barcelona

Barcelona, with a population census of 1,605,602 on 1 January 2006, is divided into ten administrative districts, each one with its own district council, which allows a decentralised, local administration, closer to the residents.

The ten city districts are Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Sants-Montjuïc, Les Corts, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Gràcia, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu and Sant Martí.

This division of the city has its roots based on the history of the city. Ciutat Vella is the old centre of the city and the Eixample is where the city expanded after the city walls were knocked down. The other districts correspond to municipal areas which were around the old city, outside the walls, and which became part of Barcelona during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Each district is divided into different wards, each with its own personality and historic traditions.

Catalan is the official language of Catalonia, according to the Statute of Catalonia and the Spanish Constitution, together with Castilian, the official language of Spain.

People have the right to use both official languages, and citizens of Catalonia have the right and the obligation to know them.

The two languages exist in a bilingual situation in Barcelona, similar to situations in other parts of the world. Catalan and Castilian are the languages understood, written, read and spoken by the majority of the population of Barcelona.

The city is open to the co-existence of, 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 socio-cultural fabric and the everyday life of Barceloneans.

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Photo Ajuntament de Barcelona