right" | 174,9
| align="right" | 2.089
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón-Caspe
| align="left" | Zaragoza
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Mazaleón'
| align="right" | 86,2
| align="right" | 589
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Mequinenza'
| align="right" | 307,2
| align="right" | 2.533
| align="left" | Bajo Cinca
| align="left" | Zaragoza
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Monesma y Cajigar'
| align="right" | 62,6
| align="right" | 111
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Monroyo'
| align="right" | 79,2
| align="right" | 307
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Montanuy'
| align="right" | 174,1
| align="right" | 311
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Nonaspe'
| align="right" | 111,4
| align="right" | 1.055
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón-Caspe
| align="left" | Zaragoza
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Peñarroya de Tastavins'
| align="right" | 83,3
| align="right" | 488
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Peralta de Calasanz'
| align="right" | 114,9
| align="right" | 261
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Puente de Montañana'
| align="right" | 48,6
| align="right" | 88
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Ráfales'
| align="right" | 35,6
| align="right" | 156
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'San Esteban de Litera'
| align="right" | 71,9
| align="right" | 512
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Sopeira'
| align="right" | 44,1
| align="right" | 102
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Tamarite de Litera'
| align="right" | 110,6
| align="right" | 3.678
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Tolva'
| align="right" | 59,0
| align="right" | 176
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torre de Arcas'
| align="right" | 34,3
| align="right" | 93
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torre del Compte'
| align="right" | 19,5
| align="right" | 168
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torre la Ribera'
| align="right" | 32,1
| align="right" | 118
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torrente de Cinca'
| align="right" | 56,8
| align="right" | 1.084
| align="left" | Bajo Cinca
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torrevelilla'
| align="right" | 33,4
| align="right" | 204
| align="left" | Bajo Aragón
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valdeltormo'
| align="right" | 16,0
| align="right" | 349
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valderrobres'
| align="right" | 124,0
| align="right" | 2.142
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valjunquera'
| align="right" | 41,8
| align="right" | 414
| align="left" | Matarraña
| align="left" | Teruel
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Velilla de Cinca'
| align="right" | 16,5
| align="right" | 469
| align="left" | Bajo Cinca
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Vencillón'
| align="right" | 10,4
| align="right" | 471
| align="left" | La Litera
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Veracruz'
| align="right" | 63,8
| align="right" | 111
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Viacamp y Litera'
| align="right" | 107,7
| align="right" | 25
| align="left" | Ribagorza
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Zaidín'
| align="right" | 92,6
| align="right" | 1.822
| align="left" | Bajo Cinca
| align="left" | Huesca
|-
| '62 municipalities of Aragon'
| align="right" | '4.442,8'
| align="right" | '47.236'
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
|-
|}

According to the Institut d'Estudis Catalans


From the point of veiw of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans the territory is smaller due to the fact the municipality of Torre la Ribera is not considered Catalan-speaking, and the municipalities of Azanuy-Alins, Isábena, Lascuarre and San Esteban de Litera are classified as transition dialects, therefore the Catalan-speaking lands are reduced to a total of 57 municipalities with an area of '4.137,2 km²' with a population of '45.984'.
According to the Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa

The situation is reversed according the Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa (GEA) with the Franja having an area of '5.370 km²' and with a population of '70.000'. It should be mentioned that the GEA does not recognise the denomination ''Franja'' but discusses its situation under ''Catalan in Aragon'', nor does it specify in how many or which municipalities where Catalan is clearly spoken nor the date of the census on which its figures are based.
According to the ''Gran Geografía Comarcal'' of the GREC

{| class="wikitable" align="right" style="text-align:center"; border="5"}
!
'Municipality/Urban nucleus'

!
'Area'
(km²)'

!
'Population
(2006)'

|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Benasque'
| align="right" | 233,6
| align="right" | 2.045
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Bisaurri'
| align="right" | 62,9
| align="right" | 247
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Castejón de Sos'
| align="right" | 31,8
| align="right" | 733
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Chía'
| align="right" | 26,1
| align="right" | 113
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Güell (1)'
| align="right" | 28,0
| align="right" | 29
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Laguarres (2)'
| align="right" | 33,0
| align="right" | 71
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Sahún'
| align="right" | 72,9
| align="right" | 331
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Sesué'
| align="right" | 5,2
| align="right" | 125
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torres del Obispo (3)'
| align="right" | 32,0
| align="right" | 163
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valle de Lierp'
| align="right" | 32,8
| align="right" | 47
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Villanova'
| align="right" | 6,9
| align="right" | 154
|-
| '8 municipalities and 3 nuclei'
| align="right" | '565,2'
| align="right" | '4.058'
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" | Franja de Aragon According the Commission report
| align="right" | 4.442,8
| align="right" | 47.236
|-
| 'Total 70 municipalities y 3 nuclei accoding to the GREC'
| align="right" | '5.008,0'
| align="right" | '51.294'
|-
|}
The ''Gran Geografía Comarcal'' of the Grupo Enciclopedia Catalana (GREC) classes the territorial area of the 'Franja de Aragon' as larger than that defined by the Commission report although not as large as the GEA definition. All the municipalities which it adds to those of the Avant-project and of Ribagorza and therefore belong to the Province of Huesca. It adds a total of 8 municipalities and 3 population nuclei; Güell, Laguarres y Torres del Obispo, which form part of two municipalities; Graus in the case of the first and the third, and Capella the case of the second. The table to the right details the population nuclei and official area and population figures.

