Catalan language

Catalan is a Romance language named for its origins in the historical region of Catalonia in the northeastern part of Spain and adjoining parts of what is now France. It is the national and only official language of Andorra, a European microstate, and a co-official language of the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian. It also has semi-official status in the city of Alghero (where the Algherese dialect is spoken) on the Italian island of Sardinia. It is also spoken with no official recognition in the autonomous communities of Aragon (in La Franja) and Murcia (in Carche) in Spain, and in the historic Roussillon region of southern France, roughly equivalent to the current French department of Pyrénées-Orientales (Northern Catalonia).

Although recognized as a regional language of the Pyrénées-Orientales department since 2007, Catalan has no official recognition in France, as French is the only official language of that country, according to the French Constitution since 1992.

Eurovision 1968
There is some controversy over Spain's 1968 entry into Eurovision. Originally chosen to sing the song "La La La" was Joan Manuel Serrat. He stated that he would sing the song in Catalan (which at the time was illegal to use for any official purposes as part of the Franco regime's language policies). One week before the contest, singer Massiel was asked to replace him as the Spanish entry and sang the song in Spanish, winning that year's competition.