Regional Identities — One Country, Many Nations

Spain is not a homogeneous country but a state of historically grown regions with their own languages, cultures, and identities. The 1978 constitution created 17 Autonomous Communities (Comunidades Autónomas) with varying degrees of self-governance — a compromise intended to contain centrifugal forces.

The four languages of Spain

• Castilian (Castellano): The official state language, understood everywhere, spoken by 99% of the population
• Catalan (Català): Mother tongue of about 9 million people in Catalonia, Valencia (there as "Valenciano"), and the Balearic Islands. Own literature since the 13th century. In Barcelona, street signs, menus, and media are predominantly in Catalan
• Basque (Euskara): The oldest living language in Europe — unrelated to any other language. Spoken in the Basque Country and Navarra (about 750,000 speakers). Was banned under Franco and has experienced a renaissance since the 1980s through the immersion school system Ikastola
• Galician (Galego): Closely related to Portuguese, spoken in Galicia (about 2.5 million speakers)

The Catalonia Question

Catalonia is Spain's richest region and has a strong national identity. In 2017, the conflict escalated: An illegal independence referendum on October 1 was met with police force by the central government — images that went around the world. The Catalan government declared independence, was deposed, several politicians fled or were imprisoned. In 2021, the imprisoned were pardoned. The conflict continues to smolder but has cooled down.

The Basque Country

The Basque identity is the oldest on the Iberian Peninsula — Basques lived here before the Celts and Romans. The terrorist organization ETA fought for independence with violence from 1959 to 2011 (over 800 deaths). Since the dissolution of ETA in 2018, the Basque Country has experienced a boom — San Sebastián and Bilbao are among the most exciting cities in Europe.