Â鶹Éç

Available for over a year

Catalonia is one of Spain's richest regions with 7.5 million people. It has a distinct history stretching back to the early middle ages. Many Catalans think of themselves as a separate nation from the rest of Spain. A row over a planned independence referendum has escalated into what some say is the biggest political crisis in Spain in three decades. Â鶹Éç World Service's Europe Regional Editor, Mike Sanders, explains the story behind the separatism. (Photo: Students demonstrate in Barcelona against the position of the Spanish government to ban a self-determination referendum of Catalonia Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)