Vielha e Mijaran
Encyclopedia
Vielha e Mijaran is a municipality
in the comarca
of the Val d'Aran
in Catalonia
, Spain
. It was created in 1970 by the merger of the municipalities of Arròs e Vila, Betlan, Escunhau, Gausac, Vielha and Vilac: the former municipalities retain some privileges as "decentralised municipal entities" (entitats municipals descentralitzades, EMD), as does the village of Betren. Mijaran literally means "Middle Valley" in Aranese
, as the inhabited part of the municipality is situated in the valley of the Garonne
(Garona). The Noguera Ribagorçana
has its source on the territory of the municipality, on the opposite side of the watershed
. The ajuntament (town hall) is in Vielha, spelled Viella in Catalan
and Spanish
, which is also the capital of the comarca.
The municipality is linked to France
and to the rest of Catalonia
(via the Vielha tunnel
) by the N-230
road. The C-28 (old name: C-142) road continues up the valley to Naut Aran
, and on over the Bonaigua pass (2,072 m) to the comarca of Pallars Sobirà
. This road, the higher stretches of which are impassable in winter, was the only route between the Val d'Aran and the rest of Spain
before the opening of the Vielha tunnel in 1948.
s are given :
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the comarca
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
of the Val d'Aran
Val d'Aran
The Val d'Aran is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and a comarca in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, northern Spain. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose...
in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was created in 1970 by the merger of the municipalities of Arròs e Vila, Betlan, Escunhau, Gausac, Vielha and Vilac: the former municipalities retain some privileges as "decentralised municipal entities" (entitats municipals descentralitzades, EMD), as does the village of Betren. Mijaran literally means "Middle Valley" in Aranese
Aranese language
Aranese is a standardized form of the Pyrenean Gascon variety of the Occitan language spoken in the Val d'Aran, in north western Catalonia on the border between Spain and France, where it is one of the three official languages besides Catalan and Spanish...
, as the inhabited part of the municipality is situated in the valley of the Garonne
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
(Garona). The Noguera Ribagorçana
Noguera Ribagorçana
The Noguera Ribagorzana or Noguera Ribagorçana is a river in northern Spain. For much of its course of 130 km it forms the administrative boundary between Catalonia and Aragon...
has its source on the territory of the municipality, on the opposite side of the watershed
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
. The ajuntament (town hall) is in Vielha, spelled Viella in Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, which is also the capital of the comarca.
The municipality is linked to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and to the rest of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
(via the Vielha tunnel
Vielha Tunnel
The Vielha tunnel is a road tunnel in north-west Catalonia, connecting Vielha, the capital of the Val d'Aran valley, with the Alta Ribagorça comarca. It is part of the N-230 road and consists of 2 parallel tunnels...
) by the N-230
N-230
The N-230 connects Lleida to Vielha, the Vall d'Aran and France.It passes through Benabarre, the Vall del Noguera Ribagorçana and the Vielha tunnel . The road is to be up-graded to the Autovía A-14....
road. The C-28 (old name: C-142) road continues up the valley to Naut Aran
Naut Aran
Naut Aran is a municipality in the comarca of the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain. It is the second largest municipality in Catalonia in terms of surface area , and was created in 1967 by the merger of the municipalities of Arties, Salardú, Gessa, Tredòs and Bagergue: the former municipalities...
, and on over the Bonaigua pass (2,072 m) to the comarca of Pallars Sobirà
Pallars Sobirà
El Pallars Sobirà is a comarca in the mountainous northwest of Catalonia, Spain. The name means "Upper Pallars", distinguishing it from the more populous Pallars Jussà to its southwest...
. This road, the higher stretches of which are impassable in winter, was the only route between the Val d'Aran and the rest of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
before the opening of the Vielha tunnel in 1948.
Subdivisions
The municipality is composed of thirteen distinct settlements. PopulationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s are given :
- Arròs (95)
- Aubèrt (104), in the EMD of Aubèrt e Betlan
- Betlan (24), on the left bank of the Garonne
- Betren (376), on the left bank of the Garonne
- Casarilh (64), in the EMD of Escunhau e Casarilh, on the left bank of the Garonne
- Casau (87), inhabited in RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times - Escunhau (89)
- Gausac (555)
- Mont (25), on the right bank of the Garonne at the foot of the Es Cròdos range
- Montcorbau (17), on the right bank of the Garonne
- Vielha (2,620)
- Vila (30)
- Vilac (147)
Sources
- Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).
External links
- Official website
- Information from the Generalitat de CatalunyaGeneralitat de CatalunyaThe Generalitat of Catalonia is the institution under which the autonomous community of Catalonia is politically organised. It consists of the Parliament, the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Government of Catalonia....
- Information from the Institut d'Estadística de CatalunyaInstitut d'Estadística de CatalunyaThe Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya is the official body responsible for collecting and publishing statistics in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It is under the responsibility of the Department of the Economy and Finances of the Generalitat de Catalunya.-External links:*...
- Information from the Association of Veterans Climbers Skiers of Viella (Spanish).