★ '(1) Population nuclei belonging to the municipality of Graus'. Population figures according to Ayuntamiento (no date given), area according to GREC.net.

★ '(2) Population nuclei belonging to the municipality of Capella'. Population 2004, area according to GREC.net.

★ '(3) Population nuclei belonging to the municipality of Graus'. Population accodring to Ayuntamiento (no date given), area according to GREC.net.
Comparative Table and Map According to Sources

Variations in the Catalan-speaking municipalities of Huesca.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; border="5"}
!
'Source'

!
'Nº
munici-
palities'

!
'% of
Aragon '

!
'Area '(km²)'

!
'% of
Aragon'

!
'Population
(2006)'

!
'% of
Aragon'

|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Avant-project of the
Language Law'
| align="right" | 62
| align="right" | 8,5
| align="right" | 4.442,8
| align="right" | 9,3
| align="right" | 47.236
| align="right" | 3,7
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" | 'Institut d'Estudis
Catalans (IEC)'
| align="right" | 57
| align="right" | 7,8
| align="right" | 4.137,2
| align="right" | 8,3
| align="right" | 45.984
| align="right" | 3,6
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Gran Enciclopedia
Aragonesa (GEA)'
| align="right" | ?
| align="right" | -
| align="right" | 5.370,0
| align="right" | 11,3
| align="right" | 70.000
| align="right" | 5,5
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Grupo Enciclopedia
Catalana (GREC)'
| align="right" | 70
| align="right" | 9,6
| align="right" | 5.008,0
| align="right" | 10,5
| align="right" | 51.294
| align="right" | 4,0
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Total Aragon'
| align="right" | 730
| align="right" | 100,0
| align="right" | 47.719,2
| align="right" | 100,0
| align="right" | 1.277.471
| align="right" | 100,0
|-
|}
Toponymy

There is no unitary policy on official toponymy in the Franja leading to great variations between the local 'comarcalización' laws in comparrison with those proposed by the IEC. The following table details the translation of the toponymy in Spanish to the official version in the local vernacular and that proposed by the IEC. At the bottom are the municipalities which the GREC includes in its definition of the Franja and the poposed names which it offers opposed to the official names:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; border="5"}
!
'Spanish' (1)

!
'Local variety or
linguistic vernacular'
according to the '
''comarcalización'' law' (1)

!
'Cataln
according to the IEC' (2)

