La Jonquera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Jonquera
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Municipality
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Panorama of the Requesens Castle
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Country | Spain | ||
Community | Catalonia | ||
Province | Girona | ||
Comarca | Alt Empordà | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 56.9 km2 (22.0 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 110 m (360 ft) | ||
Population | |||
• Total | KIDDLE_IB | ||
Demonyms | Jonquerenc, jonquerenca, jonquereño, jonquereña |
La Jonquera (Catalan pronunciation: [lə ʒuŋˈkeɾə]; Spanish: La Junquera) is a municipality in the comarca of l'Alt Empordà, in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated next to the border with Northern Catalonia, nowadays France, opposite the municipality of Le Perthus.
History
The area has always been an important pass through the Pyrenees. A contemporary motorway runs not far from the ancient Roman road, the Via Augusta. Not far from there is an altar erected by Pompey at the Coll de Panissars.
La Jonquera was the site of a conflict involving the retreating French crusaders in 1285 that ended in their defeat.
Geography
Civil parishes
La Jonquera (2,888 inhabitants in the village) has 4 civil parishes (poblaciones). The village of Els Límits is situated on the French-Spanish border, contiguous to its French twin town, Le Perthus.
Village | Population (2005) |
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Canadal | 9 |
Els Límits | 115 |
Requesens | 0 |
Sant Julià | 4 |
Interesting places
- Church of Santa Maria.
- Ruins of Santa Maria de Panissars (mediaeval Benedictine monastery), in the coll de Panissars.
- Ruins of the castell de Rocabertí.
- Castell de Canadal, with the church of Santa Cristina or Sant Jaume de Canadal (c. IX).
- Romanesque churches (Sant Pere del Pla de l'Arca and Sant Martí del Forn del Vidre (10th century), and Santa Llúcia, Sant Miquel de Solans and Sant Julià dels Torts (12th century).
- Porta Catalana (work of Josep Lluís Sert), in the border.
- Several megalithic monuments (dolmens and menhirs).
Forest fires
The area around La Jonquera was seriously affected by fatal wildfires that devastated large swathes of forestry in northern Catalonia in July 2012.
Demography
1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 1986 | 2007 |
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1588 | 1273 | 1199 | 1964 | 2582 | 3075 |
See also
In Spanish: La Junquera para niños