Vielha e Mijaran

Vielha e Mijaran
Coat of arms of Vielha e Mijaran
Location in Aran
Location in Aran
Vielha e Mijaran is located in Catalonia
Vielha e Mijaran
Vielha e Mijaran
Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 42°42′15″N 0°47′46″E
Sovereign state Spain
Country Catalonia
Region Aran
Terçons Castièro, Marcatosa
Province Lleida
Government
 • Mayor Juan Antonio Serrano Iglesias (2015) (Unitat d'Aran)
Area
 • Total 211.7 km2 (81.7 sq mi)
Elevation
980 m (3,220 ft)
Population
 (2018)
 • Total 5,493
 • Density 26/km2 (67/sq mi)
Postal code
25530
Climate Cfb
Website vielha-mijaran.org

Vielha e Mijaran (Occitan pronunciation: [ˈbjeʎa e miʒaˈɾan]; Catalan: Viella – Mitg-Aran [biˈeʎa ˈmitʃ aˈɾan]) is a municipality in central Aran, Catalonia. It is the capital and largest municipality of the region, with 5,581 inhabitants as of 2022. It is part of the terçons of Castièro and Marcatosa.

It was created in 1970 by the merger of the municipalities of Arròs e Vila, Betlan, Escunhau, Gausac, Vielha and Vilac: some of the former municipalities retain some privileges as "decentralised municipal entities" (entitats municipals descentralitzades, EMD), as does the village of Betren. Mijaran literally means "Middle Aran" in Aranese, as the inhabited 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, spelled Vielha in Occitan and Viella in Catalan and Spanish, which is also the capital of Aran and also the seat of the Conselh Generau d'Aran.

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 Port de la Bonaigua (2,072 m, 6,798 ft) to the comarca of Pallars Sobirà. This road, the higher stretches of which are impassable in winter, was the only route between the Aran valley 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 given 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 (2,620)
  • Vila (30)
  • Vilac (147)

Climate

Climate data for Vielha e Mijaran
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 21.0
(69.8)
23.0
(73.4)
27.0
(80.6)
27.0
(80.6)
31.0
(87.8)
36.0
(96.8)
37.0
(98.6)
37.0
(98.6)
35.0
(95.0)
28.0
(82.4)
25.0
(77.0)
22.0
(71.6)
37.0
(98.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.3
(45.1)
8.8
(47.8)
11.3
(52.3)
13.0
(55.4)
17.2
(63.0)
21.2
(70.2)
24.7
(76.5)
24.3
(75.7)
22.1
(71.8)
17.3
(63.1)
11.1
(52.0)
7.1
(44.8)
15.4
(59.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.6
(36.7)
3.6
(38.5)
5.6
(42.1)
7.6
(45.7)
11.2
(52.2)
14.9
(58.8)
17.9
(64.2)
17.5
(63.5)
15.2
(59.4)
11.1
(52.0)
5.9
(42.6)
2.6
(36.7)
9.6
(49.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.2
(28.0)
−1.5
(29.3)
−0.2
(31.6)
2.2
(36.0)
5.3
(41.5)
8.6
(47.5)
11.2
(52.2)
10.8
(51.4)
8.4
(47.1)
4.9
(40.8)
0.7
(33.3)
−1.9
(28.6)
3.8
(38.8)
Record low °C (°F) −20.0
(−4.0)
−19.0
(−2.2)
−13.0
(8.6)
−6.0
(21.2)
−3.0
(26.6)
0.0
(32.0)
3.0
(37.4)
3.0
(37.4)
−1.0
(30.2)
−6.0
(21.2)
−14.0
(6.8)
−16.0
(3.2)
−20.0
(−4.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 75.1
(2.96)
60.1
(2.37)
63.6
(2.50)
89.7
(3.53)
100.3
(3.95)
78.1
(3.07)
64.5
(2.54)
78.6
(3.09)
73.6
(2.90)
69.1
(2.72)
95.9
(3.78)
91.1
(3.59)
939.7
(37.00)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 28.5
(11.2)
31.0
(12.2)
22.0
(8.7)
2.5
(1.0)
1.5
(0.6)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.1
(0.0)
9.5
(3.7)
13.5
(5.3)
38.0
(15.0)
146.6
(57.7)
Average precipitation days 11.0 10.1 11.4 13.6 12.9 10.9 7.8 8.8 8.2 8.9 9.9 11.0 124.5
Average rainy days 1.4 0.8 6.2 12.1 12.7 10.9 7.8 8.8 8.1 5.1 3.0 1.8 78.7
Average snowy days 9.1 9.3 5.2 1.5 0.2 0 0 0 0.1 3.8 6.9 9.2 42.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 72.5 105.0 155.1 176.1 199.2 216.6 247.6 228.8 195.0 128.2 78.0 55.3 1,857.4
Source: Meteorological Service of Catalonia

Politics

Local elections of 2019
Political party 2019
% Seats
Unity of Aran (UA) - Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) 59,45 9
Aranese Democratic Convergence (CDA) 19,98 3
Aran Amassa (Amassa) 7,86 1
Local elections of 2015
Political party 2015
% Seats
Unity of Aran (UA) - Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) 46,67 7
Aranese Democratic Convergence (CDA) 38,68 5
Citizens (C's) 7,24 1

Photos

Sister cities