Catalan Independentism

Catalan Independentism

The Catalan separatist or pro-independence (Catalan: Independentisme català;, ) movement is a political movement, derived from Catalan nationalism, which supports the independence of Catalonia or the so-called Catalan countries from Spain and France. Support for Catalan independence is based on the thesis that Catalonia is a nation, derived from its own history, language and culture.

The beginnings of the movement can be traced back to the early 20th century, when some organisations and political parties started demanding full independence of Catalonia from Spain. During the following years, and mainly due to Franco's regime oppression against the Catalan people and culture, the movement gained more sympathizers. More recently, there has been an increase in the number of followers and non-binding and unofficial referendums have been held in municipalities around Catalonia.

The Estelada flag, in its blue and red versions, has become its main symbol.