Àmbit metropolità de Barcelona

This article is about the administrative region. For the administrative area (a'la city), see Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona. For the metropolitan area, see Barcelona metropolitan area.

Catalan regional plan 1995.

   Àmbit metropolità

   Alt Pirineu i Aran

   Camp de Tarragona

   Comarques Centrals

   Comarques Gironines

   Ponent

   Terres de l'Ebre

Part of Àmbit metropolità

Àmbit metropolità de Barcelona^[1] (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈambid mətɾupuɫiˈta ðə βərsəˈɫonə]) is one of the seven territories defined by the Regional Plan of Catalonia (in Catalan, Pla territorial general de Catalunya). It is located in the central coast of Catalonia, Spain, in Barcelona (capital city of Catalonia) and its influence area. It is formed for seven comarques: Alt Penedès, Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, Garraf, Maresme, Vallès Occidental and Vallès Oriental. However Alt Penedès and Garraf want to form another veguerie called veguerie of Penedès (Penedès is an historical territory and veguerie) with two comarques more: Baix Penedès (veguerie of Camp de Tarragona) and Anoia (Comarques Centrals). To a large extent coincides with the Barcelona metropolitan area.

Veguerie of Àmbit metropolità is the vegueria with more population (5,012,961 inhabitants in 2010). With a density of 1,549 inhabitants/km².

Veguerie

Main article: Vegueria

The Vegueria was an important feudal land division in the Principality of Catalonia, Kingdom of Sardinia, and Duchy of Athens during the Middle Ages and into the Modern Era until the Nueva Planta decrees of 1716. It was the primary division of a county in Catalonia and the basic territorial unit of government in Sardinia and Athens after those countries became part of the Crown of Aragon. The office of a veguer was called a vigeriate (Latin: vigeriatus).

In 1936, Catalonia was reconstituted into comarques. Although these were quickly abolished in 1939 they were reconstituted again in 1987. Each comarca was grouped with two to four others into a veguerie, of which there were nine, with their capitals at Barcelona, Girona, Tremp, Vic, Manresa, Lleida, Reus, Tarragona, and Tortosa.

Since the 1987 reconstitution it has been decided that Vegueries be formally re-established in 2011. Under the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, the four provinces which make up Catalonia are due to be replaced by seven vegueries, which will also take over many of the functions of the comarques. As of October 2008, whereas the final boundaries of the new vegueries have yet to be formally approved, they are expected to incorporate largely historical boundaries: Àmbit metropolità de Barcelona, Alt Pirineu i Aran, Camp de Tarragona, Comarques Centrals, Comarques Gironines, Ponent or Lleida, Terres de l'Ebre.

See also

• Catalonia
• Comarques of Catalonia
• Barcelona metropolitan area

References

1. ^ Vegueries (Catalan) (Spanish) (English) (French)

External links

• Statistical Institute of Catalonia
• National Statistics Institute of Spain

Coordinates: 41°29′53″N 2°07′23″E / 41.498°N 2.123°E / 41.498; 2.123