|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Aguaviva'
| align="left" | Aiguaviva de Bergantes
| align="left" | Aiguaviva de Bergantes
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Albelda'
| align="left" | Albelda
| align="left" | Albelda
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Alcampell'
| align="left" | El Campell
| align="left" | El Campell
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Altorricón'
| align="left" | El Torricó
| align="left" | El Torricó
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Arén'
| align="left" | Areny
| align="left" | Areny de Noguera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Arens de Lledó'
| align="left" | Arenys de Lledó
| align="left" | Arenys de Lledó
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Azanuy-Alins'
| align="left" | Azanúy-Alins
| align="left" | Sanui i Alins
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Baélls'
| align="left" | Baells
| align="left" | Baells
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Baldellou'
| align="left" | Valdellou
| align="left" | Valdellou
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Beceite'
| align="left" | Beseit
| align="left" | Beseit
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Belmonte de San José'
| align="left" | Bellmunt de Mesquí
| align="left" | Bellmunt de Mesquí
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Benabarre'
| align="left" | Benavarri
| align="left" | Benavarri
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Bonansa'
| align="left" | Bonansa
| align="left" | Bonansa
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Calaceite'
| align="left" | Calaceit
| align="left" | Calaceit
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Camporrélls'
| align="left" | Camporrells
| align="left" | Camporrells
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Castigaleu'
| align="left" | Castigaleu
| align="left" | Castigaleu
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Castillonroy'
| align="left" | Castellonroi
| align="left" | Castellonroi
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Cretas'
| align="left" | Queretes
| align="left" | Cretes
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Estopiñán del Castillo'
| align="left" | Estopanyà
| align="left" | Estopanyà
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fabara'
| align="left" | Favara
| align="left" | Favara de Matarranya
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fayón'
| align="left" | Faió
| align="left" | Faió
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fórnoles'
| align="left" | Fórnols
| align="left" | Fórnols de Matarranya
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fraga'
| align="left" | Fraga
| align="left" | Fraga
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Fuentespalda'
| align="left" | Fontdespatla
| align="left" | Fondespatla
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Isábena'
| align="left" | Isábena
| align="left" | La Pobla de Roda
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Cañada de Verich'
| align="left" | La Canyada de Beric
| align="left" | La Canyada de Beric
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Cerollera'
| align="left" | La Cerollera
| align="left" | La Sorollera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Codoñera'
| align="left" | La Codonyera
| align="left" | La Codonyera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Fresneda'
| align="left" | La Freixneda
| align="left" | La Freixneda
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Ginebrosa'
| align="left" | La Ginebrosa
| align="left" | La Ginebrosa
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'La Portellada'
| align="left" | La Portellada
| align="left" | La Portellada
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Lascuarre'
| align="left" | Lascuarre
| align="left" | Lasquarri
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Laspaúles'
| align="left" | Laspaúls
| align="left" | Les Paüls
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Lledó'
| align="left" | Lledó
| align="left" | Lledó d'Algars
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Maella'
| align="left" | Maella
| align="left" | Maella
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Mazaleón'
| align="left" | Massalió
| align="left" | Massalió
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Mequinenza'
| align="left" | Mequinensa
| align="left" | Mequinensa
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Monesma y Cajigar'
| align="left" | Monesma i Caixigar
| align="left" | Monesma i Queixigar
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Monroyo'
| align="left" | Montroig
| align="left" | Mont-roig de Tastavins
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Montanuy'
| align="left" | Montanui
| align="left" | Montanui
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Nonaspe'
| align="left" | Nonasp
| align="left" | Nonasp
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Peñarroya de Tastavins'
| align="left" | Pena-roja de Tastavins
| align="left" | Pena-roja
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Peralta de Calasanz'
| align="left" | Peralta de Calasanz
| align="left" | Peralta de la Sal
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Puente de Montañana'
| align="left" | El Pont de Montanyana
| align="left" | El Pont de Montanyana
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Ráfales'
| align="left" | Ráfels
| align="left" | Ràfels
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'San Esteban de Litera'
| align="left" | San Esteban de Litera
| align="left" | Sant Esteve de Llitera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Sopeira'
| align="left" | Sopeira
| align="left" | Sopeira
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Tamarite de Litera'
| align="left" | Tamarit de Llitera
| align="left" | Tamarit de Llitera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Tolva'
| align="left" | Tolba
| align="left" | Tolba
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torre de Arcas'
| align="left" | Torredarques
| align="left" | Torredarques
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torre del Compte'
| align="left" | La Torre del Compte
| align="left" | La Torre del Compte
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torre la Ribera'
| align="left" | Torre la Ribera
| align="left" | Tor-la-ribera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torrente de Cinca'
| align="left" | Torrent de Cinca
| align="left" | Torrent de Cinca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Torrevelilla'
| align="left" | La Torre de Vilella
| align="left" | La Torre de Vilella
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valdeltormo'
| align="left" | La Vall del Tormo
| align="left" | La Vall de Tormo
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valderrobres'
| align="left" | Vall de Roures
| align="left" | Vall-de-roures
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valjunquera'
| align="left" | Valljunquera
| align="left" | Valljunquera
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Velilla de Cinca'
| align="left" | Villella de Cinca
| align="left" | Vilella de Cinca
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Vencillón'
| align="left" | Vensilló
| align="left" | Vensilló
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Veracruz'
| align="left" | Veracruz
| align="left" | Beranui
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Viacamp y Litera'
| align="left" | Viacamp i Lliterà
| align="left" | Viacamp
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Zaidín'
| align="left" | Saidí
| align="left" | Saidí
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; border="5"}
!
!
!
'Catalan
according to the GREC' (3)

|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Benasque'
| align="left" | Benás
| align="left" | Benasc
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Bisaurri'
| align="left" | Bisaurri
| align="left" | Bissaürri
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Castejón de Sos'
| align="left" | Castilló de Sos
| align="left" | Castilló de Sos
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Chía'
| align="left" | Chía
| align="left" | Gia
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Sahún'
| align="left" | Sahún
| align="left" | Saünc
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Sesué'
| align="left" | Sesué
| align="left" | Sessué
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Valle de Lierp'
| align="left" | Valle de Lierp
| align="left" | La Vall de Lierp
|-
| style="font-size: 90%;" |'Villanova'
| align="left" | Billanoba
| align="left" | Vilanova d'Éssera
|-
|}

★ ' (1) Sources of the official denominations in Spanish and local vernacular':
Boletín Oficial de Aragón (BOA): Ley 10/2002, de 03 de mayo, de creación de la comarca del Bajo Aragón / Ley 12/2003, de 24 de marzo, de creación de la comarca del Bajo Aragón-Caspe /
Ley 20/2002, de 07 de octubre, de creación de la comarca del Bajo Cinca / Ley 25/2002, de 12 de noviembre, de creación de la comarca de La Litera / Ley 07/2002, de 15 de abril, de creación de la comarca del Matarraña / Ley 12/2002, de 28 de mayo, de creación de la comarca de la Ribagorza.

