Matarraña

Matarraña (Spanish: [mataˈraɲa]) or Matarranya (Catalan pronunciation: [mataˈraɲa])[1] is a comarca in eastern Aragon, bordering the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Catalonia and Valencia. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area.

Matarraña/Matarranya
Comarca
Country Spain
Autonomous community Aragon
ProvinceTeruel
CapitalValderrobres/Vall-de-roures
Municipalities
List
  • See text
Area
 • Total933 km2 (360 sq mi)
Population
 • Total8,682
 • Density9.3/km2 (24/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
The Matarranya river flowing through the town of Valderrobres (Vall-de-Roures)

Its capital is Valderrobres, and it borders the Aragonese comarques of Bajo Aragón-Caspe/Baix Aragó-Casp, and Bajo Aragón, the Catalan comarques of Terra Alta, Baix Ebre, and Montsià, and the Valencian comarques of Baix Maestrat and Ports.

This comarca is named after the Matarranya River flowing through it. It belongs to the Catalan-speaking strip in eastern Aragon known as La Franja.

Historical comarca
Matarranya historical region in Aragon

The historical Matarranya comarca was a natural region that roughly encompassed the whole Matarranya river basin. The historical comarca was split for administrative purposes when provincial boundaries were traced following the territorial division of Spain in 1833.

After the new divisions were created, the northern section, the Lower Matarranya, became part of the Zaragoza Province while the southern part remained in Teruel Province. This former northern territory, that included the municipalities of Fayón (Faió del Matarranya), Maella and Fabara (Favara del Matarranya), is now the eastern end of the Bajo Aragón-Caspe/Baix Aragó-Casp comarca.

Some of the western municipalities that remained in Teruel Province, Aguaviva (Aiguaviva de Bergantes), Belmonte de San José (Bellmunt de Mesquí), La Cañada de Verich (La Canyada de Beric), La Cerollera (La Sorollera), La Codoñera (La Codonyera), La Ginebrosa and Torrevelilla (La Torre de Vilella) were later segregated from Matarranya and included in the Bajo Aragón comarca.

Municipal terms

The Catalan version of the names of the towns are in brackets.

See also

References
  1. Official name as appears in the establishing law of the comarca (BOA 7/2002 15th april)
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