Lleida (province)

Lleida province

Lleida is a province of eastern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Girona, Barcelona, Tarragona, Zaragoza (Saragossa), and Huesca, and France and Andorra.

Of the population of 385,092 (2004), about 30% live in the capital, Lleida. Some other towns in Lleida province are La Seu d'Urgell (site of the archbishop who is the coprince to Andorra), Mollerussa, Cervera, Tàrrega. There are 231 municipalities in Lleida. See List of municipalities in Lleida.

In this province there is the Val d'Aran, a special comarca with more autonomy.

The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici national park is located in Lleida.

The province enjoys a thriving fruit-growing industry, including pears and peaches.

Lleida is the local Catalan name, and also the official Spanish name according to the Spanish Government. However the form Lérida is also acceptable in Spanish.

It is a bilingual, predominantly Catalan-speaking province, with a characteristic dialect with lo, los as the masculine definite article, and some features shared with Valencian.