Conca de Barberà

Conca de Barbera

Country: Spain
Autonomous community: Catalonia
Province: Tarragona
Capital: Montblanc
Municipalities: Barberà de la Conca, Blancafort, Conesa, Espluga de Francolí, Forès, Llorac, Montblanc, Passanant, Les Piles, Pira, Pontils, Rocafort de Queralt, Santa Coloma de Queralt, Serral, Savallà del Comtat, Senan, Solivella, Vallclara, Vallfogona de Riucorb, Vilanova de Prades, Vilaverd, Vimbodí
Area: Total 648.9 km2 (250.5 sq mi)
Population: Total 18,766
Density: 28.9/km2 (74.9/sq mi)
Time zone: CET (UTC+1)
Largest municipality: Montblanc
Conca de Barberà is a comarca (county) in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.

Municipalities:
Barberà de la Conca - population: 434
Blancafort - population: 412
Conesa - population: 123
Espluga de Francolí - population: 3,687
Forès - population: 60
Llorac - population: 128
Montblanc - population: 6,388
Passanant - population: 217
Les Piles - population: 180
Pira - population: 440
Pontils - population: 130
Rocafort de Queralt - population: 277
Santa Coloma de Queralt - population: 2,880
Sarral - population: 1,481
Savallà del Comtat - population: 72
Senan - population: 35
Solivella - population: 574
Vallclara - population: 113
Vallfogona de Riucorb - population: 172
Vilanova de Prades - population: 145
Vilaverd - population: 399
Vimbodí - population: 1,054

Between the hinterland and the coast, a corridor joining Lleida and Tarragona. There are two well differentiated sectors: the Conca proper —at the head of the Francolí and Anguera rivers, between the mountains of Prades, the Tallat and Miramar ranges, with Montblanc as capital; and the Baixa Segarra sector (a continuation of the historic Segarra) —at the heads of the rivers Corb and Gaià—, with Santa Coloma de Queralt as chief town. In the Middle Ages the lands were under various jurisdictions: the monastery of Poblet, the Templars and Hospitallers (Barberà and L’Espluga de Francolí), the barony of Queralt (Santa Coloma), the county of Prades, among others. Montblanc was a royal town and the centre of a major magistrature. The economic base has always been agriculture, especially the vine, and since the beginning of the 20th century there has been an important cooperative movement, which explains the presence of wineries and agricultural cooperatives, interesting examples of Modernism. Stock-breeding and industry have been complementary and, in spite of an impressive list of monumental buildings —the monastery of Poblet, the towns of Montblanc and Santa Coloma de Queralt, among others— tourism is still in the early stages of expansion.