|
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population, only exceeded by Madrid. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences.
 The city of Barcelona has a population of more than 1.5 million, but this number spirals to more than 4.000.000 if the outlying areas are also included. The Catalan capital, 166 kilometres from the French border and 120 kilometres south of the Pyrenees, has a surface area of 100.4 square kilometres.
There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan, the official language of Catalonia, together with Castilian, the official language of Spain.
The city is open to the co-existence and dialogue between different languages. The importance of tourism, and the fact that Barcelona overflows with many different cultures, means that other languages, such as English, French, Italian, German and different Arabic and Asian languages, are all heard on the streets in the city.
In the majority of shops, museums, cultural and social centres and venues in the city, the languages most commonly used for signs, notices and information are the two official languages and English, a fact which enriches the everyday life of Barceloneans.
For more information, go to: Official Barcelona website or About Barcelona.
|
