Berguedà

**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&nbsp;mm (40&nbsp;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&nbsp;mm (28 tae 36&nbsp;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 () 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.


File:Patum.jpg|The Patum de Berga
File:Gironella_nit.jpg| The toun o Gironella
File:Bagà plaza porticada.jpg| Medieval week in Bagà
File:Sant quirze pedret-pont medieval.jpg|Medieval brig o Pedret
File:Sant vicenç de rus-pintures.jpg|Pentins in the Romanesque kirk o Sant Vicenç de Rus
File:Sant quirze pedret-exterior.jpg|Romanesque kirk o Sant Quirze de Pedret
File:Cercs.jpg|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  (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

## Freemit airtins
*Information about Berguedà on the Generalitat de Catalunya wabsteid.
* Berguedà Coonty Tourist information 
* "Berguedà Actual" - local news steid coverin Berguedà  
* Centre Informàtic del Berguedà (Berguedà Computer Center), in Berga