Generalitat of Catalonia

The Generalitat de Catalunya ( Catalan pronunciation: [ʒənəɾəliˈtad də kətəˈluɲə]; Spanish: Generalidad de Cataluña; Occitan: Generalitat de Catalonha), or the Government of Catalonia, is the institutional system by which Catalonia is self-governed as an autonomous community of Spain. It is made up of the Parliament of Catalonia, the President of the Government of Catalonia, and the Executive Council of Catalonia (or council of ministers, also very often referred to as Govern, "Government"). Its current powers are set out in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006.

The origins of the Generalitat are in the 13th century when permanent councils of deputies (deputations) were created to rule administration of the Courts of the different realms that formed the Crown of Aragon which gave birth to the Deputation of the General of the Principality of Catalonia (1359), the Deputation of the General of the Kingdom of Aragon (1362) and the Deputation of the General of the Kingdom of Valencia (1412). The modern Generalitat was established in 1931, as the institution of self-government of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic. After the end of the Civil War in 1940 the President was executed and the Generalitat abolished. Notwithstanding, the presidency went into exile until it was reestablished in 1977.