★ ' (2) Source of the denomiations in Catalan according to the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC):'
Lista de denominaciones en catalán aprobada por la Sección Filológica del IEC en reunión del día 15 de diciembre de de 1995, en la reunión de la Sección Filológica de 15 de enero de 1999 se decidió incluir en la lista el topónimo "Vensilló" al ser un municipio de nueva creación. En la primera reunión los municipios de Azanuy-Alins, Isábena, Lascuarre y San Esteban de Litera se excluyeron de la lista oficial de municipios de lengua catalana de la Franja de Aragón, listándose a parte como municipios pertenecientes a un área de transición lingüística.

★ ' (3) Source of the denominations in Catalan according to the Grupo Enciclopedia Catalana': [1]

Political Meaning


Pancatalanist proposal for a Catalan Countries flag.

The Political meaning of the Franja goes hand in hand with the catalanist political movement, which has always considered this part of Aragon as 'historical Catalonia', which through history has ended up dismembered from its cultural community, a community which is fundamental to the pancatalanist 'Catalan nation'.
This new meaning as part of the Catalan Countries emerged throughout the 20th Century, and especially after the 1960s, encouraged in the main part by Joan Fuster. The term brought a new political dimension to pancatalanism demanding a nation state for the Catalan Countries based around the Catalan linguistic community.
There has never been a political movement from the Franja promoting union with Catalonia, and separation from Aragon, in order to form a new political entity. Nor do catalanist political parties participate in municipal or regional elections.

Socioeconomic Meaning


The socioeconomic meaning of the Franja relates to the economic region surrounding the Catalan city of Lérida, which encompasses Catalan-speaking Huescan and Zaragozan municipalities and excludes those in the region of Teruel and includes Spanish-speaking municipalities such as Alcolea de Cinca, Binéfar, Monzón, etc... The area of influence of Lérida is especially reflected in editions of the local Lérida press for example La Mañana-Franja de Ponent and also of Aragon as shown by the digital publication Franja Digital.

References


1. Vila, Pau, Les marques de Ponent. Els homes, 1929, La Publicitat
2. http://www.iecat.net/CRUSCAT/documents/coneixementiusos/index.htm

External Links


'Ecclesiastic meaning'

★ Especial del ''Heraldo de Aragón'': Los bienes del Aragón Oriental

★ Especial de ''El Periódico de Aragón'': Los bienes de la Franja

★ Observatorio del Patrimonio Histórico Español: Los bienes de la Franja

★ Galería de imágenes y mapa de localización de los límites diocesanos
'Linguistic meaning'

★ ASCUMA Associació Cultural del Matarranya defienden la cultura de los pueblos catalanoparlantes aragoneses del Matarraña (en catalán).

★ CERIb Centro de Estudios Ribagorzanos analizan las hablas de la Ribagorza y divulgan su cultura

★ Institut d'Estudis del Baix Cinca promocionan la cultura catalana en la Franja de Poniente (en catalán).

★ FACAO Federación de Asociaciones Culturales del Aragón Oriental de forma similar a la Real Academia Valenciana de la Llengua afirman que en la Franja se habla "aragonés oriental" y no catalán.

★ El catalán en Aragón - Recursos y noticias del catalán en la Franja de Poniente (en catalán)

★ Mapa lingüístico por Francho Nagore Puede observarse la Franja a la derecha.
'Political meaning'

★ Institución Cultural de la Franja de Ponent - En favor de la anexión territorial de la Franja a Cataluña

★ Acció Cultural del País Valencià - Tienen un "Casal Jaume I" en Fraga
'Others'

★ The Western Strip Cultural Institution. Promotes Catalan culture.

★ FACAO ''Federación de Asociaciones Culturales del Aragón Oriental''. Analagously to blaverists in Valencia, they affirm that no Catalan is spoken in La Franja, but "Eastern Aragonese".

★ Cinca river as frontier in History About the frontier changes between Aragon and Catalonia in ''la Franja''.

★ Information in Catalan Encyclopaedia

★ Map of Language distribution in Aragon, by Francho Nagore

This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.

psst.. try this: add to faves
©2009 TripAtlas.com