Vielha e Mijaran

infobox catalan city
title=Vielha e Mijaran


image_skyline_size=160px
location_

province=Lleida
comarca=Val d'Aran
population=5385
population_year=2007
area=211.74
population_density=251.43
elevation=980
demonym=
mayor=Josep Calbetó i Giménez

Vielha e Mijaran is a municipality in the "comarca" of the Val d'Aran in Catalonia, Spain. It was created in 1970 by the merger of the municipalities of Arròs e Vila, Betlan, Escunhau, Gausac, Vielha and Vilac: the former municipalities retain some privileges as "decentralised municipal entities" ("entitats municipals descentralitzades", EMD),ref|EMD as does the village of Betren. "Mijaran" literally means "Middle Valley" in Aranese, as the habited part of the municipality is situated in the valley of the Garonne ("Garona"). The Noguera Ribagorçana has its source on the territory of the municipality, on the opposite side of the watershed. The "ajuntament" (town hall) is in Vielha, which is also the capital of the "comarca".

The municipality is linked to France and to the rest of Catalonia (via the Vielha tunnel) by the N-230 road. The C-28 (old name: C-142) road continues up the valley to Naut Aran, and on over the Bonaigua pass (2072 m) to the "comarca" of Pallars Sobirà. This road, the higher stretches of which are impassable in winter, was the only route between the Val d'Aran and the rest of Spain before the opening of the Vielha tunnel in 1948.

Subdivisions

The municipality is composed of thirteen distinct settlements. Populations are give as of 2001:
*Arròs (95)
*Aubèrt (104), in the EMD of Aubèrt e Betlan
*Betlan (24), on the left bank of the Garonne
*Betren (376), on the left bank of the Garonne
*Casarilh (64), in the EMD of Escunhau e Casarilh, on the left bank of the Garonne
*Casau (87), inhabited in Roman times
*Escunhau (89)
*Gausac (555)
*Mont (25), on the right bank of the Garonne at the foot of the Es Cròdos range
*Montcorbau (17), on the right bank of the Garonne
*Vielha (2620)
*Vila (30)
*Vilac (147)

Demography

Population figures from before 1970 are the totals for the six municipalities which combined to form Viehla e Mijaran.infobox catalan city demography
pop_1900=1995
pop_1930=1757
pop_1950=2139
pop_1970=2142
pop_1986=2969
pop_latest=5385
latest_year=2007

Sister cities

* Saint-Gaudens, France

Note

# "Entitats municipals descentralitzades" are governed by the "Llei Municipal i de Règim Local de Catalunya" (8/1987 de 15 d'abril de 1987). They correspond to "entidades locales menores" in the rest of Spain (known as "entitats locals menors" in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands).

References

* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). "Guia de Catalunya", Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).

External links

* [http://www.vielha-mijaran.org/ Official site]
* [http://www.municat.net:8000/omunicat/owa/mun_p01.dad_ens?via=1&cod=2524300000 Information from the] Generalitat de Catalunya
* [http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=3&V0=1&V1=25243 Information from the] Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya
*Entitat municipal descentralitzada from