La Franja de Ponent /lɑˈfrɑɲ.ʒε.ðe.poˈnent/ or La Francha de Lebán (Catalan for Western Strip and Aragonese for Eastern Strip respectively), or simply La Franja, refers to four comarques in the east of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, which are linguistically Catalan, in contrast to the Castillian (and historically, Aragonese) speaking areas of western Aragon.

Catalan does not currently have an official status in this territory, as in other places in Spain. A law written by the Aragonese coalition government ( Ley de lenguas de Aragón) was proposed in order to change this situation, as well as with Aragonese language in other regions in Aragon. However, this still waits to approved.

Comarques

• Ribagorza (Catalan: Baixa Ribagorça)
• La Litera / La Llitera
• Bajo Cinca / Baix Cinca
• Matarraña / Matarranya

External links

• The Western Strip Cultural Institution. Promotes Catalan culture.
• FACAO Federación de Asociaciones Culturales del Aragón Oriental. Analagously to blaverists in Valencia, they affirm that no Catalan is spoken in La Franja, but "Eastern Aragonese".
• Cinca river as frontier in History About the frontier changes between Aragon and Catalonia in la Franja.
• Information in Catalan Encyclopaedia
• Map of Language distribution in Aragon, by Francho Nagore

La Franja

Francha de Lebán | Frenge d’Aragon | Franja de Ponent | La Franja | Franxa de Ponente