Cerdanya
42°26′48″N 1°57′10″E / 42.44667°N 1.95278°E
Cerdanya
La Cerdanya | |
|---|---|
Spring landscape of the Cerdanya in Llívia. | |
Map showing Upper Cerdanya and Lower Cerdanya | |
| Country(s) | France Spain |
| Subdivisions | Occitanie Catalonia |
| Provinces | Pyrénées-Orientales Province of Girona Province of Lleida |
| Comarques | Cerdanya Upper Cerdanya (no official status) |
| 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 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.