Girona (; es, Gerona ; french: Gérone) is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, in the northeastern part of the
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administr ...
of
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
. It is bordered on the northwest by the
province of Lleida
The Province of Lleida (; Aranese Occitan: Lhèida ; es, Lérida ) is one of the four provinces of Catalonia. It lies in north-eastern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Catalonia, and is bordered by the Provinces of ...
, on the southwest by the
province of Barcelona
Barcelona (, ) is a province of eastern Spain, in the center of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The province is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona, and by the Mediterranean Sea. Its area is .France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
(
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean ...
), and on the east by the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
.
The population of the province in 2016 was 739,607. Its capital and largest city is
Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capit ...
, with an
urban area
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...
(including the neighbouring municipalities of
Salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
,
Sarrià de Ter and
Vilablareix) representing, with a total population of 144,709, 19.2% of the population. The Girona area acts as an industrial, commercial and service hub for a significant part of the province.
Municipalities of Girona
The province has 222
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
, including
Girona city (population 96,722),
Figueres
Figueres (, ; , es, Figueras, ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museu ...
(pop. 44,765),
Lloret de Mar
Lloret de Mar (; ) is a Mediterranean coastal town in Catalonia, Spain. It is south of Girona and northeast of Barcelona. With a population of 38,402 in 2021, it is the second largest town in the Selva comarca of Catalonia.
Lloret de Mar attra ...
(pop. 40,282),
Blanes
Blanes () is a town and municipality in the comarca of Selva in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. During Roman rule it was named Blanda or Blandae. It is known as the "Gateway to the Costa Brava". Its coast is part of the Costa Brava, which stretches ...
(pop. 39,834),
Olot (33,725),
Salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
(pop. 30,389),
Palafrugell (pop. 22,816) and
Sant Feliu de Guíxols (pop. 21,814), as well as some significant and historical towns such as
Banyoles
Banyoles () is a city of 20,168 inhabitants (2021) located in the province of Girona in northeastern Catalonia, Spain.
The town is the capital of the Catalan ''comarca'' "Pla de l'Estany". Although an established industrial centre many of the ...
,
Besalú
Besalú () is a town in the ''comarca'' of Garrotxa, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
The town's importance was greater in the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current ''comarc ...
,
Cadaqués,
Camprodon,
Palamós,
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà (; es, Puigcerdá) is the capital of the '' Catalan comarca'' of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the Segre River and on the border with France (it abuts directly onto the French town of Bourg- ...
or
Ripoll.
The municipality of
Llívia
Llívia (; es, Llivia ) is a town in the ''comarca'' of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a Spanish exclave surrounded by the French ''département'' of Pyrénées-Orientales. In 2009, the municipality of Llívia had a total ...
, which is an
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
separated from the rest of Spain and surrounded by France, is also officially part of this province.
''Comarques'' of Girona
Since the division by provinces in Spain and the division by ''
comarques'' in Catalonia do not completely match, the term ''comarques of the province of Girona'' is not accurate. However, a list of the ''comarques'' that are included—totally or partially—in the province of Girona can be made:
* Fully included:
** l'
Alt Empordà
Alt Empordà (, "Upper Empordà") is a comarca (county) in Girona, Catalonia, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( La ...
** el
Baix Empordà
Baix Empordà in Catalan (; en, Lower Empordà, italic=yes) or Bajo Ampurdán in Spanish () is a ''comarca'' (county) in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the two ''comarca'' into which Empordà was divided in the comarca ...
** la
Garrotxa
** el
Gironès
** el
Pla de l'Estany
** el
Ripollès
* Partially included:
** la
Selva (all
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
except
Fogars de la Selva)
** la
Cerdanya
Cerdanya () or often La Cerdanya ( la, Ceretani or ''Ceritania''; french: Cerdagne; es, Cerdaña), is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the counti ...
(only its eastern half)
**
Osona
Osona () is a comarca situated in Catalonia, Northeast Spain. Its capital is Vic. Its population in 2001 was 129,543. Osona covers roughly the same area as the historic Catalan county of Osona. The name Osona comes from ''Ausetans'', a group of ...
(this ''comarca'' is generally not listed as part of Girona, since only three of its municipalities are part of this province:
Espinelves,
Vidrà
Vidrà is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Osona in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Ges river, between the Bellmunt and Milany ranges, in the north of the ''comarca''. It is linked to Sant Quirze de Besora by a local ro ...
and
Viladrau)
Population
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Colors=
id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7)
id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1)
ImageSize = width:600 height:auto barincrement:30
PlotArea = left:40 bottom:40 top:20 right:20
DateFormat = x.y
Period = from:0 till:800
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
AlignBars = late
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:100 start:0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:50 start:0
BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo
PlotData=
color:skyblue width:20 shift:(-50,-5) fontsize:M anchor:till
bar:1877 from:0 till:306 text:305,658
bar:1887 from:0 till:311 text:311,153
bar:1900 from:0 till:304 text:303,829
bar:1910 from:0 till:324 text:324,378
bar:1920 from:0 till:331 text:330,774
bar:1930 from:0 till:331 text:331,389
bar:1940 from:0 till:325 text:324,766
bar:1950 from:0 till:322 text:322,371
bar:1960 from:0 till:352 text:351,645
bar:1970 from:0 till:412 text:412,357
bar:1980 from:0 till:467 text:467,000
bar:1990 from:0 till:510 text:509,628
bar:2000 from:0 till:566 text:565,304
bar:2010 from:0 till:752 text:751,806
bar:2020 from:0 till:782 text:781,788
TextData=
pos:(35,20) fontsize:M
text:"Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE"
See also
*
List of municipalities in Girona
Notes and references
External links
news and information of the province of GironaXanascat the National Network of Youth Hostels of Cataloniarural tourism in GironaTourism guide of Girona province, Hotels, Restaurants, Guides, Campings & more of GironaAn excentric guide to Girona province
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girona, Province of