Capcir (; ) is a
historical Catalan comarca of
Northern Catalonia
Northern Catalonia, North Catalonia or French Catalonia is the Catalan language, Catalan-speaking and cultural territory ceded to France by Spain through the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 in exchange for France's effective renu ...
, now part of the French
department of
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales (; ; ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spain, Spanish ...
. The capital of the comarca was
Formiguera, and it borders the historical comarques of
Conflent and
Alta Cerdanya. Capcir is on a plateau, averaging 1500 metres above sea level, and allows passage between the high valleys of
Aude
Aude ( ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it " ...
and both the Spanish
Cerdanya and
French Cerdagne. It has traditionally been rural, but has developed considerably in last the forty years thanks to its tourist attractions. Capcir has two nicknames: little
Siberia
Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
or little
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. This gives an idea of the climate which can prevail during the winter. It is one of the last places in Western Europe where the arctic plant
Ligularia sibirica
''Ligularia sibirica'' is the type species for the genus ''Ligularia''. It is a 0.3-1.3 m tall perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant, native to fens and damp grassy meadows in Siberia, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. Once fairly ...
can be found .
See also
*
Treaty of the Pyrenees
References
External links
Capcir-PyreneesEl Capcir''in Catalan Encyclopaedia.''
Landforms of Pyrénées-Orientales
History of Catalonia
{{PyrénéesOrientales-geo-stub