Berguedà

Berguedà
Berguedà
	Comarca
	Banner Coat airms
Kintra	Spain
Autonomous commonty	Catalonie
Province	Barcelona; Lleida (Gósol)
Caipital	Berga
Municipalities	Leet Avià, Bagà, Berga, Borredà, Capolat, Casserres, Castell de l'Areny, Castellar de n'Hug, Castellar del Riu, Cercs, L'Espunyola, Fígols, Gironella, Gisclareny, Guardiola de Berguedà, Gósol, Montclar, Montmajor, La Nou de Berguedà, Olvan, La Pobla de Lillet, Puig-reig, La Quar, Sagàs, Saldes, Sant Jaume de Frontanyà, Sant Julià de Cerdanyola, Santa Maria de Merlès, Vallcebre, Vilada, Viver i Serrateix;
Area
• Total	1182.5 km2 (456.6 sq mi)
Population (2013)
• Total	40,555
• Density	34/km2 (89/sq mi)
Demonym(s)
Time zone	UTC 1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC 2 (CEST)
Lairgest municipality	Berga

Berguedà (in Catalan: El Berguedà) is an inland comarca (coonty) in Catalonie, Spain, leein pairtly in the Pyrenees an Pre-Pyrenees, an pairtly in the Catalan Central Depression.

Geografie

The northren hauf o Berguedà, kent as Alt Berguedà (“Upper Berguedà”), consists o the upper Llobregat Glen an the muntainous auries surroondin it. Its northren mairch is a veritable muntain barrier: Berguedà is separatit frae Cerdanya bi a chain o 2,000-meter peaks. Thae include the muntain ranges o Cadí, Moixeró, Puig d'Alp an Puigllançada. In this aurie the population is centert mainly in the Llobregat Valley an the glens o the rivers Bagà, Bastareny an Saldes. Eastle are the muntain ranges o Catllaràs an Rasos de Tubau, wastle the heich ranges o Pedraforca, Verd, Ensija an Rasos de Peguera.

The mair populous Baix Berguedà ("Lawer Berguedà") is the soothren pairt o the comarca. It lees alang the fuithills o the Pyrenees, transitionin intae the plains o the Catalan Central Depression.

Climate

Alt Berguedà is rainy an (bi Catalan standards) cauld, wi snaw in the winter on the heicher peaks. Average annual precipitation exceeds 1000 mm (40 inches), maistly in the wairmer saisons.

The vegetation consists mainly o wids o Scots Pine an aik. Shadier auries hae European beech an, less aften, silver fir. Abuin 1700 meter, Mountain Pine dominates an abuin 2200 meter the vegetation consists primarily o alpine meadaes. The soothren hauf o Berguedà consists o lawer glens, wi a dry Mediterranean climate. Average annual precipitation is 700 tae 900 mm (28 tae 36 inches), wi vera little precipitation in the simmer. Average annual temperaturs faw atween 11 an 13 °C, wi cauld winters, but athoot nimious het simmers. The naiturally occurrin vegetation is carrascara (Roond-leafit aik, Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia) in dry auries wi puir syle an aiks whaur thare is better syle an mair rain. In the center an tae the wast, Portuguese aik (Quercus faginea) dominates, wastle an northwart Downy aik (Quercus pubescens, syn. Q. humilis). Thir days, thay are intermixed wi Scots Pine an Aleppo pine.

Population an economy

Berguedà haes ayes been spairsely populatit. In 1860 thare wis 31,544 indwellers, but, bi 1887, the population haed fawen tae a law o 23,257. The 1900 census shawed a slicht reboond tae 27,217 indwellers. For the next 60 year, growin opportunities in minin, textiles, forestry, nowt ranchin, an agricultur led tae a slaw but steady increase, wi 39,600 indwellers in 1930, 41,938 in 1950 an 47,953 in 1960. Then, wi a decline in the local economy (inspecially a faw-aff in minin) coincidin wi greater opportunity elsewhaur, anither decline o the economy an population set in, wi the population fawin tae 44,446 in 1970, 42,152 in 1981, an a mere 40,555 the day.

Currently, industrial activity is locate mainly in atween Berga an Puig-reig. The openin o the Cadí Tunnel an the general impruivement o the roads in recent (as o 2004^[update]) years mey impruive the economic potential o the Llobregat Valley an o Berguedà in general.

Agricultur, nowt ranchin an forestry haes pruiven generally complementar tae ane anither an compatible wi tourism. The growthe in tourism haes providit some jobs an haes been a key factor in reducin emigration frae Alt Berguedà. Mony fermhooses hae been convertit (in whole or in pairt) tae tourism-relatit uises.

Main sichts

Berguedà is weel kent for Pedraforca Muntain (tradeetionally considered a meetin place for witches' covens), for its pastoral an muntain scenery, an for its mony Romanesque kirks. Anither aften-visitit sicht is the Muntain o Queralt (hame tae a sanctuar hoosin the Comarca's patroness, Oor Lady o Queralt), whilk is sert bi mony hikin trails an affers views o hintle o Berguedà an the surroondin comarques. The comarca boasts mony medieval brigs an haes presert mony auld toun centers an aw, maist notably the anes o Berga an Bagà.

Events

Berguedà is weel kent for its mony tradeetional festivals. The maist famous is certainly the Patum, a week-lang celebration held in Berga ivery simmer. In the Patum, representations o different meethological beasts an historical figurs tak tae the streets, an concerts an banquets are organisit in the toun an aw. Anither weel-kent celebration is the Fia-faia, held ivery Christenmas Eve in Bagà an Sant Julià de Cerdanyola. This pre-Christian tradeetion marks the winter solstice, wi pairticipants cairryin lichtit bundles o Cephalaria leucanta frae a bonfire in the muntains tae the wast o either toun (whaur the sun is seen tae set) tae the main square.

The Patum de Berga
The toun o Gironella
Medieval week in Bagà
Medieval brig o Pedret
Pentins in the Romanesque kirk o Sant Vicenç de Rus
Romanesque kirk o Sant Quirze de Pedret
The toun o Cercs

Municipalities

Populations are frae 2005.

Avià - pop. 2,015
Bagà - pop. 2,160
Berga - pop. 16,175
Borredà - pop. 518
Capolat - pop. 79
Casserres - pop. 1,548
Castell de l'Areny - pop. 60
Castellar de n'Hug - pop. 184
Castellar del Riu - pop. 152
Cercs - pop. 1,342
L'Espunyola - pop. 270
Fígols - pop. 48
Gironella - pop. 4,853
Gisclareny - pop. 36
Guardiola de Berguedà - pop. 926
Gósol - pop. 223
Montclar - pop. 121
Montmajor - pop. 460
La Nou de Berguedà - pop. 159
Olvan - pop. 897
La Pobla de Lillet - pop. 1,348
Puig-reig - pop. 4,197
La Quar - pop. 68
Sagàs - pop. 140
Saldes - pop. 346
Sant Jaume de Frontanyà - pop. 28
Sant Julià de Cerdanyola - pop. 258
Santa Maria de Merlès - pop. 151
Vallcebre - pop. 284
Vilada - pop. 507
Viver i Serrateix - pop. 193

References

Instituto Nacional de Estadística Archived 2006-07-16 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish). Reference for populations of municipalities as of January 1, 2005.
IDESCAT: statistical information on Berguedà (in Catalan), source for list of municipalities, surface area