What is "valencian community"

n. An autonomous community of Spain located in the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Area: 23,255 sq km (8,979 sq mi). Population (2009): 5,111,706. Historically, a kingdom also including the town of Caudete.

The Valencian Community, or the Valencian Country, is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populated after Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid with more than 4.9 million inhabitants. It is often homonymously identified with its capital Valencia, which is Spain's third largest city. It is located along the Mediterranean coast in the south-east of the Iberian peninsula. It borders with Catalonia to the north, Aragon and Castile–La Mancha to the west, and Murcia to the south. It is formed by the provinces of Castellón, Valencia and Alicante.

According to its Statute of Autonomy, the Valencian people are a nationality. Their origins date back to the Catalan- Aragonese colonization of the Moorish Taifa of Valencia, which was taken by James I of Aragon in 1238 during the Reconquista. The newly founded Kingdom of Valencia was granted wide self-government under the Crown of Aragon with the promulgation of its Furs in 1261. Valencia experienced its golden age in the 15th century, becoming the economic and cultural capital of the Crown and contributing with the most important works of Catalan medieval literature. Self-government continued after the unification of the Spanish Kingdom, but was eventually suspended in 1707 by Phillip V of Spain as a result of the Spanish War of Succession. Valencian nationalism resurged towards the end of the 19th century, which led to the modern conception of the Valencian Country. Self-government under the Generalitat Valenciana was finally reestablished in 1982 after Spanish transition to democracy.

The Valencian people speak a variety of Catalan called Valencian, accounting for a third of all Catalan speakers. Valencian is a diglossic language that has been historically repressed in favour of Spanish, more recently during Franco's dictatorship. Since it regained official status in 1982, Valencian has been implemented in public administration and the education system, leading to an exponential increase in knowledge of its formal standard. However, its social use continues to be threatened by Spanish due to migration from other parts of Spain, especially in the cities of València and Alicante. Furthermore, the linguistic conflict continues to be pressing, with some groups opposing the official standard based on Catalan orthography.