42°26′48″N 1°57′10″E / 42.44667°N 1.95278°E
Cerdanya
La Cerdanya | |
---|---|
Country(s) | France Spain as the comarca of |
Subdivisions | Occitanie Catalonia |
Provinces | Pyrénées-Orientales Girona |
Comarques | Cerdanya Upper Cerdanya |
Area | |
• Total | 1,086.07 km2 (419.33 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,100 m (3,600 ft) |
Population (2001) | |
• Total | 26,500 |
• Density | 24/km2 (63/sq mi) |
Cerdanya (Catalan pronunciation: [səɾˈðaɲə] ; Spanish: Cerdaña, Spanish: [θeɾˈðaɲa] ; French: Cerdagne, pronounced [sɛʁdaɲ] ) or often La Cerdanya[1][2][3] is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the counties of Catalonia.
Cerdanya has a land area of 1,086.07 km2 (419 sq mi), divided almost evenly between Spain (50.3%) and France (49.7%). In 2001 its population was approximately 26,500, of whom 53% lived on Spanish territory. Its population density is 24 residents per km² (63 per sq. mile). The only urban area in Cerdanya is the cross-border urban area of Puigcerdà-Bourg-Madame, which contained 10,900 inhabitants in 2001.
The area enjoys a high annual amount of sunshine – around 3,000 hours per year. For this reason, pioneering large-scale solar power projects have been built in several locations in French Cerdagne, including Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, the Themis plant near Targassonne, and Mont-Louis Solar Furnace in Mont-Louis.